‘Life’ Turns 20 Years Old: Here’s What Makes It Great

Yea , yea. They look really confused

A comedic classic stands the test of time , but what made it captured our hearts?

In entertainment most movies don’t stand the test of time. It could be for multiple reasons, lack of star power, weak script, or the movie just sucks. But Life had it all big stars , great dialouge, and one outrageous plot.

1). Star Power- Life had a strong cast of characters from top to bottom. The movie was lead by to Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawerence respectivly. But no one talks about the array of strong supporting characters which includes Bernie Mac, Guy Torry, Sanaa Lathan, Obba Babatunde, Anthony Anderson, Rick James and the list goes one. It was a good mix of persoanlites which made the movie very fresh. It was not to overbearing like some movies which have alot of high quailty actors.

2). Slept on during its first run- Life was actually financial disappointment during its time in the box office. With an 80 million dollar budget it was only manage to rack in 76 million at the box office. With the Eddie and Martin on fire during this time you would expect this movie to smash records. It came across some stiff competiton with the likes of the Matrix, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Never Been Kissed.

3. Original Story Written By A Genius-

Eddie Murphy wrote the script for Life. This shouldn’t be a big surprise since he is considered one of the greatest comedians to ever live. When Life was written this was Eddies third screenplay. Works he had before was Vampire in Brooklyn, Boomerang, and Harlem Nights. Like those works this piece had a little bit of flare. It was a fresh outlook on a prison movie. Telling a realistic telling story of two African American men being unjustly put into the prison industrial system. But the comedic elements were impressive with Eddie and Martin playing off each other brilliantly. The movie had its high and lows but always keep you engaged. For the film to be placed mostly in a prison the characters were vibrant and unforgettable.

Do you want your cornbread ? Yes , yes I do.

Londen Berksteiner , Senior Morehouse College , Comedian , I tell jokes for wings.