Review of Beverly Hills Cop

Introduction

Beverly Hills Cop, starring Sylvester Stallone as Axel Cobretti. Well it almost was that way as I learnt in the extras accompanying this classic eighties action comedy from the Simpson and Bruckheimer stable. History turned out much differently, thankfully and Beverly Hills Cop turned out to be a box office hit, and made a star (for the first time) of Eddie Murphy. This movie has always been one of my favourites and the chance to own it on DVD was one I wasn`t going to pass up. It`s also the only film that I keep two versions of. (I taped it from the television several years ago, so that I could have a family friendly version to spare the uncomfortable moments when more than one generation are watching the TV.) It also has the perfect eighties soundtrack with the anthemic Axel F from Harold Faltermeyer making this film especially distinctive. What could the DVD add to an already great movie, besides better picture and sound quality?

Axel Foley is an unconventional and brash Detroit police officer whose methods leave a lot to be desired. When he meets old friend Michael Tandino, who has come fresh from Beverly Hills loaded with German Bearer Bonds of dubious origin, they go out on the town to renew their friendship. Returning to Axel`s apartment, Axel is knocked out by a couple of hitmen who have come to retrieve the stolen money. Mikey is then murdered, leaving Axel determined to find his killers. When Axel is ordered by his boss to stay away from the case, Axel claims some leave time and heads off to Beverly Hills to do a little investigating on his own. Getting in touch with old friend Jenny Summers, he learns that Mikey worked for art dealer, Victor Maitland. Going to question Victor, he is greeted by silence and offered the exit, straight through a window. At this point the Beverly Hills police department become interested in the itinerant Detroit cop, and make it their business to see that Axel doesn`t cause any more mayhem in their pristine city. Detective Billy Rosewood and Sgt Taggart are assigned to watch Foley at all times, and it becomes a game of cat and mouse as Axel tries to elude his observers and track down the killers.

Video

The technical stuff first, and Beverly Hills Cop gets a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. Made in 1984, the film has the sort of grain that I have come to expect from titles of that era. There are a couple of scratches and bits of dirt, but other than that it is a fine transfer with a clear and sharp image. The crux of the movie is the difference between Beverly Hills and industrial Detroit, and that comes across clearly, with Beverly Hills shown as a lush sun soaked paradise, while Detroit is grimy and run down. Martin Brest`s direction is sure and he keeps the action flowing, though the pacing is greatly helped by the music. Also, eighties fashion… Why?

Audio

Sound, and like many eighties films, Beverly Hills Cop played in selected theatres with Dolby Stereo sound. Discerning punters of the 21st Century are no longer satisfied with that and consequently there is a DD 5.1 English remix and a DD 2.0 Surround German track. As I have come to expect from these remixes, the surrounds are primarily used for atmosphere and occasional effects, but the sound really does come to life during the climactic gunfight. But what really makes this film is the music. Harold Faltermeyer`s peerless soundtrack defined this film and made it unique (at least until the sequel) Axel F and the other music may be synthesised, but it still works and draws you in to the film. I`m still at the edge of my seat, with a grin on my face whenever that distinctive tune plays, just anticipating another great moment. With that are some inspired choices of pop songs, ranging from Glenn Frey`s "The Heat is On" to Patti LaBelle`s "Stir It Up" with some Pointer Sisters thrown in for good measure. One of my favourite soundtracks.

Features

Oh My God! A Paramount disc with decent extras. This hardly ever happens, and I`m going to take a pause to let that sink in…

Still there I hope, and now that the shock has worn off, here`s a summary of the Special Features contained on this disc.

The Cast & Crew Interviews is a 28-minute look at the making of Beverly Hills Cop, and it is interesting and engrossing, with contributions from all the main cast and crew. As well as seeing as how people have wrinkled (or not) in the past eighteen years, it also provides some insight into the movie Beverly Hills Cop could have been.

Casting Beverly Hills Cop is 10 minutes of interview looking at the casting process, especially taking into account the Stallone episode and subsequent changes in script.

The Location Map, is exactly that. While you can see where the locations were geographically, selecting them on your keypad will take you to an interview snippet with the Production Designer regarding the locations chosen and the difficulties of shooting in Beverly Hills. There`s about 8 minutes of footage here.

The Music of Beverly Hills (8 minutes) again the title is self-explanatory and looks at the tracks chosen and how they worked in the movie.

There is also a photo gallery containing 32 stills, and of course the theatrical trailer.

Now here`s the good bit. All the above extras, with the exception of the trailer are subtitled in the same languages as the main feature. Isn`t that nice?

Finally there is the audio commentary with Director Martin Brest, which is subtitled in German and English. I guess every silver lining has a cloud, and this is that cloud. I never thought anything could diminish my enjoyment of this film, but the commentary manages just that. The first thing you notice is that the commentary is very gappy. There are often long pauses between comments, and what little he does have to say about the film is occasionally repeated. I got the feeling that there was so much more he could have talked about but he just didn`t. I got the feeling that he was trying not to talk over the films dialogue and when he made comments, he wouldn`t follow up on them, so I was left wondering "and then what?" Describing the commentary in one word… SPARSE.

I mustn`t forget the animated menus. They really are quite smart following a surveillance camera motif.

Conclusion

I`ve already mentioned how I feel about Beverly Hills Cop, and this disc has done nothing to diminish my opinion. I was watching this last night, and I had a grin on my face throughout, and I enjoyed it as much, if not more than the first time I saw it. A number of factors came together in 1984 to create a memorable and timeless action comedy, a sharp and witty script, a talented director, a brilliant cast and an unforgettable soundtrack. Eddie Murphy was an inspired choice to play Axel Foley, his talent for improvisation and copious screen charisma created a brash yet likeable character that typified eighties style. Immediately in Detroit the style of the movie was set, with an explosive and over the top chase sequence, but the characters that were introduced did more than anything to announce that this film was something new. Paul Reiser had a small but funny role as Jeffrey, Axel`s Detroit conscience and it`s no surprise his role was reprised and expanded for the sequel. But the biggest find was Gilbert R. Hill as Inspector Todd. In real life a policeman, something special was noticed in him that typified Axel`s boss and he owns the screen as Axel`s foul-mouthed boss.

The characters in Beverly Hills are no exception, with the team of Taggart and Rosewood, John Ashton and Judge Reinhold creating a modern day Laurel and Hardy. Their scenes together, while not necessarily moving the story along, are comedy gold. Even thinking about their performance makes me smile. Ronny Cox is solid and dependable as Lt Bogomil, and how he remained straight faced amongst the mayhem that the other characters created is a mystery. A comment from Martin Brest made me wonder, he states that casting a foreign actor as the villain would be a fresh idea, and so Steven Berkoff makes a superb bad guy in Victor Maitland. He exudes menace, but still manages to strike the right note for the comedy. After years of seeing British actors cast as villains in Hollywood, I hope Martin Brest is apologetic for what he started. Lisa Eilbacher keeps up well with the hilarity, and Bronson Pinchot creates a unique character in Serge, the art salesman. Though I think Martin Brest found him funnier than I did.

So is Beverly Hills Cop, the pinnacle of eighties cinema? Debatable, but it still ranks as one of my favourite films. Martin Brest took an action comedy and decided not to focus on the action. What really are special about this film are the character interactions. Although Jeffrey and Axel are hardly on screen together, you get the feeling that they have known each other for years, and the same kind of care has been taken in the Taggart Rosewood dynamic. So much so that they could easily have a film built around them alone. I guess the best accolade I can give Beverly Hills Cop is that I enjoy it just as much, every time I watch it. Watching it on DVD with the improved picture and sound quality makes it feel brand new. An essential movie for all eighties fans and a damn fine 100 minutes if you`re not.