A Thousand Words
Less is more…Hilarity! When Eddie's fast-talking literary agent crosses the wrong guru, he's cursed with only having 1,000 words left to speak before he dies. Pantomime party-time ensues as Eddie pulls out all the weapons in his non-verbal arsenal.
Shrek
It's a mark of true stardom when you can make a total ass of yourself and still steal scenes, and Eddie does it to perfection in the Shrek franchise as the happy-go-lucky Donkey.
Bowfinger
Outstandingly outlandish, Eddie plays a self-involved movie star and the lovable loser hired to secretly impersonate him. Comedians never get the acting credit they deserve, but this pair of pitch-perfect performances shows Murphy's acting at its best.
The Nutty Professor
Making the most of his penchant for creating wildly different characters, Eddie not only plays the Prof (and his whole family of Klumps) but also slick alter ego Buddy Love and exercise guru Lance Perkins. A multi-character tour de force.
Beverly Hills Cop
Detroit cop Axel Foley comes to the big bland city to solve crime, crack wise and share a bromance with the BevHills boys in blue. What's not to love?
Trading Places
Murphy shines as petty crook who gets played as a pawn by some rich jerks—until he checkmates 'em in the end. He runs the comedy gamut from wild physical comedy and verbal gymnastics to subtler low-key moments. A lovely mixture of high-energy brilliance and underplayed sweetness.
48 Hours
After exploding to TV superstardom on Saturday Night Live, Eddie does exactly the same in films. He makes this whole movie star thing look easy playing charming con man Reggie Hammond. To paraphrase Reggie, there's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Eddie Murphy.