Today’s quick review: Beverly Hills Cop. Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), a clever but reckless Detroit cop, heads out to Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his best friend. His prime suspect is Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff), a powerful art dealer. But Axel quickly finds himself in trouble with the local police department, and he is assigned two officers, Taggart (John Ashton) and Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), to keep him from causing more problems.
Beverly Hills Cop is a crime comedy with entertaining characters, a decent plot, and a catchy synth soundtrack. Axel Foley makes for an interesting, funny protagonist. A troublemaker even before he joined the police, Axel plays fast and loose with the rules for as long as he can get away with it. The trouble is that his gambits only work for so long, often leaving him worse off than he was before.
Axel forms a very effective comedic trio with Taggart and Rosewood, the by-the-book police officers assigned to watch him. Axel is the sharpest of the three, running circles around them so he can continue his investigation. But Taggart and Rosewood are not his enemies, and he takes care not to push them too far. Their lopsided friendship is the most unique part of the movie and drives much of the comedy.
Axel’s tendency to improvise is the film’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness. His ability to think on his feet leads to some of the film’s best scenes, letting Eddie Murphy cut loose as Axel bluffs his way out of trouble. But Axel’s temper leads him to jump the gun and cause needless trouble for himself, making the plot feel like a series of lucky gambles rather than a deliberate investigation.
Beverly Hills Cop is worth a watch if you are a fan of Eddie Murphy or just in the mood for a light, 80s-era crime comedy. While not a home run as either a comedy or a crime film, Beverly Hills Cop delivers solid hits for both, with interesting characters, amusing humor, and a reasonably solid plot. Skip it if you are looking for action or you dislike Eddie Murphy.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for good comedy and competent execution.