Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987) User Reviews

What have you done for me LATELY???

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 8/10 · 9 January 2007]

There was once a day when everything Eddie Murphy said and did was hee-larious. Back in 1987, at the height of his powers, Eddie released a movie version of his stand-up act Raw, a sort of follow-up to 1983's Delirious.

Film at New York's Felt Room, Eddie discusses Mr T, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor (doing faultless impressions of all), Johnny Carson's costly divorce, relationships, gays, a home-made McDonalds burger that ruined his childhood etc. It's all pure comedy gold. After about half an hour you'll realize that the reason your face hurts so much is because you're smiling too hard. My favorite moment has to be any impression Eddie does of the average white guy, especially the 'white dude dancing' moment.

Where did this Eddie Murphy go and who is the man that gives us kiddie drek such as Daddy Day Care and Haunted Mansion? If you need a major dose of Eddie in his prime then check this one out. I promise you'll love it and you'll be quoting it for days.

Look out for a youthful Samuel L. Jackson and Basil Wallace as Eddie' uncle and dad too.

Tell Bill I said have a Coke and a smile and shut the @#$* up!

[baumer · 7/10 · 31 May 2000]

This is not quite as funny as Delirious, but nothing could be. However, it is still is one of the funniest stand-ups around. The first half an hour is on par with his previous stand-up. The first half an hour he does impressions of some of the same people he did impressions of in DELIRIOUS. This includes Michael Jackson and Mr. T again. He also does impressions of what I can only surmise has to be a real life phone call from Bill Cosby. This is one of the funniest parts of the show as his voice and idiosyncrisies of Bill are right on. His ensuing conversation with Richard Pryor is also quite funny.

There is also some great bits in here about women, dating, and marriage. And while many people have claimed that Eddie is nothing but a misogynist with his rantings now, it has to be said that there has to be some truth to what he is ranting about.

The show does lack a little near the end but that is okay because the rest of the show is one hilarious skit after the other. He even takes on his parents again and does quite a good job.

Raw is not quite as funny as Delirious but it is a great follow up to his first one.

7 out of 10

Eddie Murphy: The Mouth That Roared!

[EmperorNortonII · 9/10 · 1 December 2000]

Whether you like Eddie Murphy or not, his performance in "Raw" is quite a show. He's the first to admit to his profane language. But even without the dirty words, he can still entertain, as evidenced by his vocal impressions of Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor. And his song medley at the end is a hilarious finish!

Alltime greats

[torr59 · 22 October 2004]

This movie came out late 1987, and people were dying for a sequel to "Delirious" which was 1983. If you go back and watch Richard Pryor's "live in Concert" or "Here and Now" you see that Eddie used some of Pryor's stuff, but gave it its own shot of himself (In delirious, Murphy does the "bARBQ scene/story" and he describes his aunt falling down the steps. It is the exact same description Pryor does in "Live in Concert" when he describes black women at funerals.) RAW used all the things that made Eddie Murphy famous; his deadon imitations, and his gift for telling stories. I can't even watch Martin Lawrence, DL Hughely, Cedric the Entertainer and a few others without noticing Eddie Murphy's influences right away. People forget how big he was, and how good- wayyy before he started doing bad talking animal movies. There are some debates over which was better Raw or Delirious....they are both hilarious, but you can tell the mindset was much different only 4 years later. In RAW, Murphy compares himself to Johnny Carson, while in Delirious he was just the most popular guy on Saturday Night Live. RAW is one of the best and funniest concert comedies ever, and I dare someone not to laugh out loud when watching it......NOTE: This movie was reviewed in 1987 when it came out by Siskel and Ebert "AT The Movies", which was when they were getting really popular in syndication, and it spurred one of the best on-air disagreements between the two EVER. Siskel likened RAW, and Eddie Murphy overall, as being as funny (or funnier)and outrageous as Pryor, Carlin or Lenny Bruce. He loved the movie. Ebert despised it, and chastised Siskel for being "immature" and he also felt that Murphy's attitudes toward women were patronizing, damaging and even went so far as to call RAW a "pale imitation of a good comedienne". I thought Ebert was nuts at the time, and now that Siskel is dead, I can't find any review of RAW on Ebert's website. I've emailed him numerous times about it, trying to figure out why a movie that was so popular, and not even that long ago, would not be in his database. Does anyone else thinks that sounds fishy?

What a show

[GMTMaster · 10/10 · 16 September 2003]

Imagine: You produce the taping of the show for, let's be generous, for about 1 Million US$. We're talking six to eight cameras. Then you take the show to the theaters and gross a cool 50.000.000 ! This can only work, when you tape Eddie Murphy on stage in on of the best comedy shows ever! Saw it live in L.A. What a great timing the guy has. Get a chance and see the VHS (where is the DVD?) and you'll have the best of times, while you're at it, grab a "momma burger" and a beer.

If you have a heart condition, watching this may kill you

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 8/10 · 22 April 2010]

I'm not kidding, my stomach is sore from all the laughing. After a brief sketch that serves as a lead-in and to some extent, a setup, this is 77 minutes of pure and gradually increasing hilarity(and there is actually insight to a ton of what he says). This and Hot Fuzz(which had the greater effect on me, but you really can't compare these) are the only two things where I've ever felt like I might croak, that my (23-year old and trim as of writing this, mind you) body might be overwhelmed from my enjoying the crap out of what I was seeing and hearing. I love Murphy when he is allowed to do what he does best, and not asked to do it in an irritating manner. The man has a machine-gun for a mouth(in the sense that it can fire off absolutely lethal verbal projectiles at such a speed that counting them soon becomes an exercise in pointless behaviour) and he can behave arrogantly as well as self-deprecating(if the scales aren't necessarily equal). His impersonations are excellent, and Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor(R.I.P.), Michael Jackson(R.I.P.), Africans, Jamaicans, Italians, etc. must have been embarrassed, if they don't have(or had in those 2 cases) a sense of humor about themselves. This is a performance by Eddie, and like other stand-uppers, he ties it together and repeats certain punchlines. The whole thing keeps to an astounding pace(with very few exceptions), and flies by. This is filmed and edited with skill, evident especially in the fact that you don't notice it; it doesn't draw attention to itself, and off the man. There are stereotypes in this, and it is in general quite controversial. The main focus is on relationships, women and sex, though he does talk about gay people, us whites and our inability to dance, and there is a brief bit of bodily function jokes. There is a constant stream of strong language in this. I recommend this to any fan of the comic the way I would a hot meal to someone hungry. 8/10

Eddie Murphy at his height

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 16 January 2016]

This opens with a young Eddie Murphy shocking his family during the Thanksgiving gather in 68. It's his standup in Madison Square Garden. He's afraid of Mr. T but not so much Michael Jackson after making fun of them in Delirious. He imitates Bill Crosby chastising him and praises his hero Richard Pryor. It's a night of foul-mouthed nasty stories with references to various pop culture personalities. He and his purple outfit has the audience in the palm of his hands. This is Eddie Murphy at his highest point. He is irreverent and fearless. He comes off as a homophobic misogynist and it doesn't matter. He takes on anything and anyone. He's full of power and energy. Robert Townsend captures it all.

Raw to the bone

[StevePulaski · 9/10 · 10 June 2011]

Many comics, like Jim Carrey, and Robin Williams, reach a certain age where they stop doing what they are good at and go into family movies. Jim Carrey was funny on In Living Color and Robin Williams has a certain magic with drama films, but now they continue to submerse themselves in the lowest common form of comedy. Cheap bathroom humor and little kid comedies that are in no way funny, nor clever. Eddie Murphy is no exception now doing such things as Daddy Day Care, Imagine That (remember that?), and those countless Shrek films.

But, with Eddie Murphy Raw, this was shot in 1987, when Murphy was a very vulgar and hilarious comedian. Eddie Murphy doesn't do anything like Delirious and Raw anymore, or does any sort of stand up comedy at all. These are two little pieces of his history that are now overshadowed by his lame kiddy comedies.

Eddie Murphy Raw is a ninety minute comedy special of him performing at Madison Square Garden in NY's Felt Forum. The comic discusses sex, women, actors, why whites can't dance (coming from a white man, so true), why Italians are motivated by Rocky, divorce, and just the topic of life itself. He gives his realism approach to everything, and even shows sympathy for Johnny Carson losing half of his money to his wife after their divorce.

The language in the film is absolutely filthy and the women dialog is incredibly misogynistic and degrading. But it's hilarious and has its own truth behind it. I'm sure Eddie cares about women, but some of the things he says about divorce is relatively, right on the money.

By the end of the special, it goes a tiny bit downhill which is exceptional because most of the beginning was hilarious and very funny. Raw is the sequel to Delirious, which is one I will be sure to see in the future. Going into this with only average expectations I came out very surprised at what I just saw. I almost had to sit down and have a long talk with myself about right and wrong. It's that good.

Starring: Eddie Murphy. Directed by: Robert Townsend.

Funny, but Maybe the Material was Too Raw

[KinoBuff2021 · 6/10 · 29 May 2022]

Note: I watched this while majorly sleep deprived and slightly unwell so my mood might have skewed this film a little more negative.

This film made me chuckle but I'm not sure if it really made me laugh non-stop like I was expecting too. Eddie Murphy is an amazing comic and its easy to see why he is such a legend in this special. But at the same time some of the humor doesn't seem to be holding up as much to me. Surprisingly its not the "offensive" jokes that bother me but the set-ups are too long or are just stretched out too long. If Eddie cut down some of his material it would've been even better rather than him repeating the same joke until the crowd stops laughing.

Still a must watch though if you're a fan of stand-up!

Hilarious Stand Up Comedy!

[gangstahippie · 10/10 · 15 October 2006]

Rated R for Pervasive Strong Language and Crude and Sexual Humor. Quebec Rating:13+ Canadian Home Video Rating:18A

I saw Eddie Murphy's Raw on BET about a month ago.I must say it is simply hilarious.Eddie Murphy is a very funny comedian and Eddie Murphy's Raw is one of my favorite stand-up comedy routines of all time.Eddie Murphy's Delirious came four years before this.It was very funny but Raw was definitely better! There is an opening skit with an unknown Samuel L Jackson as Eddie Murphy's uncle and it goes on from there.There are plenty of funny topics such as how Bill Cosby called up Eddie Murphy to tell him that he was very vulgar,how Mr.T and Michael Jackson want to kick Eddie Murphy's a**.Eddie Murphy's childhood etc.Raw is a very funny stand up comedy routine and if you find it, watch it!

Runtime:93min

9/10

You wanted it raw, you got it raw.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 6 April 2019]

"Eddie Murphy Raw" is a so-so comedy concert film, directed with verve by Robert Townsend, in which we first get a fictionalized look into the Murphy Household and see his comedy leanings begin to take hold.

Just personally speaking, this viewer didn't find Murphy's material all that funny - at first. It's true that, after a while, sexist slurs on Murphy's part mitigate against the fun. But two things are abundantly clear: Murphy really knew how to work a room, and he never fills ill at ease as he reaches into his grab bag of material. Murphy clearly delighted in working "blue", and he has a lot to say about supposed female monogamy, so his gags do have that appealing "dangerous" quality to them.

Eddie is actually at his best when he gives his impressions of opposing comics and mentors Bill Cosby, and Richard Pryor, the latter whom he dearly idolized. He also has a great old time playfully skewering the Italian-American stereotype, a character who really seemed to thrive in the wake of the "Rocky" movies.

The movie does sort of fade in the stretch, as Murphy basically goes over well-trod territory, complete with his usual abandonment. While this viewer personally may have never have laughed truly heartily, he respects the talent and confidence of a character like Murphy, a man who knows how to push audience buttons with glee - and yet, in the end, make a case for ones' mom when the chips are down.

Samuel L. Jackson has a telling, pre-stardom role during that early skit.

Six out of 10.

Good, but nowhere near Delirious.

[spoonerstreet · 10/10 · 28 April 2004]

Eddie Murphy raw is good. Some might even say that it is very good. Unfortunately, the bar was set so unbelievably high with his previous offering (Eddie Murphy Delirous) that it only comes off as mildly dissapointing. If you haven't seen either, you should consider watching Raw first, even though it was chronolgically second in the series. Raw is funny at times, but the pacing was off. Eddie seems tired in his delivery, and the camera work was a bit shoddy. The camera is zoomed in too far for most of the show and plays catch-up with Eddie for the duration of the set. Part of Eddie's genius is how he uses his whole body to convey his comedy, and the camera robs us of this performance by only showing him from his chest and up.

You can also tell that Eddie has grown up a bit from watching this. He is talking more about relationships and life instead of reliving memories from his childhood (which was the really, really funny stuff from Delirious).

I don't want to discourage anyone from watching this, as it is still one of the best stand up routines of all time. I would put it at number 7 or 8 of all time, but only because Delirious takes up the top 6 spots (yes, it is that funny).

`My ego jumped out my body.'

[The_Movie_Cat · 6/10 · 4 April 2004]

I feel like a philistine suggesting that this seminal stand-up movie isn't as good as its reputation, but over 15 years later it does feel a little bit passé.

Okay, there's the 80s title sequences, weak editing and misjudged direction (including Eddie aping Michael Jackson's Moonwalk - shot in close-up) but maybe the real problem is the material. The essential dilemma with any humour that's "cutting edge" is that it relies on bucking the mainstream. All fine until the mainstream absorbs it, then it ends up being rather quaint when history comes to judge it.

That's not to say that Raw isn't funny, but Murphy's overused shock tactics of profanity now seem rather desperate and antiquated. While he receives many plaudits for this stage in his career, I really don't think he has the natural comic ability of a Richard Pryor or, latterly, Chris Rock, to name just two. Now we've got the benefit of watching Raw from a vantagepoint of post-Pluto Nash, post-The Haunted Mansion, his bloated self-referentiality seems to grossly outsize his actual talent. A large chunk of his act seems to be just Murphy telling you how funny Murphy is, the narcissism a thin substitute for charm.

It isn't all just swearing, of course, and the majority of his humour is observational comedy. But while he seemed outrageous and even dangerous at the time, when you really think about his targets - women, foreign races, homosexuals - are really quite reactionary. Okay, there's a veneer of satire that elevates this material, but in the main it's only the delivery and performance that separates him from a Jim Davidson. The only real difference is that Jim would have been reverential to his version of Bill Cosby.

While it's true, as some IMDb commentators have said, that it runs out of steam before the end, probably the funniest bit for me was his hilarious rendition of Italian-American attitudes to the Rocky franchise. For perhaps the only time in the concert his comedy is actually about something, centring on racist attitudes against black people, even if it does parody another race to do it. For while there's a certain twelve letter word that's notorious in this movie, the most prominent word is "I". No matter what the subject, whether it be sex, relationships, race or childhood... the only subject Eddie really talks about is himself.

I simply can't understand all these rave reviews.

[jonathancanucklevine · 3/10 · 27 January 2021]

I wouldn't call myself an Eddie Murphy "fan", but I've enjoyed enough of his movies and I don't have a lick of trouble with comedians who work seriously blue. Having heard the Bill Cosby bit from this standup special I made a point of (finally) watching it, because that piece - and particularly the Richard Pryor punch line - kills. But honestly, the rest of the performance just isn't funny. It's Eddie complaining about women for about an hour. Obviously he was working through some things, but for that he really needn't have involved an audience - except for the part about how by doing so he could make a ridiculous amount of money from people who have pretty low standards for comedy. I should also add that, though it's unfair to judge these things in retrospect (that is, more than 30 years out of context), the gay stuff comes off as embarrassingly dated.

Personally, I think it would have been 90 minutes better spent watching Pryor.

good stuff

[karma90036 · 30 April 2003]

Offensive, crude, infantile, empty. Sure, 'Raw' is all these things. It's also laugh-out- loud funny. This is Eddie Murphy at his best, when he still knew how to make people laugh. He takes the stage and commands for the duration of the film. He's so in control and confident it's amazing. I saw it again recently. It aged well.

Terrific Stand Up Comedy

[roddick-1 · 8/10 · 8 May 2007]

I have grown up to know Eddie Murphy as the funny guy who plays multiple people in one movie, but I also knew that some time ago he was a comedian to which no ground was sacred and who wore some crazy outfits. Luckily I was able to watch one of his classic comedy routines recently, Raw.

The greatest part of Eddie's routine was his impersonations. The voice, mannerisms and stuff the people speak about are all done perfectly. Another great thing is that he tells the humorous truth about things like relationships and how people act and think.

This movie/performance proves that Eddie Murphy is one of the greatest comedians out there. It is definitely one, for all those mature enough, to see. I will be looking out for more old Eddie Murphy stand up DVDs and I hope he goes back to his old ways.

What a raw old fellow is Eddie

[videorama-759-859391 · 8/10 · 20 May 2014]

Like Richard Pryor, I must admit, it is fun to watch another foul mouthed comic, up on stage. Though not matching the credentials of the late, brilliant insightful comic, Pryor, who I believe was even a better actor, what we have is 86 minutes guaranteed worth of raucous laughs. From infidelity to poverty, where the poor Murphy family were reduced to eating slinky springs, Murphy kicks up a storm of laughs, while remaining coolly confident, which a few budding comedian must envy. Murphy knows how to dress too, his attire more effective than his ruddy sort in Delirious. Too, the start was inventive, with Eddie's childhood, Samuel L Jackson, playing a small but fine role as the Grandfather, egging little Eddie on in the tellings of a dirty joke, seeing star potential. And to split opinions, where personally I didn't like Best Defence, I'd choose Beverly Hills Cop over 48 Hours, any day. I must admit, Murphy isn't afraid to be dramatic about the underlying realities of his jokes. it. His impersonations are fantastic, Bill Cosby, is almost nailed, plus others that impress. Here's a great night in, to save you from going out in the cold to a concert. If you don't mind profanity, that is.

That Live Act was Eddie Murphy at his best

[sklose32 · 9/10 · 24 August 2005]

Except for the beginning where you see some Thanksgiving of 1968 where a child is telling a joke (I only saw that once because now I always fast forward to the show). It's a great gift to hear Eddie talk about various stuff and often his physiognomy is especially funny.. He talks about women who nowadays.. (he refers of course to the 80ties (but it's still true) get "half" of what you own if the marriage breaks up. He starts this joke with seeing Johnny Carson on the front page of the Enquirer looking very unhappy and then talking about switching to the story where you see a picture of her wife which he is also mimicking.. getting half of Johnny's 300 million.. And the he keeps talking about relationships in general and how to handle them (some very usable information), about a call from Bill Cosby about Italians after they saw Rocky.. and so on.. If you are not offended by the very adult language this Show is a must see DVD.. And for those who don't speak English that well there are subtitles included.. which you sometimes even can use if your English is good, because sometimes he mumbles a bit.. But go out and buy it.. or at least rent it.. And a little hint to to companies: Release 'Delirious' on DVD. Finally... But as I said.. send the Children to bed first..

What a different world it was in 1987!

[dracosucks · 8/10 · 15 February 2006]

What a different world we lived in, back in 1987! Eddie Murphy was a long way from shooting family films and political correctness was obviously not on many people's agendas either. There's no disputing that Eddie Murphy is and was a comic genius as this is evident in both Raw and his other stand-up film 'Delirious'. However it just amazes a person of my age (late 20s) that he could have gotten away with so much sexism and homosexual discrimination. In our world today, if you so much as look at another person the wrong way you could end up in court for it. Eddie Murphy circa-1987 on the other hand lambasts all before him in an amazing hour plus-long stand-up routine that doesn't stop for air. If you've been looking for the ultimate comic DVD release, try Raw and Delirious - you won't be disappointed. His disregard for political correctness is irreverence at its best, even if by today's standards it seems incredibly risqué.

The greatest stand-up show on Earth

[AlbinoAl · 10/10 · 30 May 2005]

This is the most well put together and sublimely funny stand-up act I've ever seen. Raw seals all the cracks that appear in Murphy's first concert movie, Delirious, with the performance and material being more mature and competent in front of the audience.

Murphy combines spot-on celebrity impressions with observational humour. For me, this is certainly not the laughter of recognition; my upbringing could not have been more different to Eddie's. I can only imagine the comedic effect on anyone who grew up in the poor areas of sixties America.

Given Murphy's race, and the predominantly black audience, it is a relief that the show is not dominated by the racial humour that tends to let down other stand-ups, who insist on pointing out the differences between white and black guys. When Murphy does tackle this subject, he dishes it out to every race and then moves on to the shared experiences of childhood.

Near the end, Murphy begins an impression of his father which turns into a drawn-out sketch, reprising the similar one in Delirious. This makes the most of Murphy's acting skills with the most suitable material; a bit like The Klumps but without the child-friendly content.

Nowhere else are Eddie Murphy's talents so well show-cased, but if you like this, see also; Delirious, The Golden Child, Coming to America, and Trading Places.

Raw is Right

[IboChild · 5/10 · 21 April 1999]

How difficult is it to photograph one man on stage? Apparently very difficult for this poorly shot film. Ernest Dickerson who has done some good work with Spike Lee, falters under Robert Townsend's inept direction. With all those cameras going, you would think they would choose more than one shot. Every camera seems to get a shot of Murphy from the waist up. Given the directors that Townsend had worked under up until that time (not to mention having already shot his own film), you would think he would have learned something about shot selection. Apparently not, although his technique has improved slightly over the years. Also, the lighting in the film is very murky. Dickerson didn't do a decent job lighting a color film until DO THE RIGHT THING.

Then there is Eddie Murphy's performance. He's mildly funny through most of the film, but in the latter third Murphy's routine disintegrates into a paranoid tirade about his fear of being financially taken advantage of by women. When this part kicks in, you're best to go for the popcorn or the nearest exit quick. This film is strictly for die-hard Eddie Murphy fans.

Energy and stage presence covers up some weak patches among the laughs

[bob the moo · 12 March 2007]

Live in New York, Eddie Murphy may well look quite ridiculous in his purple jumpsuit but he holds the stage really well in this large arena. It goes without saying that his material is relentlessly foulmouthed and occasionally offensive but it rarely bothered me because he does manage to be consistently funny throughout the show. His topics are mostly in the realm of relationships in regards sex and women generally. This worried me a little bit because these topics hardly offered much in the way of originality but actually he did really well with it.

It wasn't that he avoided clichés (because he doesn't) but more that he manages to inject energy into his whole show. At times his material is very strong but even when he is being obvious and crude, his energy lifts it, engages the audience and makes it feel better than it is. I wasn't rolling with laughter all the time but I did really enjoy the show so, even when I didn't laugh at some bits, it wasn't really a problem but he was generally still amusing. Director Townsend doesn't really help him by having the camera tight on him so much either; Murphy's energy is in his whole body so the close shots reduce this somewhat – plus the whole setup makes it hard to appreciate the audience being in the room.

Overall though a funny and energetic show from Murphy. It isn't a classic by any means and his material is hardly original but he has stage presence and energy and that helps a lot. Maybe too crude and foulmouthed to be to everyone's tastes but if it is your thing then it is worth a look.

I had no idea

[Erik_Stone · 8/10 · 23 July 2022]

I only knew Eddie Murphy from his movies and I'd never seen any of his standup routines until now.

He's good in his movies, but now I understand why he holds so much respect in the entertainment industry.

Wow!!!

[larzek · 10/10 · 23 October 2006]

Raw is one of the best, in fact, The best stand up comedy show I have ever seen in my life. His humor is just brilliant, his way of relating his jokes to contemporary topics is like Picasso painting a masterpiece. Delirious was good, but Raw is 10 times better. Eddie Murphy always manages to make people laugh to an extreme where we are just astonished. For me, Raw is a masterpiece. I can watch it again and again, and I still laugh like never before. I would recommend for everyone to watch Raw because it will really match the standards everyone expect if he or she watches a comedy show. So you know what you have to do, watch it!!!!

Classic

[jfinlay-88280 · 10/10 · 2 June 2019]

Raw and Delirious are staples in comedy. Eddie's comedy isn't dated and his impressions, skits are so memorable. Such a talent and you can rewatch but still laugh.