In the mid-2000s, Eddie Murphy needed a comeback, and he sort of got it. After nearly over a decade of only doing misfires like Holy Man or voicing cartoon animals for franchises like Mulan or Shrek, his shtick had become stagnant, and he needed something to remind people that he hadn't lost his talent. Dreamgirls helped Murphy get into Hollywood's good graces, leading to some of the best reviews of his career. After he lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine, Murphy returned to comedies that couldn't showcase his best talents, films like Norbit, Meet Dave, and A Thousand Words. But Murphy's long climb back into the spotlight climaxed with Dolemite Is My Name, with Murphy playing blaxploitation icon Rudy Ray Moore. It was not only the best performance he'd given in ages, but also the role that should have netted him a second Oscar nomination.

What is 'Dolemite Is My Name' About?

Rudy Ray Moore (Murphy) is a hustler in L.A. with dreams of making it in the entertainment world. Working a dead-end job at a radio store, desperately trying to get time on the local radio channel, Moore sees himself as so much more than his current station in life. Priding himself on his ability to hold people's attention with his charismatic comedic storytelling, Moore is looking for the thing that will propel him into stardom, and finds it in street poetry. After witnessing a man named Ricco (Ron Cephas Jones) spit some fierce rhymes about a character named "Dolemite," Moore gets a eureka moment: he'll invent a stage persona named "Dolemite," becoming the type of man he always wanted to be. Dolemite is a pimp who rocks a mean cane and coat, spins tall tales of derring-do, and uses foul language with the blunt sharpness of a jousting knight. His new act becomes such a rousing success that it leads him to comedy album success, before he gets the idea to capitalize on his popularity by making a movie about Dolemite, meant to serve as a vehicle for a bigger audience.

While the film is relatively loose in its adherence to the strict facts of Moore's life, such as changing the names of people and showing Moore discussing ideas for future films as part of the production of Dolemite, it's very faithful in capturing the overall shape of how swiftly Moore found renowned success. He found a large audience who deeply clicked with his proudly abrasive approach to entertainment and the authenticity he gave to seemingly outlandish stories. Given Murphy's overt admiration for Moore, publicly praising his ability to get his movies self-financed and how clearly he was driven by believing in himself, it's easy to see how Murphy saw himself in Moore and his sense of comedy.

The appeal of Murphy, back when he was a newly christened star on Saturday Night Live and making movies like 48 Hrs., was in the versatility and conviction with which he spewed jokes, daring audiences to turn away from his foul language and deny how hard they were already laughing. Moore explaining the power of how coming out on stage as Dolemite makes him "feel like a superhero" works as both one of the film's central beliefs and the perfect encapsulation of why Eddie Murphy was so explosive as a comic performer in his prime. Murphy was a stand-up comedian as a rock star, and Rudy Ray Moore similarly used his theatrics to amplify his crude material, so it creates a natural synergy to have Murphy be the one to embody Moore onscreen.

Eddie Murphy Embodies Rudy Ray Moore With Ease

Given his penchant for transforming himself with numerous prosthetics throughout his career, you'd think Murphy's first foray into playing a real-life person would become another excuse for his trademark. Instead, Murphy seeks to use all of his trademark acting tricks to infuse Rudy Ray Moore with his own honed persona, which is fitting, given Moore's own gradual adoption of the "Dolemite" persona. The film's rendition of Moore lionizes him as a hero of independent cinema, and this hustling quality is where Murphy shines the brightest, as it lets him lean into his sweet spot of spitting a cavalcade of words to convince people that they should be on his side, but with a tinge of weathered disappointment underneath it. Moore has already experienced so much rejection in his efforts just to get on the radio, let alone make a movie, and the only reason he isn't totally defeated is that his willpower is unbreakable. He still has swagger, but it's got a little sag, weighed down by the years of crushing reality. But as Rudy Ray Moore, Murphy tones down the needless rapidity he often falls back, while still maintaining that signature rat-a-tat-tat rhythm he made so iconic.

The vigor with which Murphy thrusts himself into Moore's enthusiasm for self-advocacy plays into his strengths of persuasion, emphasizing how easily likable he is. Murphy has always been blessed with a twinkle in his eye and a thousand-watt smile that evokes a 6-year-old's school picture, and his performance shows a better understanding of when to implement those. He still likes to bug his eyes when he's surprised or excited, but it's more measured and infused with the flare of inspiration than overt mugging for the camera. Murphy makes sure we're enamored with his presence, more trusting in how present and generous he can be as a screen performer. That generosity contributes to why he has such great chemistry with scene-stealers like Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Wesley Snipes. It sells us on Moore being a guy who truly appreciated those he loved and relied on for support, even if he occasionally beat himself up too much or lashed out at others. Seeing Moore get himself so down when the going gets tough is some of the more genuinely painful acting Murphy has done in years, and that willingness to be vulnerable is a far cry from the superhuman dynamo he originally built his brand around.

An Oscar Nomination Would Have Validated Murphy's Resurgence

If the Oscars are good for anything besides elevating the profiles of movies that need to be seen (which is about the only honest good it does), it's in valorizing the careers of formerly unappreciated actors who have spent a lifetime giving us cherished art. The Oscars had a golden opportunity to recognize Murphy's performance in Dolemite Is My Name, especially given how autobiographical the film is, packing itself with references and commentary on Eddie Murphy's career. Moore claims that he used to work with the likes of Redd Foxx and Moms Mabley, legendary comedians who Murphy has sung the praises of and done brilliant impersonations of in his acting roles. A relative of Moore's argues his comedy should be more like the sweet and cuddly Bill Cosby, who vehemently hated and criticized Murphy for his foul language, and Murphy equally hated him for his attacks.

Moore shifts from a failed musical career to comedy to movie stardom, much like how Murphy became a huge movie star and then experimented with pop music, to middling results. Most poignantly, the film ends with Moore trading bars with a young boy who idolizes Dolemite, which serves as a metaphor for the way Murphy notably paid forward to up-and-coming Black comics like Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, using his huge profile to boost their respective platforms. These instances come together to make the film into more than just a lightly fictionalized recap of the influential success of one of the oddest creators in independent cinema history; it's also a celebration of the legacy of one of the most important entertainers in Hollywood history.

Dolemite Is My Name is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.