Eddie Murphy was already known to be a notable stand-up comedian and his first few co-starring roles were huge hits such as "48" and "Trading Places". When it came time to take on a starring role though, no one will realize how huge of a blockbuster it would have become, earning it the spot of the highest-grossing film of that year and turning Murphy into a superstar overnight. Axel Foley is a young and talented detective in the Detroit Police Department, but is known to be a loose cannon and a reckless officer. When an old childhood friend comes over to pay him a visit, he is assassinated with the police force demanding that Foley stays off the case. Foley seems to agree by taking vacation time to leave the city, but it's really a way for Foley to actually investigate for himself as his friend told him that he spent time there before heading over to Detroit. As Foley continues to be a reckless officer, the Beverly Hills Police Department order a duo of their officers to keep an eye on Foley to ensure that he's not getting into unauthorized detective work. While the story has a good hook to keep you somewhat invested in Foley's case, it is perhaps the film's weakest area in regards to set-up. Foley's friend shows up for a scene or two talking about how close they are before getting killed off as soon as possible. Foley also has another friend in Beverly Hills who proves to be helpful in her own ways and the villain is so obvious evil that he doesn't even try to pretend he had anything to do with the murder. While one may think that this will be forgiven considering that the film is a comedy, that's not exactly the case. Yes, the film does have its comedic highlights as Foley is a street-smart and talkative personality that works off with the cast, the story still takes itself seriously to some degree and Foley isn't as extreme of a Murphy performance as you think. The film feels very much like the blueprint for "Bad Boys" given the grounded, serious story and the charismatic and funny leads.
Murphy as Axel Foley is one of the star's most unique roles in his career. When you think of Murphy, you think of this over-the-top comedian that just shouts and makes up a ton of nonsense that will irritate others around him, similarly to Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler. Axel Foley is strangely Murphy's more grounded performances in regards to his personality. Yes, Foley does act like a fool and shout a lot every now and then, but Murphy plays the character like a unique character who uses his eccentric behaviour as a strategic advantage. Foley only jokes around to throw off others or to show that he is in control, but it's all to act as a mind-game to others because he's far more observant then he leads on, which allows some great moments in the film and make Foley one of Murphy's most iconic characters he portrays. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton as Detective Rosewood and Sergeant Taggart work so well off each other as the inexperienced youthful cop and the serious, no-nonsense supervisor that the two of them alone could have made an entertaining film in their own regard. But with Foley thrown in, it cranks them up to be likeable pawns to his schemes and a trio of personalities. Lisa Eilbacher as Jenny, Foley's longtime friend who resides in Beverly Hills, is a bit underdeveloped in regards to how the two know each other, but Eilbacher is able to play off on Murphy's personality and make for a nice friendship that doesn't escalate to romance. Steven Berkoff as Victor Maitland is the obvious German villain that plays it straight even when Foley manages to invade his life, showing that he seems always in control of the situation. Maitland is a very generic antagonist for the genre for sure and one who lacks both menace and personality, but Berkoff is doing his best in playing such as a serious villain in a lively and energetic comedy. Lastly, there's James Russo as Mikey, Foley's friend who is killed by Maitland after he steals some bearer bonds off from him. While his inclusion is very much forced and cut short to establish how best buds he is with Foley, Russo does a great job for how limited his screentime is. There are other characters I'm leaving out, such as the lieutenant and chief of the Beverly Hills Police Department, but all I will say is that everyone acts well for their given roles, even if the writing on some of them is very much hampered by the direction of the narrative. Still, Murphy just steals the show for his portrayal of Foley and how he can be both a comedic stand-up and a convincing action star.
Martin Brest is a director that is not really known for having a unique flair, style or genre. He very much acts as a jack-of-all-trades so that the direction doesn't really overcome the film's script or actors, even if they aren't good themselves. This film is no different as not only Brest continues his lack of directorial style, but the budget itself is quite low to warrant ambition in the filmmaking department. Despite all of this, Brest does a good job in trying to give the film a sense of feel or character. Detroit is portrayed to be an ugly and industrial ghetto, while Beverly Hills is shown to be a sunny, lavish paradise with not many skyscrapers taking over the scenery. The film's low budget makes it feel like a indie production from the 70's, almost acting as an homage to films like "Shaft" and "Saturday Night Fever" in its bare-bones directing and aesthetic. The cinematography by Bruce Surtees is pretty standard given the lack of directorial style and budget, but it's not bad by any means. There's some good reaction shots, panning and staging that, while not spectacular, works well for the film it inhabits. Harold Faltermeyer knocks it out of the park in the musical score by gracing the film with the iconic Axel Foley theme, an 80's synth-pop beat that not only transcended to pop culture, but is recognizable as one of the most famous pieces from that decade. While the theme itself is overused and placed in scenes that don't really warrant the music, the piece is still legendary on its own merit that it's not a drawback whatsoever. It also helps that the film carries a decent soundtrack to boot with "Neutron Dance" and "New Attitude" that injects personality to the film as a whole. The action sequences are a mixed bag. The opening truck chase in Detroit is pretty good in its stunts and scale and the final shoot-out in Maitland's mansion is a great way to end off the film, but the hand-to-hand combat is so obviously poor and the violence itself is pretty tame given the R-rating. Yes, there is blood and bullet wounds, but it's clear that Brest was trying to avoid gore as the execution of Mikey literally contains no blood despite the implied brutality that is displayed. Regardless, Brest does a fine job as a director, even if it means that other elements of the film outshine his offerings.
"Beverly Hills Cop" is not one of the best action-comedies of all time. The story is pretty loosely-written, the comedy is a mixed-bag with some hits and misses, Jenny, Mikey, and Maitland are hampered by the writing in regards to the roles they fit, and the fake punches and lack of gore hampers the action. Still, it's not hard to see why this film is seen as a classic by many. The tone and balance of humour and seriousness is well handled, Murphy's performance and characterization of Axel Foley is one of his best roles in regards to how diverse it is, Rosewood and Taggart are great targets for Foley's schemes and have great chemistry, the cast as a whole do great jobs regardless of their roles, Surtees's camerawork is decent, Faltermeyer's score is iconic with "Axel F" along with a memorable soundtrack attached to a famous beat, the action sequences are solid in scope and stunts, and Brest's directing carries a low-budget appeal that works regardless if it's intentional or not. While it's by no means amongst Murphy's best work, it holds an important role in being the surprise blockbuster of the time that turned Murphy into the superstar he is known as today.
Verdict: 7/10. Good, but not amazing. Still a fun watch and carries an iconic performance and beat.
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