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Beverly Hills Cop


BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984)
Director: Martin Brest



Before the buddy cop movie went into full swing with "Midnight Run" and "Lethal Weapon" we had "Beverly Hills Cop", preceded only by Walter Hill's "48 Hrs" 2 years prior.

Where Hill's "48 Hrs" was more raw and violent with a dark tone, "Beverly Hills Cop" is refreshing with a more heartwarming one. The first 15 minutes are pretty hard edged but the film soon takes us into more comic territory while still maintaining that slimy underbelly of a common mid-80's crime thriller.

I feel like this is the strength of the movie. The fact that it never fully becomes slapstick or too unrealistic. It's true that Eddie Murphy carries a good 80% of the film with his manic, yet effortless tirades of quick witted dialog and physical face work. However it'd be tough to say that the presence of every other cast member doesn't add a healthy 20% or more of worth into this jam packed ensemble.

John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, James Russo, Ronny Cox, Bronson Pinchot, Jonathan Banks, Stephen Berkoff, even Lisa Eilbacher, Damon Wayans and the other bit parts have something to do or say which is rare in any film.

Enter Martin Brest - the man responsible for giving all of these people something to do or say, right down to a brief scene of two warehouse workers bickering over some guy at a bar giving them the "stink eye". A super director with an eye for comedy, action and human story, he managed to assemble a cast and crew that was then able to transcend a genre upstart that not only surpassed previous action entries but also forged a new kind of movie that has not been reached with charisma since. The winning formula of "Beverly Hills Cop" is the interaction of its stars.

There's never a wasted page in this seemingly generic rehash script by Danillo Bach. Production took an outline and injected some real fire into it. From top to bottom the result works on different levels. It works as a small action picture, a fast paced comedy, a police drama and all together adds up to a well deserved blockbuster status that paved the way for many other films that tried to mimic the same success, and may have brought in more dollars, but never nailed the chemistry of this pitcure.

Since 1984, we've been treated to "Midnight Run" (another great Martin Brest picture), Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, etc..all films that took cues from the original buddy bonanza of "48 Hrs" but none that gave the goods on so many various levels that "Beverly Hills Cop" did with a breezy stroke.

Eddie Murphy's talents were firing all on pistons. Even when he rambles on and on, if you look at his face, he's barely trying, yet you do not get the impression he is not invested into his performance.