By Damon Smith

WHEN his parents die, Norbit Albert Rice (Eddie Murphy) is taken under the wing of the enigmatic Mr Wong (Murphy again) at the Golden Wonton Restaurant and Orphanage, where the young Norbit meets his beautiful and intelligent soulmate, Kate (Thandie Newton).

She is adopted, and Norbit is left to fend off the bullies until overweight Rasputia (Murphy... again) rescues him from a pummelling.

The misfits eventually marry and forge a life of give and take: Norbit gives Rasputia his undivided attention and she takes everything she can get.

Norbit's life spirals out of control when Kate returns to town to buy Mr Wong's orphanage, accompanied by her shady fiance, Deion (Cuba Gooding Jr).

When Norbit discovers Deion's true colours, he must find some way to save Kate and declare his love, but will mean ole Rasputia let him go?

Norbit is a big, fat mess - a grotesque, offensive spectacle that seems to think racial stereotyping is fun so long as Murphy is insulting himself in his various guises, clad in latex body suits which served him so well in The Nutty Professor.

Murphy's showboating grows tiresome very quickly, especially the foul-mouthed Mr Wong, who is portrayed as the Yoda of the sweet and sour balls, complete with an inability to pronounce his r's and l's properly.

Newton's love interest is easy on the eye and has a cute smile but there's no chemistry with Murphy's beleaguered hero.

At Norbit and Rasputia's wedding, Mr Wong looks at the elephantine bride and sighs, "It's a horror show." How true.

DVD Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes, photo gallery and theatrical trailer.