First off, let me just say how sick and tired I am of people saying that Eddie Murphy is no longer funny! This man has continuosly re-invented himself, taking on risky projects when most stars of his stature stick with the same old formulas that they began their careers with (Tom Cruise in "MI-3"? What's the difference between THIS and "Top Gun" 20 years ago?!)Eddie Murphy was crucified for "Harlem Nights", "Vampire in Brooklyn", "Life", "Metro" et al. So much so that people overlooked his comedic genius in films such as "Coming to America", and the two "Nutty Proffesor" movies. Come on, not even Mike Meyers can play an ENTIRE family! And now Mr. Murphy is going to bring a new character to film lore, playing pompadoured manager James Early in the winter release, "Dreamgirls". And lets not forget that he is the highest grossing alum of Saturday Night Live...ever. Yes, besting even the great Adam Sandler. Thank you all for letting me rant. Now for my review:
The summer of 1984 saw some great releases: Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins and Beverly Hills Cop. Actually Beverly Hills Cop wasn't released until the WINTER of '84, but when it was it quickly became a hit, even outgrossing Harrison Ford's second outing as Indy. Beverly Hills Cop is a movie of firsts: The first movie with a black lead to surpass the $100 million mark (it eventually grossed $186 million making it the highest grossing comedy of all time until "Home Alone" surpassed it in "90). The first action movie by legendary action producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. The first time that audiences were exposed to the genius of Bronson Pinchot. It is also, along with "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles", one of the most quotable comedies ever. How many times have you heard the "banana-in-the-tail-pipe" line? Or the "herpes symplex 10" gag? Or the part where Murphy sneaks into Victor Maitlin's warehouse and improvises an entire scene pretending that he's an inspector? Classic. For those of you who don't know, this movie was originally written as a vehicle for Sly Stallone, but due to contract negotiations breaking down, the part went to Murphy who was hot off his success with "48hrs." and "Trading Places". It would be extremelly difficult to imagine another actor as Axel Foley.
Beverly Hills Cop II: This was the next feature for Simpson & Bruckheimer after the phenomenal success of "Top Gun". It was also their second collaboration with director Tony Scott(Top
Gun). Murphy's career was soaring. The result: A fun, fast, funny, loud, sexy ride! I was 10 years old when this movie came out, and it was the first R-rated movie I was allowed to see. I remember seeing it on a Saturday afternoon with a packed house and not being able to hear much of the dialogue because of the roars of laughter. Nineteen years later it still holds up. This movie pretty much set the standard for action movies of the '90's. Don't the "Bad Boys" movies, "Armeggedon" and "Face-Off" remind you of BHC II? When you watch this movie you see such joy in Murphy's performance, along with Judge Reinhold, and John Aston. You want to jump in the screen and join in on their fun! I haven't seen such interplay between three comedic leads (and they're ALL comedic roles)since the Marx Brothers. Tony Scott interjects his high-action concepts well into the film, making for one grand comedy-action film.
Beverly Hills Cop III: This movie alone is the ONLY problem I have with Mr. Murphy's career choices. How can you invent a character who is so fun. So full of life. So ribald. Carry that character for two movies, then turn him into a sleep-walking drip by the third installment? I watched these three films back-to-back-to-back one weekend and was astonished and appaled by the transformation Axel Foley went from BHC II to BHC III. I remember when BHC III was being made and all of the drama surrounding it. Murphy demanding (and getting) an astronmical fee. The epic fights he and director John Landis engaged in on-set. Endless script problems. And for what? THIS!? The two previous flicks I told you what was RIGHT with them, this one I will tell you what's WRONG with it. First off: What happened to the Marx Brothers effect? Part of what made the first two films successful was the interplay between Foley, Taggert and Rosewood. This one has Taggert completely removed and Billy (Rosewood) is confined to a DESK for most of the film. The villain is someone you don't love to hate (remember how evil Victor Maitlin was, or how clever Brigitte Nielson and Jurgen Prochnow were), heck he doesn't even REGISTER! Where was the profanity laced back-and-forth between Murphy and his Chief that we got addicted to in the first films? Where is Murphy's sidekick Jeffrey (Paul Reiser)? None of these missing elements makes for a fun sequel. Apparently the script problems remained just that... a problem. And to top it all off: Murphy isn't even having any fun. With every tossed off line, or half-hearted attempt at being funny, Murphy shows us clealrly that he's here just for the money. The horror, the horror. This one came out in '94 and the '90's weren't kind to Mr. Murphy. I feel that he was doing a lot of growing and experimenting as an artist during this time, but he had this chance (along with Nutty Proffesor later) to remind us of the greatness he once, and still does, have.
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I received the DVDS and they were in mint condition and played without no issue I highly recommend it if your looking for a good movie collection of Beverly Hills cops this is the best movie of the 1980S 🙂
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Client d'AmazonReviewed in Belgium on September 26, 2024
la rapidité de livraison + la qualité
- Steven TillsleyReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2003
A must have collection
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- Wayne craigieReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2024
Love Eddie Murphy dvds and the 80s music on it
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