Beverly Hills Cop is your quintessential 80's comedy, not to mention the perfect vehicle for an up and coming Eddie Murphy. Just take a second to picture Sylvester Stallone as Axel Foley, or should I say 'Axel Cobretti'? Just imagine how different the movie would have been if that scenario had played out, or you could go and watch Cobra. Murphy is perfect as Axel, a highly skilled police officer who regularly flies by the seat of his pants. His abilities as a police officer are only outmatched by his talents as a bullshit merchant - which he regularly uses to get both in and out of many situations. Making the cigarette bust/truck chase both a brilliant opener and an eye-opening introduction to Detective Axel Foley. Unsurprisingly his antics are very funny to watch - I'm sure many of us wish we had the skill and courage to get away with even a fraction of the things Foley does - but the incredible supporting cast do a lot to make Beverly Hills Cop the hysterical, laugh-out-loud comedy it is. Everyone from the straight-laced cops of Beverly Hills, to Axel's very angry boss, and a very loud Bronson Pinchot as the loveable Serge.
As much as it is a hysterical comedy, and it is, there's also a fun and interesting story here too. Although it's possibly not a great advert for Detroit, which contrasts considerably with Beverly Hills. Watching Axel investigate his friend's murder is actually quite compelling. It helps that the movie is able in a few short minutes to establish the relationship between Axel and Mikey (James Russo), so you actually care when Mikey is killed, even if he did do something stupid. Of course, this being a classic 80's movie, it needs a good, old fashioned British villain, and Steven Berkoff delivers in spades as Victor Maitland. The man is very unlikeable, I mean, he wears a dressing gown to work and has Axel thrown through a window - a hilariously random moment, by the way. And lets not forget Jonathan Banks as Maitland's well-dressed, psychopathic number two.
Beverly Hills Cop may not be primarily an action movie, and director Martin Brest was at this point new to action, but that didn't stop him from adding a few exciting action moments, including the aforementioned truck chase, a visit to a local strip club - "I told you that's Phil!" - and the final shootout at Maitland's fancy home. All of which is set to that classic 80's soundtrack, including Harold Faltermeyer's funky 'Axel F'. But even in those moments there's still comedy to be found. And it's refreshing to see that it's not just Murphy getting all the laughs, with Billy (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) proving to be a hilarious comedy duo. The fact that they were given the chance to develop their characters and the relationship they share, makes all the difference. Turning what could have been rather flat, secondary characters into a fun and integral part of the movie - undoubtedly a major reason for the movie's success. The same could be said of Paul Reiser's 'Jeffrey'. In any other movie he would be insignificant, or at least forgettable. But here Reiser is given the chance to put his own little stamp on the movie. It's just a shame that, with Billy and Taggart anyway, they are frequently dumbed down to make Axel look smart.
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With Beverly Hills Cop II, Tony Scott takes over directing duties, delivering a faster paced, higher octane adventure for Axel, Billy and Taggart. The Top Gun director was brought in to make more of an action movie, something he did very well, both with this movie and others. That faster pace adds a real palpability to the time constraints our heroes face. Much like the characters themselves, you can feel the pressure mounting as they race to solve the Alphabet crimes before it costs them everything. Thankfully however, the comedy doesn't suffer due to the increased action, if anything the two seem to compliment each other very well. There's plenty more laughs to be had thanks to the bullshit merchant and his two friends. The only difference is that this time Axel and the odd couple are more of a trio as they go after the people who tried to kill their friend, Bogomil (Ronnie Cox).
Beverly Hills Cop II definitely adheres to Hollywood's golden rule of sequels; 'Bigger is Better'. As evidenced by Axel's latest undercover job, and there's certainly no crappy, blue Chevy Nova to be found! On the bright side, it doesn't simply feel like a rehash of the first movie. The many Sylvester Stallone references, for instance, are an amusing little nod to what might have been - I wonder if this had anything to do with the casting of his then wife as one of the villains. Of course, there's definitely some sequel-itis going on here and there - repeated gags etc - but generally it's a fun continuation of what was started with the first movie. Although I do love the callback to the cigarette bust - "Yes, pork! It's definitely pork." As well as the ongoing odd couple relationship between Billy and Taggart. And lets not forget that Inspector Todd and Jeffrey are back for some hysterical cross-country antics.
Where this movie's weakness lies - beyond the dodgy editing and obvious recycling of footage in the third act - is in the villain. While Brigitte Nielsen gets to have some fun as the dog off the leash that is Karla Fry, Jürgen Prochnow isn't given all that much to do as the big bad. The same could be said of Dean Stockwell. Prochnow is simply a horrible prick in every scene he's in, and from the off Stockwell is clearly playing the patsy. In fact, all of the interesting stuff about the big bad, Maxwell Dent, is found out by our trio of cops, giving Prochnow zero chance of doing anything with it. But despite its weaknesses, in many ways Beverly Hills Cop II is my favourite of the bunch. I love the first movie, but there's just something about this punchier sequel and the fact that our heroes are a team from the beginning, all of whom have stakes in this fight.
Which brings us to a movie that differs greatly from anything that came before it - Beverly Hills Cop III. To say it barely resembles its predecessors - something that becomes apparent very quickly - would be an understatement! For instance, the comedy is totally different. Whereas before it was about watching Axel break into high society and mess with rich people, getting away with all kinds of antics thanks to his abilities as a bullshit merchant, here it just looks like a bad form of slapstick. Over the top, ridiculous, nonsense. At least the first two movies resemble something close to reality, but this seems to exist closer to the world found in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Only there, or maybe in an episode of Family Guy would you find the Annihilator 2000. That ridiculous firearm is a perfect example of what's wrong with Beverly Hills Cop III! That and the bulletproof bench Axel had to hide behind while trying to make it work. Even the soundtrack sucks! Although, we may have to blame the 90's for that. And don't forget to watch out for the Cyclon knockoff in the Alien Attack ride. The one that walks like he shit in his shiny pants - imagery that seems oddly relevant, somehow.
The theme park setting is an odd choice too. Something else that sets Beverly Hills Cop III apart from its predecessors, even if the location does make sense for a counterfeiting operation. But why would a bunch of counterfeiters go to buy mint paper with guns wrapped in something that identifies the location of their operation? Sounds like sheer convenience to me! But I guess the answer would have to be; 'How else are you going to get the hero to visit Wonder World?' He's definitely not showing up for that awful 'Wonder World' song! Maybe it's so he can get into a foot chase in which he hides on one of the rides, only to deliberately give away his location to the discount Kevin Costner henchman, so he can save some kids when the henchman inexplicably causes a mind-blowingly ridiculous malfunction. Or could it be so he can discharge his firearm in a crowded place to save himself from being shot? Yeah, this movie is really fucking stupid! Moreover, it's not only stupid, it's something Axel Foley would never do, and anyone who knows the character would know that.
While John Ashton and Ronnie Cox are definitely missed, I'm kind of glad they didn't return. The same goes for Paul Reiser. I will say that despite not being a replacement for Taggart, Hector Elizondo's 'Jon Flint' is at least likeable, and he does get the best line in the movie; yelling "Turn that fucking song off!" during the final shootout - a sentiment many will share. While Timothy Carhart's 'Ellis De Wald' makes for a delightfully slimy villain. On the other hand, Judge Reinhold, one of the few returning players, gets to see his character reduced to an almost bit part, and to make matters worse Billy is now essentially a clown. Bronson Pinchot is quite funny as a much more hyped up Serge, even if he is selling that ridiculous Annihilator 2000. And Gilbert R. Hill doesn't even get to really shout at Axel before they kill him off. Even Murphy is way off his usual mark for playing Axel Foley. I understand he was depressed about a string of poorly received movies, as well as his desire to be taken seriously as a straight-up action star, but Beverly Hills Cop is not the movie to make that point. Especially not this Beverly Hills Cop movie!
Maybe that quintessential 80's comedy just doesn't translate into other decades. Or maybe a film studio tried to squeeze a little more success out of a franchise that, at the time anyway, had run its course. I guess we'll find out on 3rd July.
All in all, not a bad trilogy. The first two movies are fantastic. Hilarious and action-packed. While the third is a strange phenomenon. One that bares little resemblance to its predecessors, and even as a standalone movie, it sucks - which probably explains that gag in the trailer for Axel F. What can I say? Two out of three ain't bad! However, can they make it three out of four? I for one, really hope they can.
Don't forget to check out my Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F | Average Guy Movie Review.
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