On B List of Movie Reviews

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Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 9/03, 4/05, 7/20

4/05: I immediately bursted out laughing after Axel Foley said, "Can you put this in a good spot? 'Cause all of this shit happened the last time I parked here."

Beverly Hills Cop is great fun because of Eddie Murphy. Although it's marred by slow start, the pace is eventually picked up to get the action going as soon as Axel Foley arrives in Beverly Hills from Detroit.

There's a funny scene of Axel trying to teach another black cop how to talk jive. Not impressed, he tells him he's been hanging out too long with his white partner. I also can't forget when Axel got thrown out of the store through the glass window and was therefore busted for disturbing the peace. The two dudes in Michael Jackson jackets, Axel pretending to be Ramon at the Harrow Club, the banana incident, the stripper club scene, and the super-cop theory are among highlights as well.

Gil Hill, a decorated Detroit police officer who's a newbie to the acting game, gives a memorable performance as Inspector Todd. I like everybody else including Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot.

All in all, Beverly Hills Cop is comedy gold.

7/20: Originally a Stallone vehicle, it's hard to imagine Bevery Hills Cop without Eddie Murphy.

It's been thirty-six years, but the film feels a lot more dated than I'll like to admit. The comedy isn't there that much, but it's a unique policier with winning lines which resulted in an Oscar nomination for Best Writing. Obviously, Eddie Murphy carries the show. Let's be real: a lot of the stuff that his character pulled off is illegal. In the meantime, the rest of the cast, especially Judge Reinhold and John Ashton, is superb.

All in all, Eddie Murphy is phenomenal in Beverly Hills Cop.

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