Want to know the best Eddie Murphy movies? How about the worst Eddie Murphy movies? Curious about Eddie Murphy’s box office grosses or which Eddie Murphy movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Eddie Murphy movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Before Eddie Murphy became one of the our most popular movie stars, he gained his first fame with his 5 year stint on Saturday Night Live (1980-84). During those years, Murphy performed numerous skits with his very popular characters Gumby, Mr. Robinson (spoof of Mr. Rogers) and a grown up Buckwheat. While still a regular cast member of Saturday Night Live he began his movie career. His first movie was the action comedy hit 48 HRS (1982) with Nick Nolte. He followed that movie with the even bigger hit Trading Places (1983). In 1984 he appeared in his biggest hit of his career, Beverly Hills Cop (1984)….which is ranked #40 on the all-time movie list of blockbusters….using inflated box office grosses.
Over the next ten years Murphy would appear in numerous box office hits like: Coming To America (1988), Beverly Hills Cop 2 (1987), The Golden Child (1986) and Another 48 HRS (1990). After the box office disappointments of Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) and 1995’s Vampire in Brooklyn, Murphy started appearing in successful family-friendly movies like The Nutty Professor and Doctor Doolittle movies. In 2006 Eddie Murphy received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nomination and a Golden Globe® win for Dreamgirls (2006). Eddie Murphy’s movies have grossed over 3.7 billion at the U.S. box office. Only Tom Hanks and his 3.8 billion can beat Murphy’s box office number. Did you know the last R rated movie Eddie Murphy was 1999’s Life?
His IMDb page shows over 60 acting credits since 1982. This page will rank Eddie Murphy movies from Best to Worst in seven different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos and movies that were not released in theaters were not included in the rankings.
Eddie Murphy Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews, and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
2001
Shrek (2001)
Voice Only
2004
Shrek 2 (2004)
Voice Only
1983
Trading Places (1983)
1998
Mulan (1998)
Voice Only
1982
48 HRS. (1982)
1984
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
2006
Dreamgirls (2006)
AA Best Supp Actor Nom
1996
The Nutty Professor (1996)
1988
Coming to America (1988)
2010
Shrek Forever After (2010)
Voice Only
1987
Eddie Murphy Raw (1987)
1999
Bowfinger (1999)
1987
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
2007
Shrek the Third (2007)
Voice Only
1998
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
2001
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
1999
Life (1999)
1992
Boomerang (1992)
2011
Tower Heist (2011)
1986
The Golden Child (1986)
2000
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
2003
Daddy Day Care (2003)
1990
Another 48 HRS. (1990)
2019
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Netflix
1989
Harlem Nights (1989)
1992
The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
2003
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
2007
Norbit (2007)
2024
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
1994
Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)
2002
Showtime (2002)
2016
Mr. Church (2016)
2009
Imagine That (2009)
1997
Metro (1997)
2002
I Spy (2002)
2021
Coming 2 America (2021)
Amazon
2023
Candy Cane Lane (2023)
Amazon
2023
You People (2023)
Netflix
2012
A Thousand Words (2012)
1984
Best Defense (1984)
2008
Meet Dave (2008)
1998
Holy Man (1998)
1995
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
2002
The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
Eddie Murphy Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort by Eddie Murphy movies by his co-stars
- Sort Eddie Murphy movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Eddie Murphy movies by adjusted worldwide box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Eddie Murphy movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Eddie Murphy movie received.
- Sort Eddie Murphy movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| CreditRank | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Review % | Oscar Nom / Win | S | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CreditRank | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review % | Oscar Nom / Win | S | UMR Score |
| 1 | Shrek (2001) Voice Only |
Mike Myers & Cameron Diaz |
267.70 | 510.7 | 924.2 | 4 | 88 | 02 / 01 | 98.9 | |
| 2 | Shrek 2 (2004) Voice Only |
Mike Myers & Cameron Diaz |
441.20 | 765.9 | 1,596.8 | 1 | 83 | 02 / 00 | 98.2 | |
| 3 | Trading Places (1983) | Dan Aykroyd | 90.40 | 309.4 | 309.4 | 4 | 82 | 01 / 00 | 97.8 | |
| 4 | Mulan (1998) Voice Only |
B.D. Wong | 120.60 | 277.2 | 699.5 | 12 | 79 | 01 / 00 | 97.5 | |
| 5 | 48 HRS. (1982) | Nick Nolte | 78.90 | 289.2 | 289.2 | 7 | 81 | 00 / 00 | 97.3 | |
| 6 | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) | Judge Reinhold | 226.90 | 727.8 | 989.6 | 2 | 76 | 01 / 00 | 96.9 | |
| 7 | Dreamgirls (2006) AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
Jennifer Hudson | 103.40 | 169.3 | 253.9 | 20 | 76 | 08 / 02 | 96.2 | |
| 8 | The Nutty Professor (1996) | James Coburn | 128.80 | 314.2 | 668.1 | 8 | 63 | 01 / 01 | 94.0 | |
| 10 | Coming to America (1988) | Samuel L. Jackson | 128.20 | 336.1 | 757.4 | 3 | 62 | 02 / 00 | 93.4 | |
| 9 | Shrek Forever After (2010) Voice Only |
Mike Myers & Cameron Diaz |
238.70 | 326.2 | 1,028.3 | 8 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 93.4 | |
| 11 | Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) | Directed by Robert Townsend | 50.50 | 139.2 | 139.2 | 20 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 91.3 | |
| 12 | Bowfinger (1999) | Steve Martin | 66.40 | 141.4 | 210.0 | 34 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 91.0 | |
| 13 | Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) | Judge Reinhold | 153.70 | 423.7 | 827.0 | 3 | 54 | 01 / 00 | 90.6 | |
| 14 | Shrek the Third (2007) Voice Only |
Mike Myers & Cameron Diaz |
322.70 | 505.7 | 1,251.9 | 2 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 89.3 | |
| 15 | Doctor Dolittle (1998) | Chris Rock | 144.20 | 331.3 | 676.8 | 5 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 88.7 | |
| 16 | Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) | Kristen Wilson | 113.00 | 215.5 | 336.1 | 16 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 87.8 | |
| 17 | Life (1999) | Martin Lawrence | 63.90 | 136.1 | 156.3 | 36 | 61 | 01 / 00 | 86.2 | |
| 19 | Boomerang (1992) | Halle Berry | 70.10 | 182.0 | 340.4 | 18 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 84.9 | |
| 20 | Tower Heist (2011) | Ben Stiller | 78.00 | 106.1 | 207.9 | 43 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 84.4 | |
| 18 | The Golden Child (1986) | Charles Dance | 79.80 | 231.9 | 434.2 | 8 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 84.4 | |
| 21 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) | Janet Jackson | 123.30 | 246.6 | 332.6 | 16 | 37 | 00 / 00 | 83.9 | |
| 22 | Daddy Day Care (2003) | Jeff Garlin | 104.30 | 186.5 | 293.9 | 26 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 83.7 | |
| 23 | Another 48 HRS. (1990) | Nick Nolte | 80.80 | 206.0 | 391.2 | 14 | 33 | 00 / 00 | 81.7 | |
| 24 | Dolemite Is My Name (2019) Netflix |
Wesley Snipes | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 271 | 84 | 00 / 00 | 72.3 | |
| 25 | Harlem Nights (1989) | Richard Pryor | 60.90 | 165.3 | 260.3 | 21 | 30 | 01 / 00 | 71.8 | |
| 26 | The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) | James Garner | 46.70 | 121.2 | 121.2 | 34 | 40 | 00 / 00 | 64.5 | |
| 27 | The Haunted Mansion (2003) | Jennifer Tilly | 75.80 | 135.6 | 325.8 | 38 | 33 | 00 / 00 | 60.8 | |
| 28 | Norbit (2007) | Cuba Gooding Jr. | 95.70 | 149.9 | 249.6 | 29 | 25 | 01 / 00 | 58.6 | |
| 29 | Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) | Joseph Gordon-Levitt | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 194 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 36.6 | |
| 30 | Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) | Judge Reinhold | 42.60 | 112.6 | 315.0 | 34 | 26 | 00 / 00 | 30.6 | |
| 31 | Showtime (2002) | Robert DeNiro | 38.10 | 70.8 | 144.5 | 71 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 30.2 | |
| 32 | Mr. Church (2016) | Britt Robertson | 0.70 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 215 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 28.4 | |
| 33 | Imagine That (2009) | Thomas Haden Church | 16.10 | 23.2 | 33.0 | 115 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 26.2 | |
| 34 | Metro (1997) | Michael Rapaport | 32.00 | 75.2 | 174.7 | 63 | 34 | 00 / 00 | 25.7 | |
| 35 | I Spy (2002) | Owen Wilson | 33.60 | 62.4 | 94.3 | 78 | 36 | 00 / 00 | 20.9 | |
| 36 | Coming 2 America (2021) Amazon |
Wesley Snipes & James Earl Jones |
0.10 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 185 | 53 | 01 / 00 | 18.6 | |
| 37 | Candy Cane Lane (2023) Amazon |
Nick Offerman | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 221 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 14.8 | |
| 38 | You People (2023) Netflix |
Jonah Hill | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 212 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 12.9 | |
| 39 | A Thousand Words (2012) | Kerry Washington | 18.50 | 25.0 | 29.9 | 109 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 9.4 | |
| 40 | Best Defense (1984) | Dudley Moore | 19.30 | 61.8 | 61.8 | 55 | 26 | 00 / 00 | 8.1 | |
| 41 | Meet Dave (2008) | Kevin Hart | 11.80 | 17.7 | 76.0 | 140 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 7.1 | |
| 42 | Holy Man (1998) | Jeff Goldblum | 12.10 | 27.7 | 56.5 | 110 | 35 | 00 / 00 | 7.0 | |
| 43 | Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) | Angela Bassett | 19.80 | 48.9 | 69.5 | 81 | 28 | 00 / 00 | 6.4 | |
| 44 | The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) | Jay Mohr & Randy Quaid & Rosario Da |
4.40 | 8.2 | 13.2 | 165 | 26 | 00 / 00 | 0.6 |
If you do a comment….please ignore the email address and website section.
I guess I might be a little slow for not realizing Eddie was the voice of Donkey. But now that I think about it it all makes sense! No wonder I love Donkey… Also love Eddie in Nutty Proffessor and Doc Doolittle.
Good to see you again emilybee. I do believe Donkey has been paying most of the bills in the Murphy family for the last 10 years…..because other than the Shrek movies the 2000s were not the best for Eddie……thanks for stopping by….and it is time for some more pages from you…I just checked and it has almost been a month since your last page.
I AGREE NOT ALL HIS MATERIAL IS FOR EVERYONE.BUT FOR THE MOST PART I THINK HE’S PRETTY GOOD.YOU DID A GOOD JOB ON THIS PAGE.
I guess I might be a little slow for not realizing Eddie was the voice of Donkey. But now that I think about it it all makes sense! No wonder I love Donkey… Also love Eddie in Nutty Proffessor and Doc Doolittle.
Everytime I see Eddie Murphy, I want to just slap him. It’s odd. I thought George Carlin and Richard Pryor were hilarious. Who used more profanity than either of those guys? Yet, I find Eddie Murphy offensive. I can’t explain it. I know, I’m weird. 🙂
This is still an excellent compilation of his work
Hey Fay….if I had to guess it could be his behind the scenes behavior…..he has some stuff in his closet that is not the screen persona he has…..where Carlin and Pryor pretty much made their personal demons part of their act…..much makes them less offensive…..kinda like Tiger Woods….if you think about how people feel about him now vs after his Thanksgiving day event with a golf club and car wreck….thanks for reading
Ready to see him in more dramas. No more fat suits. But some of his best work will always be on SNL.
I agree trusouldj…no more fat suits. They most be addictive as he and Martin Lawerence can not seem to make a movie without putting one on. You would think that he would have wanted to build on the success of Dreamgirls….instead he made Norbit. He actually has a movie called A Thousand Words coming out soon….about a guy that is told he will die after he speaks his next thousand words …sounds more like a drama than a comedy. Thanks for commenting
Very interesting page. Although it shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise that a lot of his older films would be ranked higher, as I think that’s when Eddie was truly at his best. Anyways, thanks for writing this, as i’ll be sure to rate this up!
Hey Steven. I agree his first five years were awesome…Saturday Night Live, 48 Hours, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop….what a start. I do not think anybody other than Tom Hanks could have kept that pace up. Thanks for reading the page.