Life

Play trailer

Life

R

Released Apr 16, 1999

1h 48m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

During Prohibition, loudmouth Harlem grifter Ray (Eddie Murphy) and the no-nonsense Claude (Martin Lawrence) team up on a bootlegging mission to Mississippi that could bring them big bucks. But they run into trouble when a crooked lawman hits them with a phony murder charge. Ray and Claude are given life sentences and shipped off to jail, where they must think of a way to prove their innocence and avoid the brutal guards while battling their biggest enemies -- their opposing personalities.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Entertaining if not over-the-top humor from a solid comic duo provides plenty of laughs.

Read Critics Reviews

Globe and Mail

Rated: 2/4

Mar 22, 2002

Full Review

Rod Dreher

New York Post

This prison dramedy's muddled, episodic script seems to have gone on a hunger strike for humor!

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Life desperately wants to let Murphy and Lawrence be actors, but it can't imagine them as anything more than rowdy showmen.

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

615 Film

Y’know, this was pretty solid. Kind of a funnier riff on The Shawshank Redemption, if not … well … as good.

Feb 2, 2023

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...receives plenty of mileage out of the charming, engaging efforts of its two stars...

Rated: 3/4

Jun 26, 2022

Full Review

Anderson Jones

The Advocate

Life's base, easy laughs diminish an otherwise sweet fable about two guys who spend the rest of their lives together.

Apr 19, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

A R

Seriously one of my favorite movies of all time! Seen it 50 times and every time it's just a riot. Eddie and Martin are FANTASTIC. If you don't laugh at this movie you don't like comedies. Just get through the first 1/2 hour....which still isn't bad but the good stuff comes after. Watch it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/23/24

Full Review

Stephen A

Great movie, Martin and Eddie deliver! Great laughs and quotables.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/18/24

Full Review

Lefty L

52% is bullshit. this is a very endearing buddy movie with beautiful moments. eddie is always entertaining and lovable, so is martin. great ensemble.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Honestly this film can hit you on different levels of emotion, you'll cry with laughter as well as with sadness too! Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy make a great comedy duo along with other guest stars to keep you entertained for 1hr30mins!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/04/24

Full Review

Carlos I

Since this came out I've always been kinda disappointed by it, but I think it's just because it was always sold to me as a zany buddy comedy. It's not. It's got some much deeper stuff going on. Check this out to see what kind of bond two men, who are diametrically opposed can share after being attached at the hip for so very very long. It's more sombre, but still has its humor.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

Full Review

Daniel D

Every time I see this movie playing on TV, I have to stop and watch the rest of it. It's a fantastic movie. Not many scripts like this one being made these day with laughs, drama and genuine friendship.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/10/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Ted Demme

Director

Eddie Murphy

Rayford Gibson

Martin Lawrence

Claude Banks

Obba Babatundé

Willie Long

Ned Beatty

Dexter Wilkins

Bernie Mac

Jangle Leg

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Life: Official Clip - The Real Killer

2:48

Life: Official Clip - Never Said It Didn't Work

2:02

Life: Official Clip - I'm the Baby's Daddy

2:28

Life: Official Clip - Claude's Plan

2:30

Life: Official Clip - Ray's Boom Boom Room

3:00

Life: Official Clip - The Night Escape

2:48

Life: Official Clip - The Cornbread Fight

2:45

Life: Official Clip - Standing on Bottles

3:02

Life: Official Clip - The Decades Pass

1:58

Life: Official Clip - Biscuit's Release Papers

2:57

View more videos

Homegrown

44%

50%

Homegrown

Watchlist

Grace of My Heart

79%

79%

Grace of My Heart

Watchlist

Primary Colors

80%

64%

Primary Colors

Watchlist

The Hard Way

75%

53%

The Hard Way

Watchlist

Nothing to Lose

31%

68%

Nothing to Lose

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Gabrielle Union’s Five Favorite Films

Sam L. Jackson to Chase the "Jumper"

In Other News…Michael Jackson, Alicia Silverstone, and Heavy D (no Boyz)

View more photos

Synopsis

During Prohibition, loudmouth Harlem grifter Ray (Eddie Murphy) and the no-nonsense Claude (Martin Lawrence) team up on a bootlegging mission to Mississippi that could bring them big bucks. But they run into trouble when a crooked lawman hits them with a phony murder charge. Ray and Claude are given life sentences and shipped off to jail, where they must think of a way to prove their innocence and avoid the brutal guards while battling their biggest enemies -- their opposing personalities.

Director: Ted Demme
Producer: Brian Grazer, Eddie Murphy
Screenwriter: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 16, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.0M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround

Most Popular at Home Now