Beverly Hills Cop
1984
Eddie Murphy rose to stardom as Axel Foley, a streetwise and brash young Detroit cop in this comic blockbuster that combined frenetic action, hysterical rough-edged comedy, and a chart-topping rock & roll soundtrack. When his best friend is murdered, Axel heads off to Beverly Hills in an effort to track down the killer. The .. Read more
| Starring | Eddie Murphy, James Russo, Lisa Eichhorn, Steven Berkoff |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Brest |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Comedy |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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This was the blockbuster that propelled Eddie Murphy to superstardom at a time when his brash, confident swagger still appeared fresh and he hadn't descended into caricature. In the first and best of the trilogy, he stars as the Detroit street cop who causes a major upset in posh Beverly Hills when he turns up to investigate the murder of an old friend. Director Martin Brest orchestrates the senseless set pieces with slick precision and British actor Steven Berkoff takes the money and runs as the villain of the piece.
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Filled with foul language and frenetic action, this rough-edged action comedy became one of the top box-office grossers of its year. So much for its year.
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"...Murphy doing what he does best: playing the shrewdest, hippest, fastest-talking underdog in a rich man's world....He wins at every turn."
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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11 out of 13 people found this review helpful
Banana in my tailpipe
Brilliant. The reason why Eddie Murphy can spend 10 years in the cinematic equivalent of a coma and still be considered a box office draw.
Beverly Hills Cop follows a pretty bog standard (in fact, below standard) buddy cop plot, and as the villain Steven Berkoff is utterly forgettable. The joy of this film is not the policier/action element, however (although an opening sequence which is classic Simpson/Bruckheimer might initially indicate otherwise). This film is what it is for the comedy. The classic pairing of John Ashton and Judge Reinhold as the beleaguered husband/dappy housewife cop partners and the sublime cameo by Bronson Pinchot give Murphy the platform he needs to cut loose. Had this been a Stallone film (as the extras reveal it almost was) no-one would remember it (Stallone used the elements originally written for him in the film Cobra - anyone remember that one? Exactly).
This is Eddie Murphy's moment in the limelight, and everything makes sense once you've seen it. -
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Well, I'm sorry, but...
...I disagree with the guy above. 'So 80's'...? as opposed to being 'so 60's' or 'so 2003'? What did he expect?
If you can't watch a film in context then you might as well write off everything prior to 1990, as chances are it's been re-made or plagiarised countless times since. By the same virtue do you hate the Beatles? I'm sure you've heard all their stuff before in one guise or another...
The reason you've seen this movie before is BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE COPIED IT! Why? Because it's fantastic! It came along 3 years before Lethal Weapon and 4 years before Die Hard, for Pete's sake. If that's not demonstrative of its originality then I don't know what is.
If you're after fresh films from Hollywood, in this day and age I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. There is a reason people still herald films 15, 20, 30, even 60 years old as classics. Because they inspire countless references, ripoffs and reverence. Because they are great.
Beverly Hills Cop is one of them. -
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
A classic!
Five reasons to watch this film:
1) To my mind, Eddie Murphy's finest hour (bar Trading Places, Natch).
2) The "sound of the future" - Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer. Sh*ts on a cowbell.
3) The man with the bananas.
4) The wrecking of the buffet at the Harrow Club (“Is this the man…?”)
5) A fantastic opening scene - you see what they did there?
Prejudice-shattering genius. -
Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
good
i have seen this before but it was still good
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Well, I'm sorry, but...
...I disagree with the guy above. 'So 80's'...? as opposed to being 'so 60's' or 'so 2003'? What did he expect?
If you can't watch a film in context then you might as well write off everything prior to 1990, as chances are it's been re-made or plagiarised countless times since. By the same virtue do you hate the Beatles? I'm sure you've heard all their stuff before in one guise or another...
The reason you've seen this movie before is BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE COPIED IT! Why? Because it's fantastic! It came along 3 years before Lethal Weapon and 4 years before Die Hard, for Pete's sake. If that's not demonstrative of its originality then I don't know what is.
If you're after fresh films from Hollywood, in this day and age I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. There is a reason people still herald films 15, 20, 30, even 60 years old as classics. Because they inspire countless references, ripoffs and reverence. Because they are great.
Beverly Hills Cop is one of them.
-
11 out of 13 people found this review helpful
Banana in my tailpipe
Brilliant. The reason why Eddie Murphy can spend 10 years in the cinematic equivalent of a coma and still be considered a box office draw.
Beverly Hills Cop follows a pretty bog standard (in fact, below standard) buddy cop plot, and as the villain Steven Berkoff is utterly forgettable. The joy of this film is not the policier/action element, however (although an opening sequence which is classic Simpson/Bruckheimer might initially indicate otherwise). This film is what it is for the comedy. The classic pairing of John Ashton and Judge Reinhold as the beleaguered husband/dappy housewife cop partners and the sublime cameo by Bronson Pinchot give Murphy the platform he needs to cut loose. Had this been a Stallone film (as the extras reveal it almost was) no-one would remember it (Stallone used the elements originally written for him in the film Cobra - anyone remember that one? Exactly).
This is Eddie Murphy's moment in the limelight, and everything makes sense once you've seen it. -
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Well, I'm sorry, but...
...I disagree with the guy above. 'So 80's'...? as opposed to being 'so 60's' or 'so 2003'? What did he expect?
If you can't watch a film in context then you might as well write off everything prior to 1990, as chances are it's been re-made or plagiarised countless times since. By the same virtue do you hate the Beatles? I'm sure you've heard all their stuff before in one guise or another...
The reason you've seen this movie before is BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE COPIED IT! Why? Because it's fantastic! It came along 3 years before Lethal Weapon and 4 years before Die Hard, for Pete's sake. If that's not demonstrative of its originality then I don't know what is.
If you're after fresh films from Hollywood, in this day and age I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. There is a reason people still herald films 15, 20, 30, even 60 years old as classics. Because they inspire countless references, ripoffs and reverence. Because they are great.
Beverly Hills Cop is one of them. -
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
A classic!
Five reasons to watch this film:
1) To my mind, Eddie Murphy's finest hour (bar Trading Places, Natch).
2) The "sound of the future" - Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer. Sh*ts on a cowbell.
3) The man with the bananas.
4) The wrecking of the buffet at the Harrow Club (“Is this the man…?”)
5) A fantastic opening scene - you see what they did there?
Prejudice-shattering genius. -
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Classic Murphy
From before the terror induced by movies such as The Haunted Mansion and Bowfinger, Eddie Murphy was FUNNY and believable in his roles. This was one of his first, and one of his finest. I also heartily recommend the sequel, BHC 2 - but avoid 3 at ALL costs - it WILL only depress you if you watch it - I wish I'd never seen it. Classic Murphy and a must-see for anyone who enjoyed the 'Edited for television' version we have all seen over and over...
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
good
i have seen this before but it was still good
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
BH cop 1
An okay movie - not nearly as enjoyable as I remembered it! Would only watch it on TV if I was bored! 2 stars from me!
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Film too hire
Watch this film many times on television and loved watching it everytime. A film to hire with also the 1st and 2nd one too.
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great
this is a classis film from my childhood.well woth wating again and again.
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2 out of 4 people found this review helpful
If simply hearing the f word amuses you then it's a laugh a minute.
Excessive and totally unnecessary use of the f word in almost every sentence for the first part of the film spoils what would otherwise be quite a funny film.
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Classic Eddie Murphy
What a film. Seen it many times in the past but rented it again recently and had forgotten just how fantastic this film is!
The film is a bit dated now but this is Eddie Murphy at his best in this. Would very highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun night in.
Critics' reviews (4)
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This was the blockbuster that propelled Eddie Murphy to superstardom at a time when his brash, confident swagger still appeared fresh and he hadn't descended into caricature. In the first and best of the trilogy, he stars as the Detroit street cop who causes a major upset in posh Beverly Hills when he turns up to investigate the murder of an old friend. Director Martin Brest orchestrates the senseless set pieces with slick precision and British actor Steven Berkoff takes the money and runs as the villain of the piece.
-
Filled with foul language and frenetic action, this rough-edged action comedy became one of the top box-office grossers of its year. So much for its year.
-
"...Murphy doing what he does best: playing the shrewdest, hippest, fastest-talking underdog in a rich man's world....He wins at every turn."
-
Constructed purely to allow Murphy full rein, the movie leads with its strongest card: Murphy as a cop, black, dirty,... read more on Time Out
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Eddie Murphy rose to stardom as Axel Foley, a streetwise and brash young Detroit cop in this comic blockbuster that combined frenetic action, hysterical rough-edged comedy, and a chart-topping rock & ... -
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