The reason Life works for me is because the entire time spent in prison seems like a paradise. I think leads to interesting insights. Both Murphy and Lawrence have great chemistry and pull off great performances, as do the supporting cast. While it is true that the make-up done to age Ray and Claude by Rick Baker is brilliant, credit should also be given to the two actors who manage to grow old extremely gracefully. The out-takes at the end are cool as well.
Life is worth the matinee fare.