A terrific 2019 film helped bring legendary funnymanEddie Murphyback into the spotlight, but things have been on a downward trend ever since. While he might be best remembered for his goofier roles in the 2000s by some younger fans, Murphy is actually one of the most accomplished humorists of the latter half of the 20th century.
He got his start serving as a beacon of hope during what was one of the driest eras in the history ofSaturday Night Live, and his sketches carried the show through a lean period. He would then release some of the most popular stand-up comedy specials of all time while making the natural jump to feature films too.
In48 Hours, he showed that he could be hilarious and convincing as a bona fide leading man, andMurphy’s starring roleinBeverly Hills Copfurther cemented that point. Murphy just couldn’t lose in the 1980s, and nearly every movie he made was a major success both critically and commercially.
That carried over into the 1990s and 2000s, where Murphy took a decidedly family-friendly turn. Sadly, the iconic comic began to decline toward the tail end of the 2000s, and he disappeared completely for several years. When he finally did return, it was well worth the wait, but he has yet to follow up his in the 2019 comedy biopic.
Dolemite Is My Name Was Eddie Murphy At His Very Best
The 2019 Netflix exclusive film,Dolemite Is My Name, was something of a surprise. Not only did it suddenly reintroduce Eddie Murphy in a starring role for the first time in several years, it was a biopic with a truly unique subject.The filmchronicles the production of the filmDolemiteby comic and Blaxploitation auteur, Rudy Ray Moore.
Murphy plays the leading role, and got to show off his full range. Not only did he excel at replicating Moore’s raunchy alter-ego, buthe brought humanity and depth to Moore himself. The film is as much about the production ofDolemiteas it is about the rebellious spirit that influenced it, as represented by Moore’s radical DIY attitude.
Dolemite Is My Namealso features strong performances from Wesley Snipes and Da’Vine Joy Randolph a few years before she snagged her Oscar.It is quite different from many ofthe popular biopicsreleased at the tail end of the 2010s because it is much more down-to-earth, which allows for the story to shine through the brightest.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar forThe Holdovers.
The movie was an instant success with critics and earned a nearly perfect score onRotten Tomatoes. It earned two Golden Globe nominations, but was mostly ignored by the larger award shows. Perhaps most importantly,the Craig Brewer-directed comedy was a return to form for Eddie Murphy, and seemingly marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career.
Eddie Murphy’s Movies Over The Past 5 Years Have Been Quite Poor
Dolemite Is My Namecertainly began a new chapter for Eddie Murphy’s career, but it hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations. Murphy has released five films in the five years since 2019, butthey have all ranged from mildly amusing to mildly disappointing. Nothing about his recent body of work is particularly terrible, but it’s far from interesting either.
He followed the biopic with a sequel,Coming 2 America(also directed by Craig Brewer), butthe unnecessary follow-up had none of the heart or humor of its predecessor. Murphy mostly sleep-walked through his return as Akeem, and the film had nothing interesting or new to say about the characters or the original movie’s legacy.
The same could be said for 2024’sBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which wasyet another shameless exercise in nostalgia where Murphy clearly didn’t care all that muchabout the final product. His two original comedies released between his legacy sequels at least tried something new, but were honorable misses.
You Peoplejust wasn’t clever enough to tackle its social commentaryin any kind of meaningful way, andCandy Cane Lanewas a misguided attempt at a new Christmas adventure that lacked imagination. However, the former challenged Murphy to play a different type of character, and he certainly elevated what was an otherwise lackluster script.
None of the aforementioned films did for Murphy whatDolemite Is My Namedid, which waschallenge him to step out of his comfort zone and strive for something new. Rudy Ray Moore is one of Murphy’s best performances because it utilized his entire skillset. Conversely, his various nostalgic sequels didn’t challenge Murphy to do anything new at all.
An Upcoming Eddie Murphy Movie Could Reverse The Downward Trend
Though nostalgic movies might be what’s holding Murphy back in his new chapter, an upcoming sequel could ironically save things.Murphy is set to return to his iconic voice role as Donkey inShrek 5, and the long-awaited Dreamworks sequel has reassembled the entire cast. If handled properly, the animated film could be just what Eddie Murphy needs.
Reviving characters who have been in mothballs for over 30 years was clearly a mistake, butShrekis still fresh. Since the movies have a modern tone, the next film could refresh things with topical jokes that feel contemporary.Eddie Murphyhas a lot of humor left to give, andShrek 5just needs to give him a great script.
