Eddie Murphy should have received four Oscar nominations this year – one for “Dreamgirls” and three for “Norbit.”

Impressive fat-suit technology combines with the multifaceted Murphy, whose past multi-role films include “The Nutty Professor” and “Coming to America.”

With a crooked grin and goofy lisp, Murphy plays Norbit, a timid man orphaned at birth.

The movie never mentions Norbit’s real parents, but if you were to suggest Steve Urkel and Flavor Flav as biological perpetrators, you wouldn’t be far off.

Norbit spends his childhood at an orphanage owned by Chinese restaurateur Mr. Chow (also played by Murphy).

There, he meets and falls in love with fellow orphan Kate, but they are quickly separated. He winds up marrying the enormously overweight and overbearing Rasputia (also played by Murphy).

The early years of Norbit’s miserable life are a barrage of fat jokes at their most enjoyable – stripped-down and slapstick.

We laugh with ease as Norbit’s wife chases him around the block, dives on to him in bed and crams into her tiny pimped-out car.

Slight hope emerges as Kate (Thandie Newton) returns to the small town. The only problem is her fianc�, played by Cuba Gooding Jr.

The plot soon dives into a very basic and outlandish territory where Gooding’s character secretly attempts to turn the orphanage into a strip club.

But shallow, simple-minded storytelling should be the least of our worries.

It becomes our obligation to focus on the main ingredient in “Norbit,” which is Murphy’s brilliant and hysterical role-playing.

While some of the jokes nosedive, they’re part of the movie’s intention to keep the comical atmosphere alive.

Especially hilarious are Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams, who fulfill their stand-up talents as fellow ex-pimps “Lord Have Mercy” and “Pope Sweet Jesus.”

“Norbit” is probably last on the list of sensitive, thoughtful comedies.

In fact, the humor will probably offend those who try their darndest to be politically correct.

If so, then what we have here is comedy at its finest.