Eddie Murphy

Pete Davidson

Keke Palmer

Eva Longoria

Jack Kesy

Ismael Cruz Cordova

Andrew Dice Clay

Marshawn Lynch

Joe Anoaʻi

Jef Holbrook

Lara Grice

Enoch King

Nelson Bonilla

Ray Murphy Jr.

Keith Adams

Charles Green

Regina Ting Chen

Bethany Rachel Tull

Christopher Davis

Laurence Chavez

Leydi Morales

Quantrell D. Colbert

Hector Padilla

Christopher Cocke

Gabrielle Drum

Marvon Hardy

Toby Kibue

Chelsea Rivera

Vinnie Varon

Josh Turner

Tim Story

John Davis

John Fox

Charisse M. Hewitt

Amanda Bradley

Kevin Waterman

Aja Frary

Christopher Lennertz

Kevin Burrows

Matt Mider

Ross T. Fanger

Jeremy Stein

Vicky Mara Story

Larry Blanford

Craig Alpert

Mary Vernieu

Michelle Wade Byrd

Matt Welford

Action

Comedy

Crime

The Pickup

The Story Company

Davis Entertainment

Eddie Murphy Productions

Amazon MGM Studios

United States of America

Brent Marchant

Heist movies – particularly those with a finely honed comic edge – have become one of the most popular and enjoyable genres in today’s cinematic marketplace. And, when they’re done right, they can be a lot of fun, too. However, to succeed as solid entertainment vehicles (not to mention works of good filmmaking), their creators need to combine their films’ various elements with smart, savvy, razor sharp precision, something that director Tim Story’s latest offering only gets down pat about half the time. When Zoe (Keke Palmer), a shrewd, scheming, seductive thief, hatches an elaborate plan to hijack an armored car for use in stealing the weekend receipts from an Atlantic City casino, she taps a variety of resources to make it work, including gathering inside information from a bumbling security guard/driver, Travis (Pete Davidson), during a convincingly staged romantic encounter that he believes is genuine and not the cleverly disguised ruse that it is. His ineptitude and naivete, in turn, lead to a daring, high-speed highway chase that results in the theft of the vehicle and ends up embroiling Travis and his seasoned partner, Russell (Eddie Murphy), in a high-stakes caper to swipe $60 million in cash. And, to ensure the duo’s assistance, Zoe reveals that she has Russell’s wife, Natalie (Eva Longoria), under surveillance – and under the threat of violence – if he and Travis don’t cooperate in carrying out her scheme. By all rights, this might sound like a grounded premise for a film of this stripe, and that would have likely proved true with better execution in several key areas. However, as far as releases like this are concerned, “The Pickup” is, unfortunately, a mostly mediocre offering. To its credit, the film sports a modest number of thrill-filled moments, a fair amount of genuinely funny bits and some truly kick-ass chase scenes. It also features a standout performance by Palmer (who really deserves to get better roles than this), as well as capable turns by Longoria and by Andrew Dice Clay as Travis and Russell’s surly, foul-mouthed boss. But the script needs some serious work, given its many plot holes, implausible story elements and generous helpings of predictability, many of which represent missed opportunities that could have been employed in making the narrative more inventive, unexpected and engaging. Then there are the performances of Davidson, who hands viewers yet another cloying, obnoxious portrayal, and Murphy, whose deadpan delivery often makes him look like he’s sleepwalking through the picture save for a few over-the-top comic outbursts that seem incongruent and largely out of character. Admittedly, this offering generally improves the further one gets into the story, but it still comes up disappointingly short overall. With some precision retooling in the writing and more effective character development and direction for the leads, this truly could have been so much better. As it stands now, though, it’s not only the casino that’s getting robbed.

Manuel São Bento

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/the-pickup-movie-review-the-art-of-wasting-good-talent/

"The Pickup is yet another example of how wasted talent, a lack of ambition, and creative laziness result in a film that fails on almost every level.

Despite a cast with potential and one or two inspired moments, the movie never manages to rise above its predictable storytelling, inconsistent humor, and complete emptiness - it's hard to justify the time spent watching it.

Unless you're a die-hard fan of someone involved, this is one ride you're better off skipping."

Rating: D