Product Description

OSMOSIS JONES IS A MAVERICK WHITE BLOOD CELL COP, PAIRED WITH A NO-NONSENSE PARTNER, A COLD TABLET. THE TWO MUST PROTECT THEIR HUMAN HOST, FRANK, WHEN FRANK CATCHES A COLD.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4501 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2001-11-13
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: Anamorphic, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.com
After the stiff attempts at realism in many recent features, it's a treat to see broad cartoon-style animation on the big screen in Osmosis Jones, a spoof of cop movies set inside the human body. The title character (voice by Chris Rock) is a street-smart white blood cell, working for Frank's immune system. He and Drix (David Hyde Pierce), an over-the-counter cold capsule, are reluctant partners fighting what appears to be a minor infection. Osmosis discovers Frank has really contracted a fatal virus, Thrax (Laurence Fishburne): he battles a corrupt body politic led by a venal mayor (William Shatner) to save Frank's life and win the affection of the mayor's aide, Leah (Brandy Norwood). Rock's motor-mouth delivery can get annoying, but it contrasts nicely with straight arrow Drix (imagine a fussy Buzz Lightyear). Excellent drawing and a powerful vocal performance make Thrax a genuinely frightening villain.

Osmosis Jones is about two-thirds animation and one-third live action, which is why two-thirds of the film is entertaining and funny, and one-third is not. The life Osmosis and Drix save belongs to Frank, a slob played in live-action sequences by Bill Murray, who's undercut rather than supported by Chris Elliott and Molly Shannon. Shamelessly over-the-top performances make the human characters seem flatter than the two-dimensional cartoons. The live action was shot by the Farrelly brothers and features lots of gross-out gags about zits, flatulence, vomit, snot, etc. The audience endures these leaden segments, waiting to get back to the animation--and the real comedy. Suitable for ages 9 and up: profanity, violence, bodily function jokes. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Ridiculous entertainment does not equal great cinema
Osmosis Jones is one of those movies you almost feel like you have to apologize for liking. Well, forget about it, because this is a very funny and downright entertaining movie with no class whatsoever!

The scenes bounce between live acting and full animation, determined by whether we are outside or inside the body of Frank. The casting for this silly and peculiar movie was expertly chosen for both live and voice roles.

Live, we have Bill Murray as Frank, in his most disgusting character since Caddyshack. Chris Elliot plays his brother Bob, and manages to challenge Murray in the "disgusting slob" category. Murray eats a hard boiled egg that landed in monkey doodoo, and thus introduces Thrax into his body, a red-death virus determined to take over Frank and kill him. (voiced by Laurence Fishburne)

Inside of Frank, we go to the animation where Chris Rock is the voice of our hero, a white blood cell named Osmosis Jones. Jones is a detective for the City Of Frank, where William Shatner does the voice for Mayor Phlemming. Jones knows something is wrong, but the Mayor denies any illness could occur in Frank. But just to be safe, he "manually overrides" Frank and has him take a cold pill.

Meet Drix, the huge and snotty cold pill, whose voice is played by David Hyde Pierce (Frazier's brother Niles). Jones and Drix make an unlikely team as they hunt down Thrax and try to stop him from killing Frank.

Nothing is taboo here; they go to the nose and get caught up in the wave of snot when Frank's allergies act up, they travel to The Zit, Frank's hottest new club where Kidney Rock is playing (Kidd Rock), and Jones reminisces about the time he hit the "Panic Button" in Frank's stomach, causing him to vomit all over his daughter Shane's teacher. (played live action by Molly Shannon)

Boogers, snot, vomit, farts, and zits; its all here. Ron Howard even does a guest voice as Tom Colonic, running for Mayor against Phlemming, who broadcasts his campaign commercial from The Bowels.

This is visceral entertainment with a squishy feel to it, riotously funny and well endowed with toilet humor; silly campy comedy at its very best. In David Litton's excellent review below, he mentioned that this was a "Fun Time-waster". Indeed it is, David. Enjoy!

Educational (Kinda!)
I've been a 5th grade teacher for 5 years and have shown this movie each year as a reward after learning about the human body in science/health. The kids, for the most part, really enjoy it. There is just enough nasty stuff in there to gross them out - which they love! As a teacher, I just love the entire analogy of the story - every little cell in the body is working toward the same goal - keeping Frank alive. The kids like it, and I also enjoy it. There are some moments in there that are more adult humor that the kids don't even catch, so I'm able to get a laugh out of it.

Gross, But Funny
Osmosis Jones is a really good movie, if a bit... well... disgusting at times.
The plot revolves around a white blood cell named Osmosis Jones (voiced by Chris Rock) who serves as a police officer in the body of a guy named Frank (Bill Murray).
When a dastardly virus named Thrax (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) invades Frank's body, it's up to the immunity force to stop him, and Ozzy is teamed up with a cold tablet named Drixobensomedaphedramine, or Drix for short (voiced by the always-wonderful David Hyde Pierce).
Meanwhile, the pompous blood cell politician in charge of Frank's body, Mayor Phlegmming (voiced by William Shatner), is desperate to win the next election, but he is obviously doing a sub-par job of running Frank's body. His aide (and Ozzy's love interest), Leah, is voiced by Brandy Norwood.

This movie is very amusing in some places, but I had to deduct one star because it is, on occasion, REALLY DARN GROSS. I had to turn my head away from the screen in some places. However, this is by no means a bad movie. I personally consider David Hyde Pierce's portrayal of Drix to be one of the best things in the film (if not the very best), especially when Drix busts a secret mob meeting at a disco and utters the following line, doing some dance steps as he speaks:
"Attention, germs, you are surrounded. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Uh-huh, uh-huh, SURROUNDED!". Trust me, it's worth seeing just for that part.

Overall, Osmosis Jones is definitely worth seeing, and it could also be used to teach an anatomy lesson, because it's very accurate. Just watch out for the gross bits.