Beverly Hills Cop II

The original Beverley Hills Cop is one of those films that remains a cult classic because of the fact that it's such a product of the time it was made. This quintessential eighties style is carried over to the sequel, made three years later, and although part two; like many sequels, never quite manages that same verve as the original film - it still offers a good time, and anyone that enjoyed the first instalment (and who didn't?) will probably have a good time with this sequel too. All the main players from the original film have been rounded up once again, with Eddie Murphy heading a capable ensemble cast, lots of wisecracks and some gratuitously over the top action sequences. The plot is, as you would expect, superfluous to the style of the film; and much of the movie is simply tailored around it; but anyway, it follows maverick copper Axel Foley and his two California police cronies as they are pulled into a case known as the 'alphabet murders', which involves a robbery, a tall blonde woman and a gun shop owner.

I've got to say that Eddie Murphy's wisecracks were a lot funnier in the first film. While they were still over the top, they were at least sort of believable. Here, however, Murphy goes massively over the top, and it's hard to imagine how anyone that obnoxious doesn't end up with a cracked jaw. Anyway, Murphy obviously enjoys himself; and if you can get by the complete lack of logic, you probably will too. True to style, the action is completely over the top too; with several ridiculous sequences combining to make the movie the entertaining blockbuster that it is. The film lacks any kind of themes or substance, meaning that it will both not please serious film fans, and that this reviewer is running out of steam; but I will say that this movie does have a point to make, and that is simply entertaining it's audience. It may be completely silly, illogical fun; but some movies need to be there just to entertain, and this is one of those. I wouldn't recommend sticking this movie at the top of any must see lists, or going into with huge expectations; but it's a good time, that's for sure.

Long ago, when Eddie Murphy was the biggest star in Hollywood, Beverly Hills Cop 2 was the most anticipated film of 1987. Movies like Trading Places and 48 Hours made Murphy famous. But Axel Foley made him a superstar. Impressed by Top Gun (even though it's a truly awful film), Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer brought Tony Scott on board to direct. What they forgot to do was polish the script.

Foley returns to Beverly Hills to help solve 'The Alphabet Crimes' after his old pal Lt. Bogomil is gunned down in the street. With Taggart and Rosewood in tow (now actually doing police work instead of standing by) Axel uncovers a seriously convoluted conspiracy.

The story should have taken a back seat to allow Murphy to work over the massive holes in the plot with his distracting wisecracks. I won't lie to you, there are some utterly horrible contrivances in BHC2 (Bogomil's daughter digging up dirt at the insurance company she just happens to work at is honestly the most obnoxious movie coincidence of all time), but you'll just have to suffer them.

This might have been easy to overlook, but Tony Scott, still finding his feet as a director, and his editors turn a great deal of the film into an incomprehensible mess. Some of the continuity errors are just baffling (where did Rosewood get the coffee cup from at the night club crash scene?) and it makes the action quite hard to follow.

However, Tony Scott's highly visual style of filmmaking is far more suiting to this kind of environment. The wealth and decadence of late 80s California is all over this movie, and it's the only aspect where it improves on the original. I doubt the latter day Scott would make the movie this way, but it's definitely the best looking of the trilogy. It's also the only one to be shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio (however it's Super35 instead of the superior anamorphic Panavision format).

I finally saw this sequel and it was better than what many people say. Murphy has some very hilarious moments and Reinhold and Ashton were just as good. Also, the action scene's were decent too, though the chase with the cement truck was'nt as good as the chase in the first with the transport truck. I did notice that the film lacked the freshness of the first one but still it was fun to watch.

Beverly Hills Cop 2 is pretty much just the same as the original Beverly Hills Cop but without the freshness and originality of the 1st. Murphy is still a perfect Axel Foley and with some good supporting characters such as his foul mouthed chief of police and Detectives Rosewood and Taggart the movie does have it's moments but the rules of diminishing returns still apply.

With a bit more originality in the script and a bit more daring this really could have been great. But for a sequel this isn't to bad just more of the same but not quite as good.

6/10 - Not as good as the original but far superior to the tepid third instalment.

Beverly Hills Cop is most definitely a classic, and I must say Beverly Hills Cop II lives up to the first one reasonably well. Everything that I enjoyed from the first one was carried on in this one, which is simultaneously a perk and a flaw. A perk because the style of the first was great, but a flaw because it did feel familiar in many respects. There is a little bit of a sense that if you've seen the first one, you've seen the second one. That being said this film is a hoot, and I can't wait to watch the third instalment.

The plot is all a bit ludicrous and didn't entirely make sense (to me at any rate). There was nothing too original about the core concept, feeling a bit James Bondy in a way. It wasn't bad at all, and ticked along at a zippy pace, with a good variety of action sequences, comedic moments and sharply scripted scenes. The Beverly Hills Cop films aren't really about the plot though, its all about Eddie Murphy.

He is just so god damn funny, and possibly at his comedic acting peak in the 80s. His comedic timing, body language, facial expressions are second to none, making Beverly Hills Cop II hilarious. I actually think the humour was as decent as the first film, its just the plot which doesn't match up in quality. There are several cast members returning from the first instalment, all of whom put in solid performances, but as mentioned its 100% Murphy's film.

I also just love the style of 80s films, and Beverly Hills Cop II has so many 80s trademarks. From the soundtrack to the direction to the script. Its just a blast.

Any fans of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise or Eddie Murphy in general will for sure love this film. It a bit messy in places but that never detracts from it's numerous triumphs.