Beverly Hills Cop

Beverly Hills Cop (1986)
Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, Bronson Pinchot
Memorable Line(s): "This is the cleanest and nicest police car I've ever been in my life. This thing is nicer than my apartment."

In Beverly Hills Cop Eddie Murphy puts all his talent and charisma to work to make a by-the-numbers plot better, but just a little better.

Axel Foley (Murphy), a street-wise, inner city cop from Detroit, insinuates himself into Beverly Hills to solve the murder of one of his best friends. His street methods clash drastically with the staid native Beverly Hills cops and they try to send him packing, but he is able to teach them a few things about how to solve crime and wins them over. Axel ends up buddying up with two Beverly Hills detectives (Reinhold and Ashton) and they start down a trial to solve Axel's friend's murder.

It's been done before, but Murphy's charisma, at least at this point in his career, was able to make the film work and made it a big summer hit. There's not a lot new here. Murphy plays up his "blackness" amidst the sea of white folks, he show his street toughness with the criminals and makes buddy-buddy with his new friends teaching what street policing is all about.

Still, this was at the height of Murphy's super-stardom and it works for the most part. The direction is just above pedestrian and the actors all acquit themselves in likable roles. The movie did spawn a neat little musical hit called "Axel F" which played on the air waves about 6 months too long.

There are worst ways to spend a couple hours than watching Beverly Hills Cop, but you could find a better way to spend your time. Like picking a better movie.