This week’s installment of Exploring Fiction Feature is a special one, because we get to talk about my favorite movie of all-time. Beverly Hills Cop is, in my opinion, a perfect film. Even if you don’t hold it in as high of a regard as me, it is still plain to see that this movie offers a blend of action, comedy, and emotion that melds together seamlessly. The entire cast works, every single joke lands, and the story is seamless and compelling the whole way through. If you haven’t seen this movie before, don’t even wait to read through this article; go watch it now! Anyway, let’s talk about Beverly Hills Cop.
Beverly Hills Cop stars Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, an upstart Detroit cop who “vacations” to Beverly Hills after one of his childhood friends is murdered. Axel believes he (his friend Mikey) was killed by a past employer (located in Beverly Hills) for theft, and once he arrives, he begins his investigation, with the help of some old and new friends and much to the chagrin of the local police department.
In fear of sounding like a broken record week after week, once again I must admit that the cast and characters are the strongest aspect of this movie. Eddie Murphy is Eddie Murphy, but not in the way Dwayne Johnson is Dwayne Johnson. When the latter is on screen, all we can see is the man, but with the former, we see not just the actor, but the character. In Beverly Hills Cop this rings true. Though Eddie Murphy brings his charismatic style of acting and comedic chops as usual, he makes the character of Axel Foley believable and at times, heartfelt. The rest of the characters, from Taggart and Rosewood to Victor Maitland are all memorable, funny, and endearing in their own ways.
Almost as important is the fact that Beverly Hills Cop is an endless source of comedy. Every single joke lands. Most are from Eddie Murphy, but the rest of the cast are able to keep up quite well. But the best part is, the comedy doesn’t overshadow the action or heavier emotional moments that are required to keep a film from falling into the current-day “Marvel” trap. Both the action scenes and emotional moments are given their time to breathe and shine, and the movie is all the better for it. It really is the perfect blend, the best of all worlds for a film of this genre.
Yet, despite all that, you might be wondering how this movie can be my favorite of all-time. After all, I am a huge fantasy fan, and I adore the Lord of the Rings movies as much as anyone, it’s true. But, I have singled out Beverly Hills Cop as my lone greatest movie of all-time for its rewatchability and the fact that whenever I watch it, it just makes me feel good no matter what. Some other films that I believe to be some of the best ever (like Lord of the Rings), you really have to be in the mood and invested to watch them, but with Beverly Hills Cop, I can turn it on anytime and any place and have fun. And for that reason, it sits slightly above all else.
The 1980’s produced so many classics that it gets hard to count them all. But, in my opinion, the best and most enjoyable of them all is Beverly Hills Cop. From its memorable characters, to its fast-paced story, to its flawless blend of action, emotion, and comedy, this movie has it all, and is really worth your time to watch. In fact, I might go watch it again just now…
Russell A. Wells 