Eddie Murphy’s latest movie,The Pickup,has been a tragic misuse of his talent, paling in comparison to the best films in the comedy legend’s register. In the recently released heist comedy, Murphy stars alongsideSNLalumnPete Davidson as two security transport drivers whose multi-million-dollar haul is targeted by a gang of kooky criminals, led by Keke Palmer.
Sadly,The Pickupfails as a heist movieand an Eddie Murphy comedy at the same time. It’s a pitiful showing for someone as talented as Murphy, whose long history of cinematic gold showcases his true talent.
So whileThe Pickupmay have left viewers disappointed, many older films have made much better use of his comedic chops. They remain a great way to refresh oneself from the disappointment of his latest.
10Shrek
In truth, each oftheShrekmoviesuse Eddie Murphy’s Donkey to cuttingly hilarious effect. Shrek would be nothing without his short-legged equine sidekick, whose motormouth gives the grumpy ogre someone to bounce off of and lifts the entire sense of humor of the series straight into the modern era in all four of the mainline films.
However, if there’s oneShrekmovie that stands out for how well it utilizes Murphy, it’s the original. Here, Shrek and Donkey are given ample time to banter and build a believable friendship despite their obvious differences, playing out like a fun buddy road trip romp through a bizarre, magical world.Shrekwill forever remain a prized jewel of Murphy’s filmography.
9Mulan
It’s truly telling of Murphy’s charisma that he has lent his voice to not one, but two iconic animated sidekicks in a beloved family movie. InMulan, Eddie Murphy plays Mushu, the diminutive dragon and ancestral guardian of Mulan, sent to watch over her, scheming for a higher seat of honor all the while.
Compared to Donkey, Mushu is a lot more sassy and scathing, but his booming deliveries of pop culture references, gut-bustingly funny punchlines, and exasperated sighs keep the film’s tone balanced at all ends. It might be hard to admit, butMulanmight make even better use of Eddie Murphy’s ability to project his sense of comedic timing through talking creature companions thanShrekdoes.
8Haunted Mansion (2003)
Not to be confused with the abysmal 2023 remake, 2003’sHaunted Mansionis a cruelly underrated family comedy that strikes just the right balance of spooky ghouls and laugh-out-loud slapstick humor. Here, Murphy stars as a workaholic father and husband who tries to make amends with his annoyed family by taking them on a vacation to what turns out to be a haunted mansion.
Haunted Mansionreceived negative reviews at the time of its release, but looking back, it’s one of Murphy’s strongest showings as a leading man, undergoing a believable arc from conceited to humble. The entire family cast has amazing chemistry, and if nothing else,Haunted Mansionis one of the bettermovies based on theme park rides.
7The Nutty Professor
Eddie Murphy is certainly guilty of engaging in the occasional low-brow, juvenile comedy laden with cheap humor, withNorbitbeing the most infamous offender.The Nutty Professormight skirt the line of this classification with its painfully aged humor in places, but it’s undeniably a better use of Murphy’s talents thanThe Pickup.
Here, Murphy plays a genius, yet morbidly obese scientist who creates an experimental serum that gives him a conventionally attractive body in hopes of winning over his crush.Murphy plays an additional six characters in the film, including the titular professor’s Mr. Hyde-like alter ego, all of which demonstrate his various flavors of comedic genius.
6Dolemite Is My Name
Moving on from the family-friendly fare, Eddie Murphy’s filmography is equally littered with the kinds of raunchy comedies that earned him fame in the first place. A throwback to theBlaxploitation films of the ’70s,Dolemite Is My Namestars Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore, the iconic director of many such pictures, in this semi-autobiographical romp.
Despite being largely a comedy, the film presents Murphy with many avenues to show off his serious side, an under-appreciated facet of his talent throughout his career. A great biography, drama, and love letter to Black ’70s filmmaking in general,Dolemite Is My Namehits all the right notes with Murphy’s leading role.
5Trading Places
One of the films that put Eddie Murphy on the map in the first place,Trading Placesis still a cuttingly funny comedy even decades later. The set-up is a simple, yet effective one; Dan Aykroyd plays a wealthy commodities broker opposite Eddie Murphy’s street hustler. True to the title, the two end up swapping lives as part of an elaborate bet.
Still a rising star at this point, Murphy is perfect against Aykroyd, the two playing off one another in dual fish-out-of-water stories. The film has some prescient commentaries on race and class that still resonate today without ever turning into a P.S.A., always keeping the comedy forward and keeping the jokes coming fast.
4Beverly Hills Cop
While48 Hrs.andTrading Placesmay have technically been Eddie Murphy’s breakout movie hit, it wasBeverly Hills Copthat truly propelled his name into the limelight. Here, Murphy embodies the smooth-talking, street-smart super-cop Axel Foley, a Detroit police officer whose mission for revenge takes him all the way to Los Angeles.
There’s a good reason why theBeverly Hills Copserieshas continued to expand to this very day, including the recent release ofBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fin 2024. Murphy is amazing as an action hero who, while still comedic, has the skill and competence to get the job done and get it done in style, all to the classic tune of his driving techno theme song.
3Dreamgirls
Not as many people are aware of justhow talented a vocalist Eddie Murphy is on top of being able to act and do comedy. 2006’sDreamgirlstakes full advantage of this, positing Murphy as a national star whom the protagonists aspire to be backup singers for.
In a cast including the likes of Beyoncé and Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy’s voice may be admittedly outclassed. That being said, he can hold his own well enough to provide some amazing scenes as the dazzling Jimmy “Thunder” Early, a clear homage to the likes of James Brown and Marvin Gaye, who the actor has tons of fun playing.
2Coming To America
Despite being so early in his career,Coming to Americawatches like a bizarre combination of Murphy’s best hits. Combining the multiple-character gimmick ofThe Nutty Professorwith the life-swapping novelty ofTrading Places, Murphy stars as an African prince who comes to New York City in hopes of finding an earnest bride who loves him for something other than his money and power.
Coming To Americais one of Murphy’s better outings, indulging in amovie where one actor plays multiple characters, also hilariously bringing a wacky assortment of side characters to life on top of Prince Akeem Joffer. His chameleonic ability to provide bombastic, yet distinct characters is rarely given more room to flex itself.
1Bowfinger
Yet another multi-role feast for Eddie Murphy,Bowfingeris perhaps more recognizable visually than for its title, with Murphy’s hilariously dorky bespectacled look embedding itself into pop culture.Bowfingerstars Murphy as Kit Ramsey, a famous movie star who is tricked by an aspiring filmmaker into starring in his film by secretly shootingg his candid reactions to elaborate farces.
Of course, Murphy gets to double-dip roles again as Kit’s estranged twin brother Jiff, giving him twice the opportunity to chew scenery alongside comedy legend Steve Martin. Between the multiple roles, absurd physical humor, and audacious line deliveries,Bowfingergets far greater mileage out of Eddie Murphy thanThe Pickupcould ever dream of.
