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 alongside SNL alumn Pete 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 Pickup fails as a heist movie and 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 while The Pickup may 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.

10

Shrek

In truth, each of the Shrek movies use 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 one Shrek movie 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. Shrek will forever remain a prized jewel of Murphy’s filmography.

9

Mulan

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. In Mulan, 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 sᴀssy 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, but Mulan might make even better use of Eddie Murphy’s ability to project his sense of comedic timing through talking creature companions than Shrek does.

8

Haunted Mansion (2003)

Not to be confused with the abysmal 2023 remake, 2003’s Haunted Mansion is 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 Mansion received 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 Mansion is one of the better movies based on theme park rides.

7

The Nutty Professor

Eddie Murphy is certainly guilty of engaging in the occasional low-brow, juvenile comedy laden with cheap humor, with Norbit being the most infamous offender. The Nutty Professor might skirt the line of this classification with its painfully aged humor in places, but it’s undeniably a better use of Murphy’s talents than The 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 тιтular professor’s Mr. Hyde-like alter ego, all of which demonstrate his various flavors of comedic genius.

6

Dolemite 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 the Blaxploitation films of the ’70s, Dolemite Is My Name stars 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 Name hits all the right notes with Murphy’s leading role.

5

Trading Places

One of the films that put Eddie Murphy on the map in the first place, Trading Places is 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 тιтle, 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.

4

Beverly Hills Cop

While 48 Hrs. and Trading Places may have technically been Eddie Murphy’s breakout movie hit, it was Beverly Hills Cop that 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 the Beverly Hills Cop series has continued to expand to this very day, including the recent release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F in 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.

3

Dreamgirls

Not as many people are aware of just how talented a vocalist Eddie Murphy is on top of being able to act and do comedy. 2006’s Dreamgirls takes 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.

2

Coming To America

Despite being so early in his career, Coming to America watches like a bizarre combination of Murphy’s best hits. Combining the multiple-character gimmick of The Nutty Professor with the life-swapping novelty of Trading 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 America is one of Murphy’s better outings, indulging in a movie where one actor plays multiple characters, also hilariously bringing a wacky ᴀssortment 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.

1

Bowfinger

Yet another multi-role feast for Eddie Murphy, Bowfinger is perhaps more recognizable visually than for its тιтle, with Murphy’s hilariously dorky bespectacled look embedding itself into pop culture. Bowfinger stars Murphy as Kit Ramsey, an aspiring filmmaker who tricks a famous movie star into starring in his film by secretly filming 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, Bowfinger gets far greater mileage out of Eddie Murphy than The Pickup could ever dream of.