While a few of Eddie Murphy‘s movies are pretty awful, some of his films get a bad rap and deserve a second chance. Murphy is a star who needs little introduction, and the comic icon is still one of the most popular funnymen nearly 50 years into his career.

Helping to anchor Saturday Night Live through one of its lowest periods, Murphy soon branched out into film work, and was an immediate success. 48 Hrs. rocketed him into superstardom, and he would spend the rest of the 1980s making one hit after another. Action comedies became his specialty, with Beverly Hills Cop remaining an integral part of his legacy.

Though he soared to new heights in the ’90s and ’00s, it hasn’t always been perfect. Between hits, Murphy has released plenty of forgotten movies. While some have been forgotten for good reason, others are not nearly as bad as critics said. With Eddie Murphy back in the spotlight, it’s high time some of his movies got a second chance.

10

Vampire In Brooklyn (1995)

A collaboration between Eddie Murphy and Wes Craven never seemed possible, but Vampire in Brooklyn brought together a horror master and a comedy icon. Sadly, the horror comedy is a poor mix of its two genres, but it wasn’t a total loss. Murphy is a convincing blood-sucker, even if he isn’t very funny as he stalks the New York borough.

Craven was a deft director no matter what he was working with, and Vampire in Brooklyn looks great compared to other mid-’90s horror films. The makeup is downright chilling, and it at least tries to do something clever with the established vampire mythos. Fans might have wanted a funnier Eddie Murphy, but they got to see his darker side.

9

Harlem Nights (1989)

So far, Harlem Nights is the only film that Eddie Murphy has ever directed, and he pulled double duty in the crime comedy. Teaming Murphy with Richard Pryor, the period piece is set in the late 1930s, and has all the hallmarks of a gangster story. It features an iconic cast of Black stars, and should have been great.

Unfortunately, Harlem Nights is missing something to really put it over the top. It has flashes of brilliance, but can’t sustain itself across the entire running time. Pryor and Murphy work well together, and it’s a treat seeing them in the same film. It’s worth watching, but is ultimately a missed opportunity.

8

The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)

The Distinguished Gentleman is an Eddie Murphy movies that slipped through the cracks, and isn’t really talked about much at all. While some of Murphy’s films are despised for their low quality, all the 1992 flop usually gets is a mild shrug. It’s a political comedy where Murphy is perfectly cast, but it isn’t particularly ambitious with its messaging.

The studio clearly thought Murphy’s starpower would be enough, so The Distinguished Gentleman mostly coasts along on a few gags. Nevertheless, Murphy brings an energy to the lackluster script, and he elevates what could have been an absolute disaster. It deserves a second chance because, while it isn’t great, it’s better than its 13% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

7

Mr. Church (2016)

Returning for the first time in four years, Eddie Murphy made a dramatic step out onto the stage as the тιтle character in Mr. Church. The somewhat overly-sentimental drama was based on a true story, but is still guilty of falling into overused tropes. Murphy’s performance is the highlight, and for that the movie is worth a watch.

Instead of trying to go with something off-the-wall, Murphy’s dramatic turn is subtle and still allows a lot of his natural charisma to shine through. Mr. Church is a brisk little movie that never overstays its welcome, and there are certainly worse films in Murphy’s catalog.

6

The Haunted Mansion (2003)

While it may hold a nostalgic place in many hearts, The Haunted Mansion was not well-regarded when it first came out. Based on the attraction at Disney theme parks, the horror comedy was forced to try to compete with the wildly-popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which premiered a few months earlier.

Murphy is actually quite funny as the scaredy-cat real estate agent, Jim Evers, and the film crafts an interesting story out of the ride’s thin narrative. It mostly suffers from tone issues, with the humor being far too juvenile for its own good. However, when compared to the cynical and algorithmic 2023 Haunted Mansion movie, the original is much better.

5

Another 48 Hrs. (1990)

48 Hrs. was Eddie Murphy’s film debut, but by the time he returned for the sequel, he was already a superstar. The buddy cop comedy came nearly a decade later, and Another 48 Hrs. was not nearly as beloved as its predecessor. Nick Nolte returned to co-star, but there was clearly something missing that kept it from being truly great.

The biggest issue with Another 48 Hrs. is that its plot is too contrived. The ticking clock framework was excellent in the first movie, but the sequel had to bend over backward to think of a new 48-hour scenario. Nevertheless, Murphy and Nolte slide back into their roles effortlessly, and it’s a fun little addition to the buddy cop genre.

4

Beverly Hills Cop 3 (1994)

Already a decade into the franchise, Beverly Hills Cop 3 got poor reviews but was a decent box office success. Murphy once again dons his letterman jacket and heads back to Beverly Hills, and director John Landis tapped in for Tony Scott, who departed the series after directing the second film. All the pieces were there, but they just didn’t fit together.

Murphy is strong as Axel Foley, and the rest of the ensemble returned too, but the repeтιтiveness became apparent. The action got more bombastic, which is quite fun to watch, but it’s not as funny as its predecessors. However, Beverly Hills Cop 3 is still an enjoyable movie, and the franchise as a whole is worth binge-watching.

3

Holy Man (1998)

In the middle of his run of family-friendly hits, Eddie Murphy starred in the baffling comedy, Holy Man. Murphy stars as a self-help guru who uses a home shopping channel to spread his message. It was an interesting change of pace for Murphy, but nobody was biting. Critics hated it, and it was a box office disaster of epic proportions.

Despite that poor setup, Holy Man is certainly worth revisiting, mainly because of how strange it is. Murphy gives an earnest performance, and the movie is clearly trying to say something about happiness and consumerism. However, its message is quite muddled, and the fun comes from trying to decipher the larger moral statement behind the film.

2

Boomerang (1992)

Of all the Eddie Murphy movies worth a revisit, Boomerang comes the closest to being one of his truly great films. The romantic comedy drudges up age-old battle of the Sєxes plot points, but Murphy and his co-stars are so enjoyable that its originality really doesn’t matter all that much.

Black rom-coms are so rare in any era, so Boomerang is worth holding onto, and it’s quite enjoyable as light entertainment. Murphy is great at playing the heel, and he has strong chemistry with co-stars like Halle Berry and Robin Givens. A few extra tweaks to the script, especially in the plot department, would have easily elevated the forgotten rom-com.

1

The Golden Child (1986)

The ’80s was a great decade for action/adventure movies, but Eddie Murphy’s The Golden Child doesn’t typically rank among the best. Murphy is again thrust into the reluctant hero role as he sheds his day job as a social worker to help rescue the тιтular kid who is the key to humanity’s future.

The film has plenty of supernatural elements too, which allows for some chills as well as laughs. Eddie Murphy is in his element in the action and comedy aspects, but the movie’s script feels unfocused. The Golden Child is so distinctly ’80s that it has high nostalgia value, and its bonkers premise makes it worth revisiting.