The Pickup Movie Review: Tim Story’s The Pickup is essentially a cop‑buddy comedy with the cops swapped for two armoured truck drivers - and the laughs swapped for extended chase scenes that strain to create any real tension. The premise promises much, especially with Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson front and centre, plus Keke Palmer and, later, Eva Longoria thrown in for good measure. At times, their collective charisma works. At most others, it can’t paper over the cracks. The Pickup: Crew Members Hospitalised After Rehearsal Incident on Eddie Murphy Film.

'The Pickup' Movie Review - The Plot

Russell (Eddie Murphy) and Travis (Pete Davidson) work for an armoured truck delivery service under their obnoxious boss (Andrew Dice Clay, who doesn’t even bother turning up for his character’s final scene). Russell, a seasoned veteran, is looking forward to celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with wife Natalie (Eva Longoria), but his plans are upended when his boss assigns him a new route and a rookie partner.

Watch the Trailer of 'The Pickup':

Travis can drive, but that’s about it. Halfway through their run, they’re ambushed by a gang of robbers led by Zoey (Keke Palmer), who recently seduced Travis to extract intel. Her intentions and how Russell and Travis fit into her scheme make up the rest of the story.

'The Pickup' Movie Review - The Action Overwhelms the Comedy

Like Prime Video’s recent action‑comedy Heads of State, the most effort in The Pickup seems to have gone into the action, which is mostly the two road chases - one before the midpoint, one in the climax. The first, in which the duo try to shake off their attackers, has some energy but overstays its welcome, feeling more like a time‑filler than a tension‑builder. Murphy proves he could still carry another Beverly Hills Cop film or two, but he can't fight the scene’s wobbly logic issues. Characters survive clearly fatal crashes with nothing more than scratches, and the conveniently empty highway/dead‑zone setting feels more like a budget‑saving measure than a creative choice.

A Still From The Pickup

Logic takes another hit when Zoey manages to board the still‑moving truck at gunpoint - and Russell, supposedly the experienced one, doesn’t suggest slamming the brakes to throw her off balance, despite having attempted far riskier moves earlier.

The shorter final chase goes for comedy over thrills, including a gag where the pair flip off their boss mid‑pursuit, even though he’s miles away. It’s amusing in the moment, but the chase in itself doesn't exactly have the material or the spunk to be worth remembering even in the short run.

'The Pickup' Movie Review - Odd Character Dynamics

One thing The Pickup does try differently is casting Murphy as the straight man rather than the motormouthed scene‑stealer. He handles it well, but it means Pete Davidson’s rookie chatterbox has to carry the verbal humour - and his schtick runs out of steam quickly. A subplot about Travis being good at maths is introduced and then promptly abandoned.

A Still From The Pickup

Keke Palmer - the actor - is always a bright spot, though her character is oddly handled in context to her male co-leads. Zoey develops an unconvincing bond with Russell and a better‑established romantic tension with Travis. Yet whenever all three share the screen, Travis ends up feeling like the spare wheel. ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ Movie Review: Eddie Murphy Brings Back Pulpy '80s to Modern Times in This Fun but Familiar Legacy Sequel.

A Still From The Pickup

For a while, The Pickup chugs along as a passable piece of action‑comedy fluff. But once the heist storyline kicks in, complete with a perfunctory sob‑story backstory, the film slows to a crawl. Eva Longoria’s belated involvement adds little, leaning on the same exaggerated Latina mannerisms that Salma Hayek had already worn thin in Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. The villains (Jack Kesy and Ismael Cruz Córdova) exist purely to fill antagonist quotas, while the film treads softly around Palmer’s Zoey, steering everything towards a safe, uninspired conclusion.

'The Pickup' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

The Pickup isn’t a painful sit‑through, and thanks to Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer, it coasts along as a mostly harmless watch. But it’s also their presence that makes the film’s forgettable nature and uninspired storytelling all the more disappointing. The comedy runs out of gas halfway in - and given it started with the tank half‑empty, there’s little surprise it sputters to a halt. The Pickup streams on Prime Video from August 6.

Rating:2.0

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 05, 2025 01:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).