Comedy is enjoying a massive moment in the sun with the warm reception to The Naked Gun and the general resurgence of romantic comedies on streaming. It makes sense to think that Prime Video would want to dip their toes back in with a massive star. So, pulling up to Prime Video this weekend is The Pickup featuring the talents of Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer. Three very funny people on this comedy road trip together that yields a serviceable entry that viewers are going to enjoy. 

Eddie Murphy’s run with the streamer has been better than anyone could have dreamed so far. Coming 2 America was a massive hit and proves that Murphy still has his fastball. Candy Cane Lane delivered Christmas-flavored icing on top of the already delicious cake. So, it’s a no-brainer to get him back into the fold with The Pickup. Director Tim Story is no stranger to comedy fare with The Barbershop series and Ride Along under his belt already.

More than anything though, The Pickup feels like a throwback to that early 2000s buddy comedy mold to a fault. A lot of viewers might not appreciate The Pickup’s steadfast commitment to that kind of storytelling. But, some folks are going to dig just how regimented this film feels when a lot of programming has only grown in complexity since Eddie’s heyday. That divide is going to be there, but if you’re just looking to laugh this weekend for about and hour and a half, The Pickup is there to drop off some smiles and be on its way.

The Pickup is a traditional buddy comedy to a fault!

Pickup

For a setup, The Pickup centers on Russell (Murphy), an armored truck driver who’s so close to retirement that he can smell it. In his last stretch before hanging up his bulletproof vest forever, he’s paired with Pete Davidson’s Travis. Of course, the younger driver is immature and a little ditzy, but he has a good heart. Travis is, of course, late to their assignment together because he’s had a one-night stand with Keke Palmer’s Zoe. She targeted him to get information to pull off a heist of an armored truck. After fending off Zoe’s goons, she recruits Russell and Travis for a big score, knocking down the vault of a massive casino in Atlantic City.

 Now, this story isn’t going to win any awards for being Phantom Thread or anything. The pickup is effective at establishing the stakes, locations, and the central entanglement of our three protagonists. Russell just wants to be left alone, Travis wants to be recognized as more than just to screw up, and Zoe is trying to get into that vault for family reasons that I almost wish had been covered earlier in the film. This movie basically lives and dies on how the three principal actors interact, and once 30 minutes or so pass, Murphy, Davidson, and Palmer really settle into that dynamic.

Murphy actually does pretty well with the straight man role that he’s been thrust into here. Davidson is his normal manic self, but there is an underlying sweetness to Travis that audiences will probably get behind. Of course, Palmer is Keke Palmer, so she’s innately smarter than these two men and helps them understand each other a little bit better over the course of the movie. You’ll predict some of where The Pickup is going, but that probably won’t ruin the film for you.

There’s just enough gas in the tank to get The Pickup to its destination

A lot of takes on movies like this are rooted in how far comedy has come since the early 2000s. But, especially on streaming, audiences have no problem with a bit of a throwback effort. Murphy pulls that fastball out a couple of times over the course of the runtime to remind you that he’s still no joke. Once Davidson calms down a bit, he’s the kind of lovable loser who thrives in these films regularly. It also feels like Tim Story just told Keke Palmer to keep doing what she was doing, as she has the most assured performance of anyone in the cast.

Could this little movie have been more ambitious? Probably! But, for what it sets out to do, it accomplishes with a smile. A lot of folks just want to have a good time for about an hour and a half on a weekend. The Pickup is right there in that pocket, ready and willing to serve!

This film isn’t going to leap into the Eddie Murphy canon or anything. But, far more ambitious comedies than this one have tried and failed to reach that bar, too. All I’m saying is, if you love the middle to lower end of the Eddie movie spectrum, you’re going to smile at least a couple of times during The Pickup. Really, that’s enough for a successful heist on this trip.

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