Why did Life (1999) bomb at the box office?

[Joe Sixpack]

This was a great film but it is one of those movies I can never watch again

 

[Joe Sixpack]

It was released the same month as The Matrix, Never Been Kissed, Analyze This and 10 Things I Hate About You.

Life was a victim of competing with an unbelievable box office phenomenon.

I remember the marketing and promo for the film being fine and of course the soundtrack went platinum.

I think people had Eddie Murphy fatigue by 1999 and didn’t give this film a chance.

Eddie Murphy fatigue?



How is that even possible this and Nutty Professor were the only movies to me that he did that was classic Eddie since Boomerang

 

[Still Benefited]

u serious

You trolling right?

 

[Trapperman Dave]

Because it doesn’t show white people in a positive light they hate when we bring up stuff from those times

 

[Tribal Outkast]

That part where Eddie was talking about the Boom Boom room and they added the inmates in the vision was so brilliant. I’ve never been to jail but I’d imagine that shyt really happens like that in person. That part is one of if not the best in the whole movie.

 

[phillycavsfan]

After 1996 the only movies that Eddie did that fared well at the box office were the family friendly joints. Nutty Professor, Daddy Day Care, Dr. Doolittle, etc.

Also, I feel like Life is one of those movies that benefits from nostalgia. The funny parts are really funny, but the movie has a lot of lulls when it's trying to be a "serious" movie.

 

[85 East]

Eddie Murphy had a strong of flops in the 90s and early 00's. Martin never really made box office money like that, except for Bad Boys.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Eddie Murphy had a strong of flops in the 90s and early 00's. Martin never really made box office money like that, except for Bad Boys.

For some reason, Coli posters are hyping up Martin as if he was this big star in Hollywood when that just wasn't the case when you're strictly talking about movies. His TV star power just never translated to the big screen like that.

 

[85 East]

For some reason, Coli posters are hyping up Martin as if he was this big star in Hollywood when that just wasn't the case when you're strictly talking about movies.

Martin was a huge star to the black community, but TV was where his money was until Bad Boys. I was today years old when I found out that Martin was actually supposed to be Pookie in New Jack City. He was so upset that Robin Harris died that he didn't do it. Chris Rock took it from there.

 

[hitmonlee]

Martin and Eddie Murphy were not the biggest stars in Hollywood

Maybe Eddie in the 80’s.

 

[Big Boss]

the soundtrack

 

[mson]

After 1996 the only movies that Eddie did that fared well at the box office were the family friendly joints. Nutty Professor, Daddy Day Care, Dr. Doolittle, etc.

Also, I feel like Life is one of those movies that benefits from nostalgia. The funny parts are really funny, but the movie has a lot of lulls when it's trying to be a "serious" movie.

It's a dramedy

 

[AlbertPullhoez]

Oh yeah and find me a movie with better closing credit music than Life

First K-Ci and Jojo



then followed by Maxwell

 

[Robbo]

Great movie.. a ton of great comedians but Eddie took that movie over. I watch it often.

 

[phillycavsfan]

It's a dramedy

It is, but I've always thought it was a movie that worked a lot better as a comedy than a drama. The dramatic parts fall flat.