I have to say, I have been pretty impressed with the lineup of Amazon Originals, Prime Originals, Amazon Studios Originals, or whatever the heck they call their exclusive content. Just recently, I spoke very highly of the action comedy, Heads of State, and I am happy to say that Amazon’s other action comedy for the summer of 2025, The Pickup, was a lot of fun too.
Where to Watch The Pickup
The Pickup was released on August 6, 2025. You can stream the film from Amazon Prime.
The Movie Review
We need to talk about the cast here. It was the fact that Eddie Murphy was in the movie that drew me to it at first. He is joined by Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer as far as the main cast goes, and we have a fun support cast, too, most notably Eva Longoria, playing the hot-tempered Latina wife of Eddie Murphy.
Audience Reactions to The Pickup
If you look online, you will see that the reaction to The Pickup is mediocre at best, but that was the case for Heads of State, too, and I loved that. If you like 80s and 90s action comedies, I think that you will have a fun time here with The Pickup. Watch the trailer, and it pretty much tells you exactly what the movie is. Yes, I enjoyed this, but it was predictable as hell, but honestly, I did not mind at all. The thing with saying that is, if you watched the trailer and it did not click with you, chances are this is not the movie for you.
Eddie Murphy’s Character and Plot Summary
Eddie Murphy plays the role of a security transportation guy (the guys in the big armored trucks that transport money) called Russell. Russell is a good man; he loves his wife, and they are about to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. However, Russell’s jerk boss has him on a route that takes him pretty far out of town, and worst of all, he is paired up with the new guy, Pete Davidson’s Travis.
Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer Bring Comedy and Chaos
I thought that Travis was a fun character. What starts out as a one-dimensional, goofball, annoying kind of character does have some fun development as the story moves on. Russell had a weekend of fun with a chick called Zoe, played by Keke Palmer. However, Zoe was only hooking up with Travis to get intel on the truck that he and Russell would be driving, as she is planning a heist on a casino. Now, the trailer tells you all of this, and while there is a reason for Zoe to be doing what she is doing. The trailer really does not leave much to the imagination here at all.
Action-Packed Heist with a Comedic Twist
As the trailer shows, this leads to Zoe ambushing the truck and taking Russell and Travis hostage so that they help her with her mission. Look, I would not say that The Pickup is an amazing movie, but it is far from the garbage that many professional reviewers are saying that it is. I did prefer Heads of State, but if you like Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, and Keke Palmer, I am sure you will get a kick out of this movie. It is the kind of movie that is ideal if you want something fun and something you can just turn your brain off with.
