Beverly Hills Cop

An exceptional entry in the ’80s comedy/action genre, Beverly Hills Cop follows streetwise Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) as he travels to Beverly Hills to solve a murder and must contend with the comparatively straight-laced California police force. It’s clear right from the get-go that Beverly Hills Cop‘s greatest asset is Murphy himself, as the actor delivers a completely electrifying performance that remains an undeniable highlight from start to finish – with Murphy’s kinetic, frequently hilarious work elevating even the most minor of sequences. (It’s clear, too, that the movie benefits substantially from the efforts of a top-notch roster of periphery players, with, especially, John Ashton and Judge Reinhold perfectly cast as cops assigned to watch Foley’s every move.) And although the investigation itself does come off as fairly by the numbers and far from surprising, Beverly Hills Cop boasts a plethora of stand-out sequences (eg Foley and the aforementioned cops foil a strip-club robbery) that effectively smooth over any less-than-engrossing stretches. The picture builds to an action-packed climax that’s as violent as it is exciting, which ultimately cements Beverly Hills Cop‘s place as a top-tier endeavor and one of Murphy’s very best cinematic efforts.

***1/2 out of ****