The Pickup

Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson save this movie from a horribly middling director. I've never heard of him before, but a quick look at his credits tells me why.

Without the performances and on screen chemistry of the two lead actors, this movie would be a one out of ten instead of a five out of ten. I'm not sure how this guy keeps getting work, but he must have something on some studio execs.

I'd like to go on about the movie. The writing is okay and the action sequences are passable. But its the directing and editing and some really really terrible voice over work of the bad guys when they have their helmets on that take this movie down. But its really not worth it.

If you have a netflix subscription, its a fun watch. Good thing no one hase to pay 20 bucks or more at a theater for it though. Then it would be a definite pass.

The cast is perfect, but the script and direction are dull. They had top-tier comedy actors with great chemistry between them, yet half of the movie is just a chase in an armored truck, and the other half is also an action chase-but without the light comedy that was present in the first half. The characters overall are not deep, even Keke Palmer in her role couldn't bring any real impact to that cheap story about her father. In short, it's a time-wasting movie that will be forgotten over time and ranks among the worst films of Pete Davidson and Murphy.

Final rating: 5/10.

Granted, when I stumbled upon this movie and opted to watch it, I didn't harbor the biggest of expectations, as Eddie Murphy haven't exactly been in top notch movies in recent years. But still, since it was a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I had to check it out.

Writers Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider put together an enjoyable script and storyline. Sure, it was running on many generic tropes for a heist movie, but it still proved rather enjoyable.

The scene with the music in the van was a nice homage to some of Eddie Murphy's earlier classic movies.

The movie does have some familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Eddie Murphy, Eva Longoria, Pete Davidson, Ismael Cruz Cordova and Andrew Dice Clay. The acting performances in "The Pickup" were good.

There is a good amount of action throughout the course of the movie, which definitely helps to spruce up the narrative. It was nicely executed action sequences as well.

I was actually genuinely entertained throughout the course of the movie. It was like a trip back to the action comedies of the 1990s. This is a popcorn movie, so just lean back in the seat, munch on the snacks and enjoy the ride.

My rating of director Tim Story's 2025 movie "The Pickup" lands on a six out of ten stars.

A textbook example of wasted potential. 4.5/10

Eddie Murphy, once a comedic powerhouse, delivers a surprisingly average performance that feels like he's merely collecting a paycheck. The supporting cast fares even worse, with uniformly bad acting that makes you wonder how these scenes made it past the first take.

Director Tim Story seems unsure what movie he's making. Is it a heist caper like Ocean's Eleven? An action-comedy like Bad Boys or a Car chase flick like the F&F franchise? The film awkwardly straddles both genres without committing to either, resulting in a thriller that isn't thrilling and a comedy that isn't funny.

The story is paper-thin and absurdly silly, but not in an endearing way. Poor dialogue ensures that even potentially funny moments fall completely flat.

Murphy and Davidson's chemistry feels forced and unnatural throughout. What should have been a fun romp between two mismatched partners becomes a tedious exercise in mediocrity.

Skip this pickup - your time is better spent elsewhere.

The Pickup is another example of mindlessly entertaining content from a streaming service that's highly generic and designed to be forgotten about whilst being entertaining enough thanks to the over qualified stars who sustain it over the course of a thankfully concise run time. It's an action comedy that peaks within the first 30 minutes (which could've been the whole movie) but it still works in a predictable fashion.

Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson are a solid pairing who both get some good laughs with Davidson being the more hysterical one and Murphy generally playing it a little too straight. Keke Palmer's natural magnetism shines through even when she's given bland material like this. Unfortunately, Marshawn Lynch's undeniable comedic talents are criminally wasted in the very small role he's given which is a real shame.

It is a little frustrating to see director Tim Story following his best film to date with a bland streaming movie that looks just as visually flat as the rest and the film struggles to move from being comedy heavy to action heavy. However, there are also a couple of decent action sequences and the film has a bit of an energetic visual style interspersed throughout which delivers exposition in a slightly more interesting way.