It's worth noting that Eddie Murphy has only really achieved unanimous critical acclaim for his voice work on Shrek and Mulan. Perhaps he simply has a face for radio. When Murphy has attempted to grace the big screen, however, his dated '90s persona has not translated well. Of course, even in the '90s Murphy's comedy wasn't setting the critics pens alight. Early successes in the '80s, like Trading Places, were quickly overshadowed by sad attempts at sequels like Beverly Hills Cop II and Another 48 Hrs. Among all of this, however, there has been one performance that was noteworthy for the right reasons. More than just a relief to see Murphy hanging up his badly-aged comedy hat, the actor's role as James Early in Dreamgirls was a worthy feat of dramatic acting. It was a shock for moviegoers to see Murphy, normally the loud, slapstick character, playing an understated but slyly manipulative and domineering music manager and husband. The subtlety and complexity of the role was unprecedented for Murphy, and hasn't reappeared since.
