Eddie Murphy Raw (1987)
-
80% of critics liked it
(20 reviews) -
84% of users liked it
(41,943 ratings)
Filmed in front of a packed New York City crowd, the concert film Eddie Murphy: Raw presents the comedian (near the height of his popularity) performing his standup material. The energetic and often extremely raunchy set begins with a series of impressions, most involving some celebrity becoming… More Filmed in front of a packed New York City crowd, the concert film Eddie Murphy: Raw presents the comedian (near the height of his popularity) performing his standup material. The energetic and often extremely raunchy set begins with a series of impressions, most involving some celebrity becoming upset at Murphy for unflattering jokes: a squeaky-voiced Michael Jackson threatens to pummel Murphy into the ground; an enraged Mr. T is confused by Murphy's verbal sleight of hand; and even paragon of calm Bill Cosby loses his cool while chastising the comic for his dirty mouth. After some digressions finding humor in racial differences and other matters, Murphy proceeds into the centerpiece of his act, a series of routines about contemporary relationships between men and women, including an extended bit about what life would be like were he to become married -- jokes that some have criticized as heavily misogynist. Finally, Murphy concludes his set with an extended, comedic but sympathetic, reminiscence about his childhood and family life, a tone that matches that of the film's prologue -- a fictional re-creation of Murphy, in his childhood, entertaining a family gathering with what turns out to be an inappropriately off-color joke. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- R, 1 hr. 30 min.
- Directed By
- Robert Townsend
- Genres
- Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Dec 18, 1987 Wide
- On DVD
- Sep 7, 2004
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
Critic Reviews
-
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Mr. Murphy is clearly proud of his prejudices. Nonetheless, this feature-length concert film is hilarious, putting Mr. Murphy on a par with Mr. Pryor at his best.
-
Richard Harrington, Washington Post
[Murphy's] material, which trades on racial and sexual stereotypes even as it skewers them, may be offensive to some, but for others he remains a hell of a good yuck.
-
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
It's impossible to deny the virtuosity of his non-stop delivery, but the relentless macho onslaught sadly lacks the saving grace of Richard Pryor's self-irony.
-
Jesse Hassenger, PopMatters
Murphy approaches the storytelling skills of Pryor and Cosby, mixed with a sketch comedian's gonzo willingness to take a joke to its surreal extremes.
-
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Fans of the film, like myself, are going to want to own this because it's just some of his best work ever.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Trailers & Clips
More Like This
Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!
- Discover movies your friends are watching
- Keep track of what you want to see
- Add your reviews to your Timeline
