A glance at Eddie Murphy's roller-coaster career

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Six Flags should commission a ride based on Eddie Murphy's career.The roller coaster would consist of rapid climbs to supernatural heights and spontaneous descents into unfathomable depths.And just when you're sure it's over, here would come a few new rises and drops. You might be sick to your stomach after the whole thing, but you'd have to admit it's not what you expected.After reaching a career high -- including a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination -- thanks to his performance in 2006's "Dreamgirls," then dipping in 2007 with the critically bashed "Norbit," Murphy attempts to reclaim his position among Hollywood comic royalty with "Meet Dave," which opens Friday.Since breaking into the "Saturday Night Live" cast at age 19 in 1980 and debuting in the film "48 Hrs." in 1982, Murphy has been a bankable success. His movies have grossed a combined total of more than $3.4 billion, and judging from his past, "Meet Dave" will surely throw another sizable chunk onto the pile. Here's a look at his career ups and downs.1980-88: Fast trackAfter starting with "Saturday Night Live," Murphy churned out seven films in as many years, six of them near-universally-beloved smashes. Murphy's distinctive "eh-heeeeh-heeeh" laugh was seared into the collective consciousness, and the actor's fast-talking style launched the classics "48 Hrs.," "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Coming to America." This period also saw the release of two standup-comedy films, "Delirious" and "Raw," both of which helped elevate him to near-Richard Pryor status.1989-95: The downturnThe end of the 1980s marked the beginning of a big descent in quality. His directorial debut, "Harlem Nights," was a letdown, and although he hit it big with "Another 48 Hrs.," his attempt at a third "Beverly Hills Cop" grossed just $42.6 million, compared to a combined $390 million hauled in by the first two films. "The Distinguished Gentleman" and "Vampire in Brooklyn" were two more colossal flops.1996-98: ReboundThe hilarious "The Nutty Professor" ($128.8 million) was exactly what Murphy needed to lift him back to prominence, and hitching himself to Disney's "Mulan" train ($120.5 million) was another wise move, starting a career in voice acting that would serve him well. But the reinvention was short-lived.1998-2008: Murphy's LawWhatever could go wrong for Murphy in the last decade pretty much has. He's chosen a parade of awful scripts, ranging from lamentable kiddie flicks ("Daddy Day Care" and two "Dr. Dolittles") to truly rotten PG-13 fare ("I Spy," "The Adventures of Pluto Nash"). Most of his films, even the dregs, have been financially successful, though. His legion of fans ensured that even "Norbit" grossed $95 million.Murphy's one consistent critical and commercial success during this period has been the "Shrek" franchise. He'll give voice to Donkey again in "Shrek Goes Fourth," planned for 2010. The 1999 Hollywood satire "Bowfinger," a Steve Martin comedy in which Murphy basically played the straight man, is one of the better movies he's been associated with.Even in his one recent moment to shine, the 2007 Oscar ceremony at which he was nominated for playing James "Thunder" Early in "Dreamgirls," Murphy scuttled his good will by storming away from the ceremony after Alan Arkin won the award Murphy was widely expected to win.Some observers tried to explain the loss by noting that the Oscar voting was going on while huge, tasteless billboards for "Norbit," featuring Murphy as an obese half-naked woman, were plastered around town.But given Murphy's undeniable talent, and the fact that he's just 47 years old, another shot at Oscar is not out of the question. Another "Beverly Hills Cop" film is in development, but so far Murphy has yet to commit to the movie and has said he's considering retiring.Right, Eddie. Something tells me this ride isn't over yet.(Contact Phil Villarreal at Pvillarreal(at)azstarnet.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)