Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Directed by Martin Brest
***
It's hard to believe that this film became one of the highest-grossing of all time. But it's also easy to forget that comedies starring cops weren't really a genre yet in 1984. Eddie Murphy stand-ups his way through his role as rookie Detroit cop Axel Foley. Foley's pal is shot by out-of-town assassins and Foley is forced on vacation to keep him from working on the case: he's that much of a trouble-maker. Of course, Foley picks Beverly Hills for his vacation, the city where his friend last lived. Between visits to the local police station for his own crimes and misdemeanors, Foley manages to win over the straight-laced local cops, and dances his way toward a showdown with the criminal mastermind himself. It's funny, sure, and interesting, but don't go in expecting top quality anything. This is the 80s, after all.
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