Plot
When his friend is killed suddenly, cocky rule-breaking Detroit cop Axel Foley (Murphy) pursues the case and heads to Beverly Hills to investigate. Running into trouble with the local police force, Foley must evade a pair of skeptical officers (Ashton, Reinhold), while clues point him towards a wealthy businessman (Berkoff), who is dealing drugs…
Review
Ever dug out an old games console and been a little disappointed at how it wasn’t quite as good as you remember? Well, that’s what revisiting Beverly Hills Cop feels like. Sure, it’s a still entertaining and arguably helped set the template for a decade of action-comedies, but looking back Martin Brest’s eighties staple feels more broad and predictable than nostalgic memory dictates. Of course, if breezy comedy-flavoured actioners where substance isn’t a priority are your thing and you don’t mind jarringly-dated pop hits, then you’re in for a treat.
As an obvious vehicle for former stand-up Eddie Murphy, there are one-liners galore and the scenario – rough-edged Detroit cop as fish-out-of-water in pristine Beverly Hills – offers plenty of comic potential. Murphy is unquestionably charming here (even if his shtick usually isn’t your bag), using that motormouth gob and patented laugh to launch himself into superstardom with the character he’d forever be associated with. The cast in general is pretty good – John Ashton and Judge Reinhold as the ‘married couple’ cop-partners, Ronny Cox as the stiff Lieutenant, Steven Berkoff as the standard rich villain – but this is undoubtedly Murphy’s movie.
However, for all the charm on show, there’s still too much cheese. As much as you might like Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic synth riff Axel F (one of two persistent themes we hear) it’s over-played to the point of irritation. As much as you might enjoy the retro tunes, they’re tiresomely upbeat and, as such, occasionally feel out of place (hasn’t our hero’s childhood friend just been murdered?). There are a few memorable moments for sure (banana in the tailpipe anyone?), but more often that not it’s a cliched ride trying noticeably hard to have fun.
Verdict
One of those eighties movies that remains entertaining and deserves credit for setting a trend, but isn’t nearly the classic you remember.
