Eddie Murphy Raw

I have grown up to know Eddie Murphy as the funny guy who plays multiple people in one movie, but I also knew that some time ago he was a comedian to which no ground was sacred and who wore some crazy outfits. Luckily I was able to watch one of his classic comedy routines recently, Raw.

The greatest part of Eddie's routine was his impersonations. The voice, mannerisms and stuff the people speak about are all done perfectly. Another great thing is that he tells the humorous truth about things like relationships and how people act and think.

This movie/performance proves that Eddie Murphy is one of the greatest comedians out there. It is definitely one, for all those mature enough, to see. I will be looking out for more old Eddie Murphy stand up DVDs and I hope he goes back to his old ways.

There was once a day when everything Eddie Murphy said and did was hee-larious. Back in 1987, at the height of his powers, Eddie released a movie version of his stand-up act Raw, a sort of follow-up to 1983's Delirious.

Film at New York's Felt Room, Eddie discusses Mr T, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor (doing faultless impressions of all), Johnny Carson's costly divorce, relationships, gays, a home-made McDonalds burger that ruined his childhood etc. It's all pure comedy gold. After about half an hour you'll realize that the reason your face hurts so much is because you're smiling too hard. My favorite moment has to be any impression Eddie does of the average white guy, especially the 'white dude dancing' moment.

Where did this Eddie Murphy go and who is the man that gives us kiddie drek such as Daddy Day Care and Haunted Mansion? If you need a major dose of Eddie in his prime then check this one out. I promise you'll love it and you'll be quoting it for days.

Look out for a youthful Samuel L. Jackson and Basil Wallace as Eddie' uncle and dad too.

I'm not kidding, my stomach is sore from all the laughing. After a brief sketch that serves as a lead-in and to some extent, a setup, this is 77 minutes of pure and gradually increasing hilarity(and there is actually insight to a ton of what he says). This and Hot Fuzz(which had the greater effect on me, but you really can't compare these) are the only two things where I've ever felt like I might croak, that my (23-year old and trim as of writing this, mind you) body might be overwhelmed from my enjoying the crap out of what I was seeing and hearing. I love Murphy when he is allowed to do what he does best, and not asked to do it in an irritating manner. The man has a machine-gun for a mouth(in the sense that it can fire off absolutely lethal verbal projectiles at such a speed that counting them soon becomes an exercise in pointless behaviour) and he can behave arrogantly as well as self-deprecating(if the scales aren't necessarily equal). His impersonations are excellent, and Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor(R.I.P.), Michael Jackson(R.I.P.), Africans, Jamaicans, Italians, etc. must have been embarrassed, if they don't have(or had in those 2 cases) a sense of humor about themselves. This is a performance by Eddie, and like other stand-uppers, he ties it together and repeats certain punchlines. The whole thing keeps to an astounding pace(with very few exceptions), and flies by. This is filmed and edited with skill, evident especially in the fact that you don't notice it; it doesn't draw attention to itself, and off the man. There are stereotypes in this, and it is in general quite controversial. The main focus is on relationships, women and sex, though he does talk about gay people, us whites and our inability to dance, and there is a brief bit of bodily function jokes. There is a constant stream of strong language in this. I recommend this to any fan of the comic the way I would a hot meal to someone hungry. 8/10

Live in New York, Eddie Murphy may well look quite ridiculous in his purple jumpsuit but he holds the stage really well in this large arena. It goes without saying that his material is relentlessly foulmouthed and occasionally offensive but it rarely bothered me because he does manage to be consistently funny throughout the show. His topics are mostly in the realm of relationships in regards sex and women generally. This worried me a little bit because these topics hardly offered much in the way of originality but actually he did really well with it.

It wasn't that he avoided clichés (because he doesn't) but more that he manages to inject energy into his whole show. At times his material is very strong but even when he is being obvious and crude, his energy lifts it, engages the audience and makes it feel better than it is. I wasn't rolling with laughter all the time but I did really enjoy the show so, even when I didn't laugh at some bits, it wasn't really a problem but he was generally still amusing. Director Townsend doesn't really help him by having the camera tight on him so much either; Murphy's energy is in his whole body so the close shots reduce this somewhat – plus the whole setup makes it hard to appreciate the audience being in the room.

Overall though a funny and energetic show from Murphy. It isn't a classic by any means and his material is hardly original but he has stage presence and energy and that helps a lot. Maybe too crude and foulmouthed to be to everyone's tastes but if it is your thing then it is worth a look.

Like Richard Pryor, I must admit, it is fun to watch another foul mouthed comic, up on stage. Though not matching the credentials of the late, brilliant insightful comic, Pryor, who I believe was even a better actor, what we have is 86 minutes guaranteed worth of raucous laughs. From infidelity to poverty, where the poor Murphy family were reduced to eating slinky springs, Murphy kicks up a storm of laughs, while remaining coolly confident, which a few budding comedian must envy. Murphy knows how to dress too, his attire more effective than his ruddy sort in Delirious. Too, the start was inventive, with Eddie's childhood, Samuel L Jackson, playing a small but fine role as the Grandfather, egging little Eddie on in the tellings of a dirty joke, seeing star potential. And to split opinions, where personally I didn't like Best Defence, I'd choose Beverly Hills Cop over 48 Hours, any day. I must admit, Murphy isn't afraid to be dramatic about the underlying realities of his jokes. it. His impersonations are fantastic, Bill Cosby, is almost nailed, plus others that impress. Here's a great night in, to save you from going out in the cold to a concert. If you don't mind profanity, that is.