Who is this Eddie Murphy guy anyway

Another star vehicle for rising talent Chris Rock. Tipped as the new Eddie Murphy he's already discovering that not everything he touches turns to gold.

Nigel Bell

You can tell the movie industry has been around for a few years. Down To Earth is an example of a remake which itself was a remake of a previous film.

The inspiration was Heaven Can Wait starring Warren Beatty. He'd got the idea from the 1941 film Here Comes Mr Jordan.

Who called you Eddie. We didn't call you Eddie

The premise remains the same. On this occasion Chris Rock is a would-be comedian who finds himself plucked from earth far earlier than he should have been.

The angels realise their mistake and Rock is sent back to the planet.

But putting right a wrong is never that easy in the world of motion pictures.

I'm better looking than you know who

Rock's character Lance must occupy a new body - a fat, millionaire whose views on life differ sharply from those of Lance.

It's the cue for a series of gags, some which work, some which don't.

The film's not bad but given Rock's previous outings in Nurse Betty and Dogma, there's a feeling he deserves better.

Then again, those films were far less mainstream than Down To Earth, so it may be the case that the new Eddie Murphy finds himself tapping into a new audience.