Hollywood star Eddie Murphy recently celebrated great success with two late sequels by his former cinema successes in the 1980s for funky characters with a large flap. Even if no concrete figures were presented, “The Prince from Zamunda 2” (2021) became a period of twelve months after his start to the most watched film on Amazon Prime Video, while Netflix had a proud 63 million views in the first two weeks with the action comedy “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (2024). For the now 64-year-old cult comedian, it is probably painful that his last appearance on the big screen in the drama “Mr. Church” (2016) was a little ago …
The Prime Video's own production “co-produced by Murphy”The pickup“Pops now properly with his fast retirement: Blacks are not visually looking at whether they are 40 or 90 years old, Eddie Murphy already hears in the trailer from his over-the-top co-star Pete Davidson (“ The Suicide ”). In fact, the humor, which is somewhat deeper in terms of level, is the decisive, not always tasty ingredient with which the Heist comedy stands out from similar genre contributions.
In “only 48 hours” Eddie Murphy chewed Nick Nolte an ear – this time he is the one who has to be annoyed by Pete Davidson!
Russell Pierce (Eddie Murphy) has been working as a security guard and driver of money transporters for several years. On his 25th wedding anniversary, he is looking forward to a relaxed – and above all early – layer to celebrate with his spirited wife Natalie (Eva Longoria). However, his superior Clark (Andrew dice Clay) not only divides him in for a particularly long route, but also together with the Proll colleague Travis (Pete Davidson). While the duo arranges itself against the sake of the sake, her money transporter is attacked on the highway in a radio hole zone of robbers around the tough zoe (Keke Palmer). But soon it turns out that the criminals are not targeting the charge of the money van, but pursue a completely different, much more sophisticated plan …
Eddie Murphy in a buddy movie-memories of the genre classic “only 48 hours” (1982) are awakened, in which he literally duddled Nick Nolte as a rough-collar word kargen cop at his side. In “The Pickup” the roles are now distributed exactly the other way around: While Murphy gives a factual, sober humor sparring partner, the extrovertly acting Pete Davidson gives the vulgar Wahnwitz free rein. Under the (flat) facade of a drive -controlled Ulknudel, Travis turns out to be a bundle of nerves, which literally drives off when it is addressed to the police.
The action ignites more than humor
The resulting humor powder is-including a recurring gag around a rare monkey with giant chodges in the freight-very quickly used up. A solid and also explosively staged chase after about 20 minutes ensures a first successful action highlight in time for Stunts, in which banknotes with color cartridges also have an explosive effect. (Incidentally, the set got down to the point: when an action scene was turned without an actor, there was an accident in which several crew members were injured.)
In the case of an action comedy, no profound characters are now really to be expected. But around the reserved Murphy and the exalted Davidson around, “The Pickup” is largely populated by bright spine with plenty of Machismo. So Travis and Russell always have bridges of words with their nasty shift manager Clark, who is embodied by the porn glasses for his sexism and unflantially notorious scandal comedians Andrew Dice Clay (“Ford Fairlane-Rock 'N Roll Detective”).
The secret star of the film: Keke Palmer as a cunning leader of a gang of robbers.
Also Jack Kesy (“Operation: 12 Strong”) and Ismael Cruz Cordova (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”) as a rioted gangster duo and WWE wrestler Joe Anoa'i (“Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shhaw”) In a short appearance as-well-wrestler with enormous ignition cords remain enormous Fun figures. Keke Palmer (“Nope”) as a cunning robber, it is therefore easy to collect most sympathy points, not least because of your figure's actually touching baking story.
After all, director Tim Story (“Shaft”) presses the tube again, especially in the last third with a daring and tension-charged coup and a subsequent chase, so that “The Pickup” hardly leaves time to think about a finale, which is rarely dried by CGI fire. But that is better with this flat scenario.
Conclusion: “The Pickup” is a fairly exciting Heist comedy with largely flat characters and a good dose of dubious vulgar humor. A disappointing Eddie Murphy also misses the dominance with which he was able to build on his former (cinema) successes in the two late sequels “The Prince from Zamunda 2” and “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”.