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The Pickup Review: Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer and Eva Longoria star in Prime Video’s The Pickup, a messy yet entertaining buddy-heist comedy.
The Pickup Review: Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer’s heist comedy is fun, flawed chaos.
The Pickup Review: Prime Video’s The Pickup brings together an unlikely but undeniably intriguing mix of comedic talent including Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer and Eva Longoria in a heist caper that’s part buddy comedy, part action romp, and part romantic misdirection. Directed by Tim Story, best known for Barbershop and Ride Along, the film promises sharp humour, fast-paced chases and star-powered charisma. It delivers some of that, though not without careening into a few narrative potholes along the way.
The story revolves around Russell (Murphy), a veteran armoured truck guard counting down the days to retirement, and Travis (Davidson), a rookie still smarting from failing the police exam and ending up in what he sees as a second-rate security gig. Their boss, played with familiar bluster by Andrew Dice Clay, saddles them with an unfamiliar long-haul route on the day Russell hopes to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Natalie (Longoria). Things get complicated when Travis reveals he’s just spent a whirlwind weekend with Zoe (Palmer), a mysterious woman he initially mistook for a would-be bank robber.
It doesn’t take long for Zoe’s true intentions to surface: she’s the brains behind a heist targeting the very armored truck Russell and Travis are manning. What could have been a straightforward robbery becomes a twist-filled game of manipulation, with Zoe realising she can bend the two mismatched guards to her will. Palmer plays Zoe with a mix of playful seduction and strategic cunning, injecting the film with energy whenever she’s on screen. Her motivations carry a hint of anti-corporate rebellion.
Murphy slips into Russell’s weary-but-sharp persona with ease. At this stage in his career, he’s most magnetic when he nods to the larger-than-life confidence of his earlier hits, and here, flashes of that charm shine through. Davidson’s Travis is a familiar archetype but his deadpan delivery and knack for awkward humour work well opposite Murphy’s exasperation. Their dynamic, while not quite the comedic lightning bolt one might expect from pairing two Saturday Night Live alumni, still yields enough banter to keep things buoyant.
Longoria, in a smaller role, makes her presence felt in the film’s back half, grounding Russell’s personal stakes while also providing her own comedic beats. The notion of her character’s dream being to run a quaint New Jersey inn with her security-guard husband might be absurd, but Longoria sells it with charm. Marshawn Lynch appears briefly, hinting at comedic potential that sadly goes untapped.
Story’s direction leans heavily on genre hallmarks: stylish split screens, countdown clocks, and wipes that nod to heist films of the past. The action sequences are competent and occasionally inventive — a tire mishap early on leads to one of the film’s more memorable physical comedy bits but the car chases and gunfights sometimes fall into the “seen it before” category. At 94 minutes, the film moves briskly, often prioritising stunts over character development. While this keeps the energy high, it also means the emotional beats don’t fully land.
The script, by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows, is packed with rapid plot turns, some of which strain credibility. It occasionally falls back on easy gags or familiar buddy-cop tropes rather than mining deeper into its unique character combinations. Yet there’s an undeniable pleasure in watching professionals like Murphy, Davidson, Palmer, and Longoria commit to the bit, even when the material veers into the implausible.
What sets The Pickup apart from countless other streaming comedies is the chemistry between its leads. Palmer’s interplay with Davidson oscillates between romantic teasing and outright mockery, giving their subplot an unpredictable edge. Murphy’s frustration with both of them plays into his strengths as a straight man with a simmering comedic undercurrent. The trio’s shifting alliances keep the narrative moving, even when the plot mechanics wobble.
Comparisons to classic buddy action comedies are inevitable. Story clearly draws from the mismatched-partners template perfected in films like Lethal Weapon and updated in his own Ride Along. However, where those films balanced spectacle with tightly honed character arcs, The Pickup is more content to let its stars’ personalities carry the load. That works for stretches, particularly in scenes where Murphy and Davidson play off each other’s timing, but it leaves the film feeling slight once the credits roll.
As a streaming option, The Pickup is perfectly positioned for an easy weekend watch. It’s not reinventing the wheel, in fact, the wheel sometimes threatens to come off entirely but it has enough laughs, chases and star power to keep you entertained. The climax delivers on the promise of chaos, tying up the central heist in a way that’s both satisfying and knowingly over the top.
Ultimately, The Pickup succeeds most when it embraces its own absurdity and lets its cast lean into the fun. Murphy fans will appreciate seeing him in a role that, while not his most challenging, allows him to riff with a new comedic partner. Davidson brings his laid-back charm, Palmer steals scenes with sly wit, and Longoria elevates her limited screen time. It’s a film that may lose steam in the middle stretch, but regains momentum enough to cross the finish line with a smile.
The Pickup may not be a flawless getaway, but for Prime Video subscribers looking for a breezy blend of humour, action and big personalities, it’s worth hitching a ride.
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, …Read More
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, … Read More
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