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Wow this was a really bad movie. Plot is AWFUL, for a truck heist movie there's no action and the dialogue seems improvised or written by a teenager. Now I must admit I'm not really a Keke Palmer fan so that didn't help but I saw Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson and thought it has to at least have a few funny scenes. Nope, I was wrong, This movie was a cash grab and should be avoided.

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.

The Pickup (2025) is an action comedy heist movie directed by Tim Story and it tells the story of a group of characters doing a heist like every other movie of this genre and it was pretty good in a very superficial way.

Positives for The Pickup (2025): The plot of this movie is basically the same as other heist movies I've watched before and it works for the most part because of the actors. Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer and Eva Longoria are pretty good. The heist is done pretty well with Tim Story's direction. The action and comedy are also done pretty well. And finally, the movie is straightforward with the execution and I like that it wasn't trying to be too smart or stupid.

Negatives for The Pickup (2025): The plot of this movie very predictable and you know what is going to happening with every plot point. You have Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson teaming up with Keke Palmer and they are doing the typical "We don't like each other, but we will work together for the mission and we surely won't be connecting with one another and be good buddies after our mission." and it plays out exactly how you imagine it being. The villains are very one-note and I don't even remember their names. And finally, this plot has been done before and done better in other movies.

Overall, The Pickup (2025) is your typical streaming movie that you can watch at home and get some superficial entertainment from watching it and that's about it.