Review of Beverly Hills Cop (1984) by Clg D — 16 Nov 2013

Yet another early comedic hit from Eddie Murphy. The movie is more subtly funny than his other movies I've seen (like TRADING PLACES), but the humor is just as good. The only bit that felt out of place/awkward was a cameo by Damon Wayans playing a stereotypically gay man.

The plot is mostly straightforward: Eddie Murphy's best friend gets shot and he goes to Beverly Hills to investigate, but what makes this movie great is the interactions between Eddie Murphy and all of the people he meets, which serve as straight men/comic foils to his laid-back, joking persona.

If I had one major quibble with the movie though, it's the lack of a charismatic villain, but the banter between the main characters easily overcomes it. There's even some spectacular action scenes.

Two that stood out to me was the opening chase scene and the final shootout, which were intense and excellently shot. Anyway, I'm enjoying playing catchup on 80's action/comedies, and this is yet another excellent addition to my "watched" list.