"Norbit," starring Eddie Murphy, nominated for "Dreamgirls."

You'll only disagree if you enjoy laughing at a guy in a fat suit, acting out an endlessly repetitive series of inane fat jokes.

Yes, Murphy once again joins the ranks of Martin Lawrence, Tyler Perry, and other recent performers who depend on talented makeup artists to turn them into fat women, as they take the low road for laughs. It's something he's before in "The Nutty Professor" films.

In "Norbit," Murphy can't get enough of fat jokes — we see his character (the gigantic Rasputia) struggling to fit in her car not once, not twice, not thrice, but at least four times.

We also see her wreck a water park slide, collapse a bed (four times, again). And when the fat jokes run thin (so to speak), Murphy adds the "complexity" of combining two ignoble comedy traditions — fat and farts.

Certainly, fat lady jokes aren't the total sum of "Norbit," it just seems like it. There's also a running gag, with a Chinese character (Murphy) who talks distasteful Charlie Chan English and can't pronounce his "l's."

As for a story, here 'tis: Murphy is the title character, a sweet-natured orphan who can't get a break as he moves into adult life. He's forced into a marriage with the giant and evil Rasputia. As the marriage falls apart, Norbit meets the lovely Kate (Thandie Newton) whom he knew as a child at the orphanage. Can Norbit finally find love and happiness?

Well, not if Rasputia can stop him. To quote a filmgoer overheard exiting a preview screening: "He aimed at the lowest common denominator. It was really dumb."

Oh, yeah.