THE STORY – A routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when two mismatched armored truck drivers get ambushed by ruthless criminals. As chaos unfolds around them, the unlikely duo must navigate high-risk danger, clashing personalities, and one very bad day that keeps getting worse.
THE CAST – Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria, Andrew Dice Clay, Marshawn Lynch & Keke Palmer
THE TEAM – Tim Story (Director) Matt Mider & Kevin Burrows (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 94 Minutes
Director Tim Story is back with another attempt at what he does best: bringing together an ensemble cast to deliver high-energy, accessible entertainment for the masses. This time, the director of “Barbershop,” “Ride Along,” and “Fantastic Four” (no not that “Fantastic Four,” the non-Pedro Pascal one) may not reach the critical masses with his latest, but “The Pickup” will land well for those looking to throw logic in the backseat and let pure, unfiltered fun take the wheel when they hit play on this action-heist-comedy on Prime Video.
Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson play the new odd couple stuck together on a long drive in their armored work truck to pick up an obscene amount of cash. Murphy’s Russell is celebrating his 25th anniversary with his wife, stereotypical spicy-Latina Natalie (played by Eva Longoria, fully owning her “Desperate Housewives” persona – don’t fuck with her) and is annoyed by having to take the long shift with newcomer/irresponsible schlub Travis (played by Davidson as…basically a fictional version of himself). Keke Palmer’s Zoe has other plans for them, teaming up with a few one-dimensional villains to attempt to heist Russell and Travis’s armored vehicle and steal millions of dollars of cash while the pair is in the 70-mile dead zone on their route.
While “The Pickup” has a handful of big names to catch your attention, Keke Palmer and Eddie Murphy steal the show when they’re given free rein. Palmer, as the sympathetic villain, unsurprisingly has charisma with all of her scene partners. Weaving between antagonist, comedic relief, and at times, the straight (wo)man, Palmer takes what would easily be a flat character and adds depth to an otherwise harebrained criminal character arc. Murphy, on the other hand, restrains his performance as the reliable everyman who just wants to get his job done. While that’s typically not what we’ve come to appreciate about Murphy’s performances, there are a few scenes in “The Pickup” where he drops his guard and shows us what Eddie Murphy can really do – “The Nutty Professor,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” and even “Shrek” shines through, but in not nearly enough scenes to make this a must-watch comedy.
There’s also the Pete Davidson of it all. For fans of Davidson, his performance scratches the itch of his comedic talents. For those new to his schtick or looking for a return to his authentic, vulnerable slacker-core of “The King of Staten Island” days, you’ll be disappointed by this one-dimensional jokester with a penchant for middle-school boy humor. One would hope we’ve graduated beyond fart jokes. Eva Longoria shows up in a few scenes as Natalie, Russell’s wife, who’s just looking to spend some more time with her husband. While not given much to work with, Longoria really commits to the intense/nagging wife trope, doing the best she can with little depth.
The action sequences are not breaking any new ground, unfolding with predictability that borders on autopilot. Screeching tires, quick-cut close-ups, and camera work that jitters and swings to inject urgency do little to create a high-stakes environment outside of the obvious. The action will satisfy those seeking loud noises, CGI explosions, and car chases, but will leave few others impressed. Similar to the humor, a handful of laugh-out-loud moments are warranted and deserved, but for fans of Eddie Murphy, you’ll be left wanting more.
The plot of “The Pickup” is one we’ve seen dozens of times before, using a bit of a facelift with a few big names to get you behind the wheel. While not rich in character arcs, life-changing narratives, or even belly laughs, “The Pickup” does hit a few high notes for fans of car chases and the legendary Eddie Murphy. Good-natured fun when it isn’t stale, “The Pickup” tends to drag you along for the ride more than pull you to the end.
