The Nutty Professor (1996) & Flubber (1997) - The 90s CGI Boom

James Payne
Dec 5
2 min read

The 90s were a chaotic, candy-coloured moment for mad science, 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 as an eccentric, emotional, and wildly overworked tinkerer, forever dancing between breakthrough and breakdown.

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

Chapter Markers / Timestamps

(Approximate )

00:00:00 Cold open: Sherman’s serum pitch & Flubber’s first bounce.

00:00:34 Welcome — revisiting 60s classics through a 90s digital lens.

00:02:40 Eddie Murphy vs Jerry Lewis — comedy, character, chaos.

00:06:45 Body image, 90s diet culture & the politics of transformation.

00:10:22 Prosthetics + CGI: the new alchemy of mad science.

00:15:08 Buddy Love unhinged — testosterone, ego, and violence.

00:20:42 Remaking Jekyll & Hyde for a new century.

00:26:50 Transition to Flubber.

00:28:06 Robin Williams and the charm of the accidental genius.

00:31:44 Weebo: 90s AI, jealousy, and emotional programming.

00:36:40 Sentient goo — the film’s missed sci-fi opportunity.

00:42:10 ILM flexes: CGI dancing sequences & slapstick physics.

00:47:22 Corporate science & stolen invention.

00:52:40 What 90s remakes teach us about technology optimism.

00:57:32 Comparing tones — broad comedy vs digital spectacle.

01:04:24 Love, hubris, and the messiness of scientific ambition.

01:10:58 Why the 90s are the hidden golden age of family mad science.

01:15:28 Outro & next episode tease.

Show Notes & References Mentioned

Films & TV

The Nutty Professor (1963 & 1996)
Flubber (1997)
The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
The Mask (1994)
Weird Science (1985)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Fantasia (1940) – Sorcerer’s Apprentice sequence

People & Concepts

Eddie Murphy, Tom Shadyac, Jada Pinkett Smith, Dave Chappelle
Robin Williams, Les Mayfield, Christopher McDonald
ILM (Industrial Light & Magic)
Diet culture & 90s body transformation tropes
AI emotion & digital sentience
CGI evolution in early Disney live-action films
Hubris, identity, and the ethics of self-modification

Pull Quotes (for social)

“Buddy Love is one protein shake away from becoming a full-on sci-fi monster.”
“The 90s didn’t just remake mad science — it digitised it.”
“Flubber is Frankenstein’s creature if Victor Frankenstein also sold toys.”
“Eddie Murphy does more character work in a fat suit than most actors do in a decade.”
“Weebo deserved a whole spin-off about AI loneliness.”
“Mad science peaks when CGI, slapstick, and existential crisis collide.”