tek's rating: ¾

Osmosis Jones (PG) (live-action/animation)
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This came out in 2001, but I didn't see it until one night in 2021, because I had a cold. (I only happened to have it on DVD because I'd recently bought a 4-movie set that included this.) However, I had previously seen the spin-off TV series Ozzy & Drix, which ran from 2002 to 2004. Anyway, this is one of those films that I choose to file under "animation" despite having live-action scenes, because I really don't know where else to put it. I suppose it's a comedy, but... dammit, animation.

So, there's this widower named Frank DeTorre, whose 10-year-old daughter, Shane, wishes he would eat more healthily. One day he eats something he shouldn't have, which produces an illness that seems to be just a cold. However, it turns out there's a deadly virus named Thrax (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) who goes unnoticed by the white blood cells (police). Anyway, we see occasional live-action scenes with Frank and Shane and some other characters, like Frank's brother Bob (Chris Elliott), and Shane's teacher Mrs. Boyd (Molly Shannon). But most of the movie is animated, and takes place inside Frank's body, which is run like a city by the cells that live in him. The main character, Osmosis Jones (voiced by Chris Rock), is a cop who isn't thought well of. But he's the one who uncovers Thrax's plans to kill Frank, and has to stop him. He gets help from a cold pill called Drix (David Hyde Pierce). While all this is going on, Phlegmming (William Shatner), the mayor of the city of Frank, is running for reelection. He's assisted by his secretary, Leah Estrogen (Brandy), who obviously cares more about the city than he does. Also, she is the object of romantic pursuit by Osmosis, though she isn't into him (for most of the movie).

Well, all kinds of redonkulous stuff goes on throughout the movie, both in the live-action and animated segments. I don't know what else to tell you, but I found the movie mildly amusing, and the detective story not particularly engrossing. But at least I cared about Shane's feelings for her father.


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