Osmosis Jones (2001): A Retrospective

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

24 years ago, Warner Brothers released a animation/live-action hybrid movie called "Osmosis Jones". The live-action segments focus on Frank (Bill Murray), a zookeeper who eats an egg that he just wrestled a monkey for and has fallen on the ground. When he does so, the film switches to animation, and we go inside Frank's body. Frank's body is visualized as a bustling metropolis. Blood vessels are the equivalent of interstate highways. White blood cells fulfill the role of police officers inside Frank. One of those white blood cells is Osmosis Jones (Chris Rock), a maverick cop who doesn't follow police procedure closely enough but seems to care about protecting Frank more than anyone else.

Other interesting casting choices include William Shatner as the negligent mayor of Frank, Mayor Phlegmming. Having played likeable heroes such as Captain Kirk and T.J. Hooker, as well as hosting/narrating "Rescue 911", it was definitely a different role for Shatner.

I also got a kick of seeing Brandy play Leah, the Mayor's secretary, especially when she said "You care more about your stupid re-election than you care about all our lives!"

Molly Shannon, who's known for playing Mary Katherine Gallagher on "Saturday Night Live", plays the teacher of Frank's daugher Shane, and she is not on good terms with Frank (see the film and you'll see why).

Last but not least is our film's villain, Thrax (Laurence Fishburne). He looks sinister with red skin, red hair and a black trenchcoat, and when compared to Ebola, he snarls, "Ebola is a case of DANDRUFF compared to me!"

I enjoyed this film, but evidently I was in the minority, because this film lost money when it was released in theaters. And the fact that I enjoyed it when so many people either ignored it or hated it raises several questions in my mind.

Could "Osmosis Jones" have been a hit, and if so, how?

Did "Osmosis Jones" pave the way for "Inside Out" in 2015?

Did "Osmosis Jones" inspire anyone to lead healthier lives and/or pursue careers in healthcare?

When "Osmosis Jones" was initially sent to the MPAA, it was rated PG-13, then edited to get a PG rating. Would it have been a better movie if it was released in theaters with a PG-13 rating?

I eagerly await your answers to these questions. Enjoy the rest of your day.

[PhysicalMediaMaestro]

Here's an early draft of the script, written in 1998 by Marc Hyman:

https://archive.org/details/osmosis_jones1325/mode/2up