Beverly Hills Cop – Review

2nd August 2024

Beverly Hills Cop – Review. By Daniel Rester.

With the release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F this summer, a lot of eyes are on the Eddie Murphy comedy series again. It began forty years ago with Beverly Hills Cop (1984), which cemented Murphy as a movie star after his success with Saturday Night Live and the films 48 Hrs. (1982) and Trading Places (1983). It was even the highest-grossing film of its year in the United States and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Beverly Hills Cop has Murphy playing a rule-breaking Detroit cop named Axel Foley. After being involved in a high-speed chase and being reprimanded, Axel is visited by his childhood friend Mikey (James Russo). Soon Mikey is killed, which leads Axel to visit Beverly Hills in order to find his killers. Axel enters the art gallery world, and deals with the local police who are tailing him.

Director Martin Brest’s film remains a highly entertaining action comedy. Yes, some elements are dated, such as the positive look at cops constantly breaking safety procedures and lying to everyday people for their own gain. But the film still provides a ton of fun overall, and it’s set to the very memorable synth-pop score by Harold Faltermeyer.

The gags and wisecracks land often thanks to Daniel Petrie Jr. and Danilo Bach’s clever writing and Murphy’s comedic timing. Axel being a fish out of water in California allows Murphy to poke fun at the superficial layers of Beverly Hills; his reactions to the prices of hotel rooms and fine art are gold. The actor knows when to pull back too, though, allowing real emotion to come through as Axel grieves Mikey’s death. This is Murphy in his prime, balancing the hilarious and the relatable with ease.

Judge Reinhold and John Ashton also shine as cops Rosewood and Taggart, respectively. They play it straight as Murphy goes energetic, with the three having wonderful chemistry. Meanwhile, Steven Berkoff plays sleazy well as the villain Victor Maitland and Jonathan Banks (future Breaking Bad star) is a fine dirty henchman.

The film could have used a little more action, as it is mostly placed in the beginning and end while the middle is just mystery-focused. The action that is there is exciting though. The climactic shootout sequence at a mansion is well-shot and surprisingly intense. The series would lean more into action beginning with the second installment, which isn’t surprising given that Tony Scott directed that entry.

Beverly Hills Cop is a classic buddy cop comedy. It is essential viewing for anyone exploring Murphy’s career. The sequels, including the new one, never quite hit the highs of Brest’s original 1984 film.

Rating: 8.7/10

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