Review of Beverly Hills Cop (1984) by Jay B — 12 Oct 2012

Axel Foley: Disturbing the peace? I got thrown out of a window! What's the fuckin' charge for getting pushed out of a moving car, huh? Jaywalking? .

"The Heat Is On!".

I had seen glimpses of this movie on television many times, but this was surprisingly the first time I watched the whole movie. What I got from it wad that Eddie Murphy used to be a boss. I absolutely loved him in this movie. From the first scene where he is undercover selling some shady guys a shit load of cigarettes to his final smile as the film ends; he's on the top of his game. He's hilarious, but at times his performance teeters on being 100% serious. The guy obviously used to be an amazing comedic actor and if you need proof of that, look no further. Beverly Hills Cop is classic Eddie Murphy for all the people who are over the shit he's throwing out now.

Axel Foley is a Detroit cop who is described as a great cook with great potential, but he's a little too aggressive. He's smart, charismatic, and extremely arrogant. He goes behind his chiefs back and sets up undercover busts without authorization. One day, an old friend pays him a visit and they hang out for awhile. When they return to Foley'a apartment, two men jump them, knocking Foley unconscious and killing his friend. The two men were professionals. Foley is told to stay away from the case, but he takes vacation in Beverly Hills(his friends last employment spot) on a hunch that the friends employer had something to do with his death. He runs into some Beverly Hills cops and then a lot of shit goes down. .

This movie really is just an extremely fun time. There's a lot of slapstick like gags thrown in for humorous effect, but the film is at its best when Murphy is talking and bullshitting. The dialogue is actually surprisingly good and occasionally really smart, while the music choices seem a little much at times. Overall the formula Martin Breast used here was a good one. The movie feels like it flies by and there's no down time. It's a quick moving and above average cop comedy.

Vintage Eddie Murphy fans already know this film and, for the most part, probably love it. For all you people who have never seen a glimpse of some old school Murphy and have only seen movies from him like Haunted Mansion; you owe it to yourself to give this one a look. No matter what your feelings toward Murphy are, they will be changed when you watch him kill it in Beverly Hills Cop. I've always liked Murphy, but I now have a new level of respect for him.