Beverly Hills Cop (DVD, 2002)

"I got some vacation coming, I wanna take my vacation now."

With those words and the look on his face, you know the last thing on Axel Foley's mind is vacation and the first thing is ..... justice. And so it goes with Eddie Murphy and this amazing ride called BEVERLY HILLS COP. Along with Ronny Cox, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton and Lisa Eilbacher, Eddie Murphy proves to the world that he is not only a first-rate comedian but a first-rate actor as well. You know when he's on the edge or just having fun and he allows you to thoroughly enjoy both.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (he of current CSI fame), this movie is probably one of the founding fathers of the cop/buddy movie formula, spawning such hits as the Lethal Weapon series and the two 48 Hours movies, the latter ones starring Murphy as well. After Axel's friend Mikey is killed in ritualistic hit fashion, Axel takes info from the conversations during his friend's final hours and travels to Beverly Hills to find the missing pieces. Meeting up with Jenny (Lisa Eilbacher), an old friend and Mikey's last employer, Axel finds himself investigating Jenny's boss Victor Maitland, a powerful crime lord passing himself off as an important, respected member of the community. With the reluctant assistance of two by-the-book detectives (Reinhold, Ashton), Axel and Jenny get deeper and deeper into an illegal import scam that could cost them both their lives. Of course, there are plenty of laughs along the way, one notably being Axel's good sportsmanship when he orders a late supper to be sent out to the detective's unmarked car staking out his hotel.

What makes this work is the fresh approach Murphy takes to the material, creating a character that is clearly a boss' nightmare but one that you can't help but love because you know that ultimately, he's right. As he slowly breaks down the walls of his detective friends' inhibitions and teaches them to stray outside of the box when the circumstances require it, you find yourself rooting for the next rule they break and you begin to understand that Axel will do anything for a friend, even die for him if necessary.

A great movie from front to back with all the elements of a classic --- no wonder people still talk about it more than twenty years after its first release. Watch for a fabulous Bronson Pinchot as an art gallery employee and a small bit part by Damon Wayans. Give BEVERLY HILLS COP a permanent place in your movie library and you won't be sorry.

Regards, Deborah