eddie murphy has had his share of ups and downs during his career . 
known for his notorious late 80's slump , murphy has still managed to bounce back with a handful of hits in the past few years . 
with the exception of the dreadful holy man , he appears to be on pace for a full-fledged comeback . 
life was a great move on the part of murphy and co-star martin lawrence , because it's a great showcase for both actors that never resorts to slap-sticky drivel . 
director ted demme is smart enough to realize that the two comedians can generate enough genuine laughs on their own , and doesn't insert a distracting plot to back them up . 
life is , in a sense , one great balancing act with murphy on one end and lawrence on the other . 
amazingly , the scale never tips in either's favor due to the marvelous chemistry and wonderful contrast that each actor allows the other . 
as the movie opens , we're introduced to ray gibson ( eddie murphy ) , a two-timing pickpocket who schmoozes his way into a club . 
there he meets a successful businessman named claude banks ( martin lawrence ) . 
somehow , after multiple contrivances , the mismatched pair find themselves on their way to mississippi on a moonshine run . 
when all is said and done , ray and claude have been framed for a murder that was actually committed by the town sheriff . 
hence the setting of life : mississippi state prison , where the main characters come to realize their unlikely friendship is important , and become set on finding an fool-proof escape plan . 
the film takes us from the 30's all the way to the 90's , presenting a difficult task in showing how the aging process affects ray and claude . 
luckily , rick baker handles the makeup effects of the two actors in a fantastic , academy award caliber manner . 
not only do we believe the characters look as if they're 90 years old , but they sound like it , too . 
murphy and lawrence are completely convincing in the lead roles , even as crotchety old cons bickering over a game of cards . 
this is just one of the pleasant surprises that the film has tucked up it's sleeve . 
while the ads are marketing life as a straight arrow comedy , there is a hefty amount of dramatic material hidden at it's core . 
but the comedic aspects work wonderfully , wisely drawing strength from the talents of the two stars . 
the movie is more of a comedy than it is a drama , but in both senses , it's an overwhelming delight . 
i could say a few bad things about the movie , but i don't want to . 
it's such a nice surprise , such a great vehicle for eddie murphy and martin lawrence , that it warrants a huge smile as the credits begin to roll .