The Heat Is On (Beverly Hills Cop (DVD))

Member Name: utero

Product:	Beverly Hills Cop (DVD)
Date:	30/07/03 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Murphy, Funny, Good Action

Disadvantages: Naff 80's soundtrack

Once upon a time there was a loud mouth fast talking comedian known as Eddie Murphy. In recent years he's been replaced by a comedian hell bent on churning out money spinning family comedies with none of the real spark shown in his earlier years. We will always associate De Niro with Raging Bull, Pacino with Scarface. It's the same with Murphy as Axel Foley. Beverly Hills Cop isn't necessarily the greatest film on this earth but it's a template for the genre and one that other people have tried to replicate since.

Axel Foley is a street-smart cop in Detroit. We join him in the middle of an undercover operation that goes wrong and ends up with a truck going on a one way wrecking spree through the city streets. Needless to say Foley isn't incredibly popular with his police captain. Foley's friend comes to visit him that night but it ends with his brutal murder outside Axel's apartment. Axel traces the suspects back to Los Angeles and in particular Beverly Hills. With that in mind he takes a vacation to the rich Hollywood hills to find out the culprits. This leads to a clash of cultures as Axel upsets his suspects, upsets the local police and also gets him tailed by two officers who didn't expect bananas up their car exhaust pipe.

This movie is a fun ride that doesn't make itself viewer friendly. What I mean by this is that was made in the eighties and violence in cinema was rife. Nowadays you would imagine some of this films content would be toned down to get the widest possible audience. There's some real bloodshed going on here but you forget the tone because Murphy is excellent in the film. Personally I feel that there's no one better than Murphy when it comes to being let loose. This isn't a film where the jokes are in your face but there are moments when Murphy just lets it got and the laughs happen instantly. There are several moments in the film where Foley manages to get results just by shootin
g his mouth off.

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Bonded Warehouse Clerk #1: Have you got some kind of warrant for this?

Axel Foley: You know, you have a very big mouth, sir! Are you hiding something from me? Is that it? I bet you that is your Porsche that's parked front, isn't it? How would you like me to have the IRS come down here and crawl up your ass with a fucking microscope? They'll do it! I've seen them do it! It's not a pretty sight! I want you to know something, pal! I want ALL of y'all to know something! I can have twenty five agents down here in fifteen minutes to march in here, snatch your bonds out from underneath you and you'd be out of business, PERMANENTLY, if I don't start getting some cooperation! Is that understood?

Bonded Warehouse Night Supervisor: Don't get upset, Inspector! We'll give you anything you need! Right, guys?

Bonded Warehouse Security Guard: Anything you need!

Bonded Warehouse Clerk #1: No sir, that's not my Porsche! I don't know who it belongs to!


The brash nature of Foley is perfectly offset by the dry wit of detectives Rosewood and Taggart. They are the odd couple of the film and have some good moments as Rosewood offers observations on Taggart and his life, his diet, his appearance! The movie also has a decent camp villain in the form of Steven Berkoff, he's the classic eighties villain with the legitimate business front and the shady underworld dealings. This is all wrapped up with some classic cheese on the soundtrack; some of the songs here are really naff now and have incredible kitsch value. However this is all forgotten once you get the classic synth theme of 'Alex Foley' following Foley's every direction.

I have to say that the movie has dated somewhat in terms of clothes etc. I don't know what it i
s about 80's movies but they just don't have the classic period look like
the movies of the 70's. They all look naff in this present day. However this is a good laugh and available cheaply on DVD and VHS. It's one of those films that any 80's action fan shouldn't be without.

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