I previously reviewed Eddie Murphy's first silver screen debut in 48 HRS (with Nick Nolte) but today I review the movie that made him a superstar in Hollywood which is "Beverly Hills Cop"
The origins of the story dates all the way back to 1977 when Don Simpson who was an executive for Paramount Pictures came up with the movie idea about a cop in East L.A. transferring to Beverly Hills Screenwriter Danilo Bach was hired to write the script,he then pitched the idea to Simpson in 1981 under the name "Beverly Drive" the script was a straight up action film,which the executives hated so he was forced to re-write the script,but after a few attempts the project went stale. Daniel Petrie Jr was brought in to re-write and make changes to Bach's original script and the executives at Paramount were good with it. It was Petrie's humorous approach that transformed the lead character from Elly Axel from East L.A. to Axel Foley from Detroit. The offer to play the role of Axel Foley was first presented to Mickey Rourke,but he son left to do another film,then they went with Sylvester Stallone who was originally considered for the role of Axel Foley he wanted to give the script a dramatic re-write removing all of the story's humor and turning it back into a standard action movie. Well Stallone's new script wasn't what Paramount hoped for and he ultimately dropped out,but retained his idea for a future movie which would be called "Cobra" a future movie review for another time. Anyway Don Simpson and his partner Jerry Bruckheimer made a last ditch effort to get someone who would play the role of Axel Foley and that ended up in the hands of Eddie Murphy. So with Eddie's input the final shooting of the draft was done the day production began. The Budget for the Film was around the $14 million mark with Murphy getting $4 million,but got completed around $13 million and filming went from May through late July or August of 1984 mostly around the Los Angeles area,but in the opening there was scenes filmed in the motor city.
The plot of this story follows a young,reckless detective named Axel Foley (Murphy)and his unauthorized sting operation had gone awry when two uniform cops intervened which lead to the wildest vehicle chases to open a movie and because of the high speed chase and the widespread damage done to the city Foley had gotten verbally blasted by his superior Inspector Todd (Gil Hill) who threatens to fire him if he don't change his ways. Foley then arrives at his apartment when he realized that his longtime friend Mikey Tandino (James Russo) had broken in and made himself a sandwich. The story about their longtime friendship was Axel and Mikey had committed grand theft auto and Mikey took the wrap for him,after he got out he got a job as a security guard in Beverly Hills thanks to a mutual childhood friend in Jenny Summers(Lisa Eilbacher). After getting drunk at a bar two men in business suits first knocked out Axel and confronted Mikey over "Stolen German Bearer Bonds" the plot thickens as one of them kills Mikey before retrieving the Bearer Bonds. When Foley asks Todd to investigate the case he refused because of the close tides and he's still pissed over the unauthorized sting operation from earlier in the day. So Foley decided to "go on vacation" After checking in to a luxurious Beverly Hills Hotel,Foley sought out Jenny and informed her that Mikey had been killed he then soon learns that the man Mikey was working for is an art gallery owner named Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff). After posing as a flower delivery guy he busts into Maitland's office and tries to question him about Mikey,but he has his goons throw Axel out of a window and then he gets arrested for trespassing. At the local police station Axel is questioned by Sergrant John Taggart (John Ashton) and Detective Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and then Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox) informs Foley that he has talked to Inspector Todd who reminds him if Axel is out here investigation Mikey Tandino's murder he will be fired. Soon thereafter Jenny bails Axel out,while Bogomil assigns Taggart and Rosewood to follow him. Later in the film Foley realizes he got off to a rough start with Taggart and Rosewood and wanted to make peace,by taking them to a strip club,where Foley immediately spotted a robbery was about to take place so the three thwarted the robbery,after that the three men developed mutual respect. While on the trail of Mikey's killer,Axel had snuck into one of Maitland's warehouses where he finds crates full of coffee grounds,which he suspects that it's used to pack drugs since he knows it's used to cover the scent of drugs from police dogs. He also discovers many of his crates have not gone through customs. Foley confronted Maitland again after thrashing his associate Zack(Jonathan Banks) on the buffet table at a country club he tells Maitland he is on to him and then Foley is arrested again. At the police station Axel alerts Bogomil of why he is after Maitland,the murder of his friend and the fact that he is a possible smuggler and then Bogomil's superior Chief Hubbard comes in after learning about Axel's ill-advised investigative actions and orders that Axel will be escorted out of town. But then Axel convinces Billy to pick up Jenny and take her to the warehouse where a shipment was due to arrive that day.
When Axel and Jenny break in and prove that Axel's suspicions was right,they are soon busted by Maitland and his men,they kidnap Jenny and Zack admits that he should have killed Axel,the same way he killed Mikey. So with Jenny abducted by Maitland and company,Axel is at the mercy of two of his henchmen until Rosewood made the save in the nick of time. Meanwhile Taggart tracks Axel's whereabouts at Maitland's estate and he ends up joining Axel and Billy in their effort to rescue Jenny. Then a shootout happens,The Trio wiped out most of them. Axel goes inside and kills Zack (Avenging Mikey's murder) but then he got shot in the shoulder by Maitland. However Bogomil shows up as he and Axel shoots and kills Maitland and rescues Jenny in the process. After coming up with a story to Chief Hubbard without discrediting Beverly Hills PD,Axel says something to Bogomil that if he gets fired he may move to Bevrely Hills,but Bogomil promises to straighten things out with his boss Inspector Todd. The final scene was Axel Taggart and Rosewood heading out to get a drink before Foley heads back to Detroit.
The film was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer,directed by Martin Brest and was released on December 5,1984 and made over $300 million in the box office becoming the highest grossing film of 1984 and it was the third all time highest grossing R rated film behind "The Exorcist" and "The Godfather"
My overall rating for this movie is a 10/10 it was and still is my #1 pick for best movie of 1984.
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