Here’s the lowdown on “The Pickup”: Eddie Murphy plays armored truck driver vet Russ. Pete Davidson is Travis, the rookie. What should be an ordinary cash pickup becomes anything but, as thief Zoe (Keke Palmer) gets their attention, revealing she’s after the money. She decides to take the two hostage on what also happens to be Russ’ 25th wedding anniversary with wife Natalie (Eva Longoria).
Unfortunately Murphy and Davidson don’t have great chemistry, and they can’t elevate a largely pedestrian story. Blame much of it on unfunny banter (I only chuckled a few times) and a lack of depth in their roles. And if you’re expecting the same level of entertainment value and effort Murphy gave in last summer’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”, or a thorough script like “Tower Heist”, you’ll be disappointed.
Director Tim Story (who paired-up Ice Cube and Kevin Hart for the “Ride Along” flicks) seemed to put the primary focus on creating over the top action scenes and vehicle chases, which have a Michael Bay meets Jerry Bruckheimer flare, complete with several slow-motion crashes. (What is this, 2007?) These sequences aren’t boring and make the experience a little more tolerable than other recent big-name comedy efforts, like “Happy Gilmore 2”, “Madea’s Destination Wedding” and even sections of “The Naked Gun”. But “The Pickup” has next to no intelligence. It’s increasingly illogical and ultimately pretty forgettable.
LCJ GRADE: D+
Running Time: 94 min.