Flubber (1997) & The Nutty Professor (1996): The 90s CGI Boom | EP24

The 90s were a chaotic, candy-coloured moment for mad science. It was a decade where CGI boomed, fat suits became Oscar-level artistry, and Disney realised it could sell sentient green slime in Happy Meals. This week, we revisit two remakes that re-engineer 60s mad-scientist archetypes for a new era: The Nutty Professor (1996) and Flubber (1997).

From Eddie Murphy’s multi-role comedic masterclass to Robin Williams’ absent-minded genius powered by digital effects, we explore how 90s film reinvented the figure of the scientist. These characters became eccentric, emotional, and wildly overworked tinkerers, forever dancing between breakthrough and breakdown.

“The 90s turned mad science into family spectacle — equal parts CGI, sentiment, and complete unhinged energy.”

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Discussion Points from the Episode

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we explore:

• how 1990s CGI reshaped the visual possibilities of sci-fi comedy

• the transformation effects and makeup work in The Nutty Professor

• how Flubber modernised Disney’s classic mad-scientist story

• why remakes of 1960s sci-fi comedies became popular during the digital effects boom

  
  

The Nutty Professor (1996)

Director: Tom Shadyac

Writers: David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, Tom Shadyac & Steve Oedekerk

Producer: Brian GrazerStudio: Imagine Entertainment / Universal Pictures

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Coburn, Dave Chappelle

Release Year: 1996

The Nutty Professor is a remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis comedy of the same name. The film follows Sherman Klump, a brilliant but socially awkward university professor who develops an experimental weight-loss serum.

After testing the formula on himself, Sherman transforms into a slim and confident alter ego named Buddy Love, whose arrogance quickly spirals out of control.

Eddie Murphy famously plays multiple members of the Klump family, using extensive prosthetic makeup and digital effects to portray several characters within the same scenes. The film’s groundbreaking makeup work earned the Academy Award for Best Makeup, highlighting the era’s blend of practical effects and emerging digital techniques.

The film was a major box-office success, grossing about $274 million worldwide and becoming one of Murphy’s biggest hits of the decade.

Flubber (1997)

Director: Les Mayfield

Writer: John Hughes

Producer: John Hughes & Ricardo Mestres

Studio: Walt Disney PicturesStarring: Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald

Release Year: 1997

Flubber is a remake of Disney’s 1961 film The Absent-Minded Professor. The story follows eccentric scientist Professor Philip Brainard, who accidentally invents a strange green substance with incredible elastic energy.

The substance — which Brainard names Flubber (short for “flying rubber”) — can bounce with increasing force and even generate enough energy to make objects fly.

Brainard hopes the invention will help save his struggling college, but his experiments quickly spiral into chaos as Flubber escapes and wreaks havoc across the town.

The film relied heavily on early CGI animation to bring the mischievous green substance to life, showcasing the playful visual possibilities of digital effects in the late 1990s.

Released in 1997, the film grossed roughly $178 million worldwide and became a popular family sci-fi comedy despite mixed critical reviews.

The Mad Scientist in the 1990s

Both films show how the classic mad-scientist archetype evolved in the digital era.

• The Nutty Professor uses transformation effects to explore identity and self-confidence.

• Flubber turns scientific discovery into a playground for CGI spectacle and slapstick comedy.

Together they highlight how the 1990s combined classic sci-fi ideas with new filmmaking technology.

Listen to the Episode

Listen to The Nutty Professor (1996) & Flubber (1997) wherever you get your podcasts.

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Or explore the full Journey Through Sci-Fi archive to discover more episodes exploring the history of science-fiction cinema.