5 Favorites: Eddie Murphy

Do you remember Eddie Murphy? I do. He's been lost somewhere in the shuffle of horrible films since around 2001, and I miss him. With "A Thousand Words" being released this Friday into theatres everywhere, I figured we should mourn the death of an Oscar Nominee's career. This week I will fondly look back on a once great filmography. Eddie, come back!

5. Shrek (2001)

Though this isn't Eddie Murphy's last great film, it seems he can't string two of them together. For every good film we get two "Norbit"s or "Meet Dave"s. Murphy plays Donkey, a talking donkey (go figure) in a world of mystical fairy tale creatures. It's obvious that the character was written around him to be the kind of wise-cracking smartass that he often plays. The character is talkative, funny and often sweet. There is a depth to him that doesn't exist in many comedy sidekicks, and Murphy brings it out with gusto and charm.

4. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Speaking of wise-cracking smartasses, Axel Foley! It's hard to not love Eddie Murphy as the scheming, goofy detective from Detroit trying to solve the murder of his friend. He's clever and quick on his feet, and knows how to handle any situation thrown his way. This is also one of those rare occasions that I actually like the sequel better than the original, but I have to put the original up here, because, let's face it, these are comedies, and characters don't always grow in comedies. So, two sequels and Axel's dumb-luck keeps getting him out of the same jams.

3. Trading Places (1983)

Ok, so Eddie Murphy didn't always show a lot of range in his choosing of films, but he stayed with what made him a star, the wise-cracking smartass. In "Trading Places" he's the poor version. He starts the film thinking up elaborate ways to beg for money, by the end he's taking two old, rich gentlemen for everything they're worth. In between that he throws down a hilarious performance as both a uneducated beggar and a distinguished gentleman.

2. Dreamgirls (2006)

As James "Thunder' Early, a composite of Motown singers James Brown and Marvin Gaye, Murphy stole this movie (almost as much as Jennifer Hudson did). He brought enough energy to share with the rest of the cast, and gave a heartbreaking turn as his star began to fade. The Academy saw fit to rob him of a well deserved Oscar, and give it to Alan Arkin instead. Not that I don't like Alan Arkin, I just didn't think the film he was nominated for was really that good. This was one of my top 10 of 2006, and Murphy was a big reason for that.

1. Coming to America (1988)

This is possibly the most quotable film on this list. Not that that gives it any higher merit, but I can't even type this without replaying some of the incredible dialogue in my head, and then snickering like an idiot. Though this may be the film to blame for Eddie's obsession with playing the entire cast in every film, I still love him in it. He moved from the wise-cracking smartass, to the straight man in this film. Playing Prince Akeem, he got to be the fish out of water. Akeem is a naive young African man trying to find an intelligent wife in New York, and Murphy plays it so earnestly.