Wacky neuro-surgeon Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr (Steve Martin) is the famous inventor of "cranial screw top" brain surgery. He saves the life of sultry Dolores Benedict (Kathleen Turner) after he runs her over with his car. Michael falls in love and they marry. However, Dolores is a gold-digger and will not consummate the marriage, even though she is "a cheap, vulgar slut".
The Hfuhruhurrs travel to Vienna for a for a honeymoon and medical conference, and they get a divorce. Michael meets eccentric scientist Dr. Alfred Necessiter (David Warner) who has a collection of human brains in glass jars in his lab. The brain of Anne Uumellmahaye (voiced by Sissy Spacek) communicates with Michael, they fall in love, and he starts looking for a new "home" for it.
Dr. Necessiter says, "My experiments have progressed to the point where I can transfer the contents of a human brain into a gorilla." Dr. Hfurhuhurr replies, "I couldn't f**k a gorilla."
There is an Elevator Killer on the loose in Vienna, a serial killer who apparently chooses his victims at random. He murders by injecting window cleaner into buttocks, leaving the victim's body dead but the brain alive. Eventually the identity of the Elevator Killer is revealed, which is now a movie inside joke.
Dr. Necessiter: "Dr. Huffer?"
Dr. Hfuhruhurr: "It's pronounced Hfuhruhurr...The only time we doctors should accept death is when it's caused by our own incompetence."
Dr. Necessiter: "Nonsense. If the murder of twelve innocent people can help save one human life, it will have been worth it."
THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS is a sci-fi comedy, a spoof of 1950's horror and cheap science fiction films. It parodies movies such as DONOVAN'S BRAIN (1953). Dr. Hfuhruhurr takes Anne's brain in a glass jar for a romantic boat ride, and puts wax lips on it so he can kiss it.
Steve Martin is in top form with his dry delivery and wry humour. His great performance of an unlikeable character makes this one of his funniest movies. He is the zany, off-beat "wild and crazy guy" from Saturday Night Live, rather than the refined and sophisticated Steve Martin in his later films. If you liked THE JERK (1979), you'll enjoy this.
Kathleen Turner is very good and sexy, and her character is reminiscent of SERIAL MOM (1994) and especially BODY HEAT (1981). David Warner, not famous for his comedy, is surprisingly funny as a crazy doctor. His huge condo apartment has the decor and space of a large castle.
The cast also includes: Richard Brestoff (Dr. Pasteur), George Furth (Timon), Peter Hobbs (Dr. Brandon), Earl Boen (Dr. Felix Conrad), Francis X. McCarthy (Olsen), Randy Brooks (Fran), Bernard Behrens (James Gladstone), Natividad Vacio (Ramon), Don McLeod (Dr. Schlermie Beckerman), Jeffrey Combs (Dr. Jones), Haunani Minn (Nurse Breen), Merv Griffin (as himself), and many others. Music is by Joel Goldsmith. The witty and inspired script was written by Steve Martin, George Gipe, and Carl Reiner--who also directed.
THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS is a very funny slapstick farce that moves at a frantic fast pace. It's clever and silly with many sight gags, lots of jokes, and it is surely one of the most underrated comedies of all time. The mystery is why it made only $10 million at the box office and why it is not very well known. Rated R for profanity, violence, and nudity.
