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Osmosis Jones
Acting: 3/4
Directing: 2/4
Writing: 4/4
Total: 3/4
“‘Jones' a cure for summer movie sickness”
Osmosis Jones, a live action/animation hybrid from
the Farrelly Brothers (live action segments) and Tom
Sito and Piet Kroon (animation segments), is one
spoonful of sugar that will help the bitter
medicine taste of the summer movie season go
down. Both funny on many levels and biologically
concerned and correct, it is, by far the best
animated movie of 2001.
It centers around Frank (Bill Murray), who is a
human garbage disposal who eats like Wimpy on a
bad day. He works at a zoo, where, in the opening
scene, he wrestles his hard boiled egg out of the
mouth of a chimp and eats it off the floor, much to
the distress of his young daughter Shane (Elena
Franklin). Much of the live action scenes,
directed by gross-out kings the Farrelly Brothers,
pale in comparison to the (tehe) heart, lungs and
brain of the movie, the animated portions.
From there is where the fun begins. As Frank
begins chewing on his saliva/dirt encrusted egg,
the film goes animated to show us the
“City of Frank”, which is a thriving metropolis, full
of anatomical puns, such as the armpits being a
huge steamroom, blood stream super
highways, the Love Handles being a growing ghetto
area and having a statue of the “founder” of Frank
in Cerebellum Hall, who is a sperm.
The screenplay by Marc Hyman is full of these and
many more jokes, So many that the movie requires
multiple viewing to catch all of them.
The city is much more colorful, interesting and
entertaining than any of the live action parts.
Osmosis Jones (voice of Chris Rock), is the
main protagonist of the movie. He is a white blood
cell who appropriately works for Frank PD, but has
been demoted to tartar control due to “reckless
behavior” we find out later. His partner is Drix
(voice of David Hyde Pierce), who is a cold pill who
has come to soothe the symptoms caused by Thrax
(voice of Laurence Fishburne) or the “Red Death” as
he is known. All of the voice work is flawless, from
both main and supporting characters. Every actor
adds a portion of their own personality to their
characters, while making them endearing
in the process. My four personal favorites being
Osmosis, Drix, Thrax and the aptly named Mayor
Phlemming (voice of William Shatner), who wants to
stay in office by keeping Frank fat. “A fat Frank is a
happy Frank”, he says.
Also noteworthy are the film's visuals inside Frank,
the wonderful message of “you are what you eat”
and, of course, Frank himself. The visuals, overseen
by Tom Sito and Piet Kroon, are very colorful and
detailed. They show the consequences of everyday
actions such as yawning or sneezing on the body.
You will never sneeze, yawn, fart or vomit the same
way ever again after seeing this movie.
Also, as lackluster as the live action is, Bill Murray
certainly gives it his all, turning Frank into a fat and
lazy, but lovable, character, even though the script
doesn't give him anymore to do than to be a human
toilet. Also, the message is very well spread
throughout the movie. Kids and adults alike will be
sure to see things such as chicken legs and corn
dogs in a whole new light.
No matter what your doctor says, I recommend
exceeding dosage of this film. The wonderful
animation, killer script and spot on voice acting
make this movie food for thought.
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