Beverly Hills Cop

Mega-hit action comedy from Paramount Pictures and producing duo Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. Eddie Murphy became a genuine superstar with the starring role of Detroit Detective Axel Foley, a rule breaker and wisecracker that travels to Beverly Hills to solve a childhood friend's murder. It puts him at odds with a shady art dealer (Steven Berkoff) and the Beverly Hills police department. But Foley soon proves his mettle out West as he obviously has superior detective skills compared to his rule centric equivalents in Beverly Hills.

There are a lot of laughs here, and Murphy has tons of screen charisma. A lot of this will probably seem routine to modern audiences, but at the time this film established the action-comedy as one of the biggest genres of the decade. It also contains one of the signature 80's soundtracks, both the pop songs (several of which charted) and the score by Harold Faltermeyer, which includes the top ten single "Axel F." Directed by Martin Brest.

What helped make this film so great - the very fact that nobody involved KNEW it was great until it got rave audience reaction, is exactly what killed the sequel. Beverly Hills Cop Two rests too much on the laurels of the original, but then that is another story.

BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984) ***1/2 Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, Ronny Cox, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot. Murphy, hot off his debut in `48 HRS' wisely continued to ride his rising star in this his first starring vehicle, tailor-made for his fast-talking, fun-loving, street-smart persona as Detroit undercover cop Axel Foley in this blockbuster hit who heads to posh Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of a good friend mixed up in a drug smuggler's art dealer front headed by equally good friend Eilbacher, and faster than you can say fish-out-of-water he's rousted by Beverly Hills finest, Ashton and Reihold – a modern day Laurel and Hardy if you will, only to continue to fluster as he tries to unearth the muck in the richest city in America. Pinchot steals the show as the effete, espresso hawiking art shop clerk Serge. Lots of laughs and a good blend of action (this was once earmarked for Sylvester Stallone!) and sprinkled with pop tunes that led to an even bigger soundtrack goldmine. Waycool instrumental theme music via Harold Faltemeyer.

Axel Foley (Murphy) is a foul-mouthed, street-smart and freewheeling Detroit police agent, when a friend is murdered ,he heads to L. A. to investigate. He arrives in Beverly Hills where finds an old friend (Lisa Eilbacher). The clues lead a mobster (Steven Berkoff)and henchman (Jonathan Banks) suspects of killing, drugs and customs bonds. He's helped by a pair of sympathetics L. A. detectives (John Ashton, Judge Reinhold) causing wreak havoc on the way.

The picture mingles action packed, thriller, fast pace, and humor with tongue-in cheek . It's an Eddie Murphy recital accompanied by two likable pals: Ashton and Reinhold creating a fun buddy movie, besides a grouch chief (Ronny Cox). The picture contains spectacular scenes, stopped action as usual in the Don Simpson-Jerry Bruckheimer productions. Hilarious relief at charge of Eddie Murphy, his fast-talking and jokes with the buddies cause most big laughs and gags subordinated to action. This vehicle for Eddie Murphy as freelance police is terrific, it's his greatest success and became him in a world star confirming his position as number one in the box-office.

Catching musical score with international hit smash by composer Harol Faltermeyer. Glimmer and atmospheric cinematography by Bruce Surtees (classic cameraman Robert Surtees's son). The motion picture was well directed by Martin Brest. It's followed by two inferior sequels with similar actors and producers, the second installment directed by Tony Scott and the third part directed by John Landis.

Eddie Murphy became a true bankable superstar with "Beverly Hills Cop". The film is an unconventional detective story that has Murphy, a Detroit police officer, go to Beverly Hills after his close friend is killed. Murphy wants to find out who killed his friend and why. What he discovers is one of the largest illegal drug fronts around in an art museum. Now it is up to Murphy to bring down the bad guys and save the day. "Beverly Hills Cop" is a film that showed the greatness of the 1980s. A pop-culture, box office hit that was funny and full of action and sported a smashing soundtrack. A nice film that is one of the most memorable money-makers of the decade that was the 80s. 4 stars out of 5.

Martin Brest has only made five feature films (Going in style, BHC, Midnight run, Scent of a woman, and Meet Joe Black), films strikingly different from one another, but that all share certain traits. They are finely crafted, energetic, and extraordinarily human. The warmth and friendship shine through, even through the gun- and fist-play which are obligatory in a cops-and-robbers movie. This is one of the first and best prototypes of the buddy movie.

Brest's casting is superb, and he elicits performances which are often the best of even young actors' careers. Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Ronnie Cox are outstanding, and the ensemble clicks like a well-oiled infield. To me, this movie is still far and away Eddie Murphy's best performance. He is remarkably talented, a comic genius. As an actor, his expressions are sometimes outlandish, but always completely in character, and appropriate to the dramatic situation. Villain Victor Maitland (played by Steven Berkoff, the husband of Alberta Watson, Madeline in La Femme Nikita) is chillingly underplayed; the cold-blooded evil shines through the civilized facade.

BHC is one of the few movies which I can watch with my loved ones again and again and never tire. Even as a comedy, it has a solidness and integrity which make it extremely durable. I look forward eagerly to Martin Brest's next film. Meanwhile, I always have Beverly Hills Cop.