Hollywood has a thing for extremes; either you are too green or too gray. But sometimes, the magic happens somewhere in the middle, where action meets arthritis and punchlines come with pulled hamstrings. Enter Eddie Murphy, an icon refusing to age quietly, and Pete Davidson, a chaos goblin in high-tops. Put them together, and suddenly the buddy-action formula is back, only this time, the midlife crisis is part of the stunt choreography.

While Davidson throws wisecracks like confetti, Murphy takes punches with the calm focus of a man mentally bookmarking physical therapy videos.

In The Pickup, Eddie Murphy throws punches until the insults hit harder. During a fight scene, two younger co-stars, not including Pete Davidson, improvised a jab: “Come on, old man!” Murphy, blindsided, nearly called “cut.” “I was like, ‘Who are they talking to?’” he recalled, poking fun at himself while speaking to Variety. Trying to keep up with Pete Davidson is tough enough; add wisecracking young actors, and it becomes a full-body workout.

The knees know, but Eddie Murphy pretends they do not. At 64, he still moves like the comedy royalty he is, just “a little stiffer.” While The Pickup delivers heists and high-speed mayhem, Murphy plays it like a man who has been through both sequels and sciatica. He said, “I feel like me still,” which in Hollywood translates to: the jokes still land, even if the joints creak, and the paycheck clears just fine.

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While Murphy powers through stunts with stiff joints, his real connection with Pete Davidson proves some bonds are built less on banter and more on matching emotional bruises.

They share more than punchlines. Both Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson lost their fathers at a very young age. Both were molded by Saturday Night Live and shaped by stand-up. Davidson, who first knew Murphy as Donkey from Shrek, told Variety he felt “imposter syndrome,” calling him “my idol.” Murphy described Davidson as “quick, smart, funny.” Somehow, their shared grief morphed into on-screen magic. This is not your typical action duo; it is shared trauma in tactical gear, with a side of irony and zero need for therapy dogs. Yet.

The man, the myth, the talking donkey. Eddie Murphy is not just starring in The Pickup; he is also dusting off Donkey for Shrek 5 and a solo spin-off. He always knew the swamp would call him back. “They’ll make ‘Shreks’ forever because they work,” he told Variety, delivering the kind of prophecy that feels part franchise wisdom, part fairy tale instinct. Who needs retirement when your animated alter ego still makes toddlers scream and merch fly off shelves?

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What are your thoughts on Eddie Murphy holding his own at 64 and finding surprising comic chemistry with Pete Davidson? Let us know in the comments below.