'Beverly Hills Cop' (1984) Review: Eddie Murphy Is In Top Comedic Form in Martin Brest's '80s Comedy Classic
The 1984 action-comedy propelled Eddie Murphy to international superstardom, gave us a catchy theme tune, and introduced us to the sun-soaked setting of Beverly Hills.
“I’ve never been in a cell that had a phone in it. Can I stay for a while, ‘cause I ordered some pizza.” - Axel Foley
1984 was a pretty iconic year for the movies, from horror and sci-fi classics to a John Hughes high school flick. In a legendary decade for cinema, there were so many notable and widely celebrated films that were released throughout 1984 alone. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, and The Karate Kid. Those are just some of the movies from that year that I’ve seen countless times and have loved and, except for The Karate Kid, were ones I grew up watching. Yet, among the class of ‘84, there was one movie that had been on my watchlist for a considerable amount of time and left a pretty sizable hole in my knowledge of all things movies and that was Beverly Hills Cop. That is, until now.
Directed by Martin Brest, who would later go on to make films like Midnight Run after Beverly Hills Cop gave him his first big directing success, the action-comedy chronicles the life of Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) as he travels to Beverly Hills after the shocking death of his friend. There, he meets Taggart (John Ashton) and Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) - two moronic, by-the-books police detectives - while investigating his friend’s murder and exploring the lavish, glamorous lifestyle of West Los Angeles.
All l I knew of Beverly Hills Cop, heading into my first watch of the film, was that it had an incredibly catchy theme tune and that it was the movie that launched Murphy into superstardom. Other than that, I had no idea what it was about nor who made up the supporting cast. Nevertheless, with the same approach I have every time I watch a movie for the first time, I went in with an open mind and no preconceived judgment on what was in store.
As expected, for me, one of the highlights of this movie is Eddie Murphy’s electric performance as Axel Foley (a cocky and cheeky Detroit cop). While the actor had already established himself with 48 Hrs. (a buddy action-comedy film) in 1982 and Trading Places a year later, two commercially successful box-office hits, it wasn’t until 1984 that he launched himself to international audiences and gained the status of superstardom. Here, with Beverly Hills Cop, I thought Murphy was so great in this role delivering his signature fast-talking passages of dialogue and cheeky sense of humor. He’s having fun and is really given the license to do what he likes with this character. His smile is infectious, his Seth Rogen-like laugh is incredibly contagious as well, and it's just such a thoroughly entertaining performance to watch.
In true ‘80s movie fashion, Beverly Hills Cop also comes equipped with some great music. It’s filled with synth-pop and electronic-rock, which were popular genres of music throughout the decade; and, for me, it helped elevate the film keeping the story light and engaging. Among all those excellent tracks that are played throughout the movie, though, it’s “Axel F” by Harold Faltermeyer that is easily a true stand-out in the soundtrack. Admittedly, however, I was familiar with the Crazy Frog version of Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic theme before I watched Beverly Hills Cop. It was annoyingly catchy, I still have vivid flashbacks of watching the video and (if anything) it just goes to show how old I am. Here, played countless times during the movie, the “Axel F” theme fits wonderfully well as Axel gets up to mischief and pulls some pretty funny pranks on the characters he is surrounded with. It’s upbeat, fun, and instantly memorable.
Besides “Axel F”, there were other notable pieces in the soundtrack. “The Heat is On” by Glenn Frey (which was co-written by Harold Faltermeyer) opens things up as it plays over the opening credits with its own pop-rock beat, while “Neutron Dance” by The Pointer Sisters quickly follows in danceable style as Axel is chased by the cops early on in the film. Generally, Beverly Hills Cop follows in the footsteps of so many other ‘80s movies by having a great soundtrack filled with several catchy, synth-infused tracks.
Judge Reinhold, fresh off of starring in Amy Heckerling's Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982, is also in fine form as Billy Rosewood. The experience of the character, or lack thereof, makes for some goofy bits of comedy - especially during the part in the film when Axel sends Rosewood and Taggart some complementary seafood cuisine. One of the things I wish the movie did more of, though, was to explore the chemistry between Murphy and Reinhold, those characters shared such an enjoyable dynamic as Axel forces Rosewood to take him to a warehouse that would crack open the big case. I think it would’ve made for a thoroughly enjoyable buddy-cop movie, much like what 48 Hrs. did just a couple of years previously.
Elsewhere, Lisa Eilbacher - who plays Jenny Summers (Axel’s long-time friend who works in an art gallery) - is very good in the role she’s been given. While her character does end up being a damsel in distress in the sense that she is taken hostage by the film’s antagonist, Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff), I thought her and Murphy’s chemistry was one of the highlights early on in the film. They naturally clicked into gear, shared some fairly amusing lines of dialogue, and were delightful to see on-screen together. Like with Reinhold’s Rosewood, I wish the movie was more focused on the ‘buddy’ element between those two characters or even the oddball yet likable trio of Axel, Jenny, and Billy that was slightly teased in the third act.
All in all, however, Beverly Hills Cop truly does live up to its status as one of the great ‘80s comedy classics. Despite a weak villain, though, it’s fast and funny (largely down to Eddie Murphy’s star-turning performance) with an injection of some under-rated charming supporting performances and a funny culture clash sub-plot. Beverly Hills Cop is one of those star-powered vehicles that are rare in Hollywood these days and serves as an entertaining and exciting time capsule of how enjoyable a 1980s comedy can be. It’s a solid recommendation but, beware, because the theme tune will be stuck in your head for a while!