Beverly Hills Cop

Name: Beverly Hills Cop
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Crime
Released: December 5, 1984
Duration: 105 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Eddie Murphy

1984

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 166 Ratings

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8.4

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8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 166 Ratings

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Beverly Hills Cop

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: December 5, 1984 | R

Starring: Eddie Murphy

Summary: Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit cop investigating the murder of his friend, finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.

Director: Martin Brest

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 105 min

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Critic Reviews

Josh Larsen

In a sense, the film only works because, in the real world, the system is rigged against someone like Axel Foley. Yet when Murphy seizes the screen, all bets are off, resulting in a work of racial subversion that’s both hilarious and cathartic. Read full review

David Sterritt

Beverly Hills Cop is an action movie and an Eddie Murphy vehicle first, but Brest's dramatic intelligence surfaces often enough to make a welcome difference in what could have been an ordinary crowd-pleaser. [13 Dec. 1984, p.35]

Richard Schickel

Murphy exudes the kind of cheeky, cocky charm that has been missing from the screen since Cagney was a pup, snarling his way out of the ghetto. But as befits a manchild of the soft-spoken '80s, there is an insinuating sweetness about the heart that is always visible on the sleeve of Murphy's habitual sweatshirt. Read full review

Jay Scott

In Hollywood terms, Beverly Hills Cop harks back to the semi- good old days, to the studio era when stars were not always relied on to fix everything - this is unquestionably a star vehicle, but the star, an employee of his own production company, has been smart enough to surround himself with other, by no means lesser lights. [4 Dec. 1984]

Paul Attanasio

The result is a movie that can be wonderfully languid and wonderfully breakneck as well, a formula movie so gleefully bedizened with quirks that it always seems better than it is. [5 Dec. 1984, p.C1]

David Ansen

Beverly Hills Cop is no masterpiece, but it uses Murphy to maximum effect. At its best, the movie is exactly as brazen, charming and mercurial as Murphy himself, which is to say it is unimaginable without him. [3 Dec. 1984, p.81]

Pauline Kael

The whole picture is edited and scored as if it were a lollapalooza of laughs. And, with Murphy busting his sides guffawing in self-congratulation, and the camera jammed into his tonsils, damned if the audience doesn't whoop and carry on as if yes, this is a wow of a comedy. [24 Dec. 1984, p.78]

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User Reviews

TheWalrus2000

Apr 20, 2013

Outstandingly written and extremely hilarious, Beverly Hills Cop is to this day one of the best comedies ever not to mention a hilarious performance by Eddie Murphy.

8 of 10 users found this helpful82

geewah

Mar 30, 2021

One of the best comedies of the 1980's.
A vechile to show off the comedic talents of Eddie Murphy, this well paced and well written movie is still funny today.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ToxicDynoCritic

Nov 8, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Where do I start?

This is undoubtedly the greatest comedy of all time. The action is also well filmed.

The plot is quite a simple 'my friend was murdered, gonna go undercover.'/Cat-and-mouse story. But it is done in a unique, interesting, hilarious way. Though being hilarious... the film also plays as a gritty crime story.

There are lots of memorable lines such as: "Get the f*** outta here!", “This is not my locker”, “You do that again, I’ll shoot you myself” and “Don’t you think I realise what’s going on here, miss? Who do you think I am, huh? Don’t you think I know that if I was some hotshot from out of town that pulled inside here and you guys made a reservation mistake, I’d be the first one to get a room and I’d be upstairs relaxing right now. But I’m not some hotshot from out of town, I’m a small reporter from “Rolling Stone” magazine that’s in town to do an exclusive interview with Michael Jackson that’s gonna be picked up by every major magazine in the country. I was gonna call the article “Michael Jackson Is Sitting On Top of the World,” but now I think I might as well just call it “Michael Jackson Can Sit On Top of the World Just As Long As He Doesn’t Sit in the Beverly Palm Hotel cause There’s No N*ggers Allowed in There!”. Yeah, it's a very crude film involving lots of swearing, but if you can deal with that, then it is a must watch comedy CLASSIC!

Also it is maybe the most rewatchable film of all time.

9.9/10- Outstandingly written and extremely hilarious, Beverly Hills Cop is to this day one of the best comedies ever... not to mention a hilarious performance by Eddie Murphy.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Samirhusejnovic

Mar 29, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wirklich witziger Film, einfach empfehlenswert. Eine Art Robocop in Witzig.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

StevenF

May 12, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In comedy terms this isn't Eddie Murphy at his absolute best, but a film that starts off light-hearted and gradually builds quite a bit of tension is definitely worth watching almost 30 years on.
Murphy stars as Detroit cop Axel Foley, who gives his precinct more than enough problems with his unauthorised undercover operations.
But when an old friend from Beverly Hills comes to visit, tragedy soon strikes and Axel soon jumps back into his unauthorised ways to try and figure out just who the shady characters are that are lurking around Beverly Hills. He takes in everything with zest, the overpriced hotels, mercedes everywhere and fashion sense gone wild. But as Foley begins to uncover secrets regarding the men he is after, he is really stuck for people to turn to, seeing as he is supposed to be on holiday and has also been told by his boss back in Detroit to stay away from the ongoing murder case.
He is also being followed by two bungling cops Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton), who keep getting spotted by Axel in their stakeouts, but who prove useful as the film plays out.
Beverly Hills Cop never really attempts to be a big flashy film, instead going for a more subtle and almost TV like approach, until the closing stages of the film obviously.
Eddie Murphy stars in arguably his most iconic and recognised role as Foley, he's sharp-witted, funny, and he feels very much realistic, unlike many other fictional characters, he is surprised when all the events start unfolding, but still keeps true to finding justice.
The film plays with an upbeat and energetic soundtrack, perfectly capturing the glitz and glam of the story, and showcasing 1980s Los Angeles, while also playing out the iconic theme that is still remembered to this day.
The comedy is pure and side-splitting, whether Foley is impersonating the very uptight chief of the Beverly Hills Police, or if he is casually walking in to a swanky Beverly Hills apartment and starting an argument with the desk clerk, it all showcases an expertly written and well directed film that is still fun to watch decades later.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

DogeGamer2015

Jul 5, 2020

Una película llena de diversión y acción para pasar un buen rato agradable.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Dec 29, 2016

Je dis pas, Eddie Murphy est parfois drôle -enfin drôle, façon de parler, plutôt vaguement distrayant- à s'agiter et tchatcher dans tous les sens devant une bande de neuneus tantôt râleurs et aigris, tantôt tout acquis à sa cause, émerveillés par le clown et son numéro !

Mais on ne seJe dis pas, Eddie Murphy est parfois drôle -enfin drôle, façon de parler, plutôt vaguement distrayant- à s'agiter et tchatcher dans tous les sens devant une bande de neuneus tantôt râleurs et aigris, tantôt tout acquis à sa cause, émerveillés par le clown et son numéro !

Mais on ne se bidonne pas, nous par contre, devant ce film bidon qui vole à peine au ras des pâquerettes et tente de glisser sur la vague des clichés "racistes" qu'il démonte et dont il se moque avec une naïveté et une maladresse confondantes. Car, faut-il vous le dire -au cas où- ce flic à Berverly Hills (quartier très chic à ce qu'il semble) est un Noir ! et de la ville de Détroit qui plus est... remarquez c'était avant que Détroit ne soit comme... aujourd'hui.

Toujours est-il que ce comique de situation et de préjugés est du même acabit qu'un épisode des Jours heureux (Happy Days en VO putain) sauf que Fonzy est devenu noir, s'habille comme charlot et débite des conneries à plein tube sur la musique Bontempi des années 80.

Oui, cest vraiment très con comme film, trop con pour en supporter ne fût-ce qu'un peu plus de la moitié !… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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