This is probably my favourite outing for a fresh-faced and wise-cracking Eddie Murphy. He ("Axel Foley") is the cop from Detroit who finds himself embroiled in some criminal antics in the upper class and distinctly by-the-book LA suburb of Beverly Hills. Despite the serious reservations of "Lt. Bogomil" (Ronny Cox) he ends up working with two of his detectives "Taggart" (John Ashton) and "Rosewood" (Judge Reinhold) as they try to track down the murderer of a childhood friend from Detroit that, of course, soon has them knee-deep in a lucrative - and deadly - drugs operation. It's the unorthodox nature of Murphy's character and the paradox with the posh culture of his new surroundings that gives the star a chance to be exactly that here. The writing provides him with quick-fire dialogue and the two foils work well in being the butt of the gags and, as the relationships develop along fairly predictable lines, the whole thing marries the comedic, the slapstick and some pyrotechnics with just enough sophistication to keep it from being cringeworthy. Of course there's no doubt that the guys will get their man - a rather hammy Steven Berkoff, but the manner in which this is all pursued is funny and entertaining. Keep an eye to for the disdainful Stephen Elliott as "Chief Hubbard" whose disbelief in just what's going on under his nose raises a smile, as does Bronson Pinchot's "Serge". It's got quite a memorable soundtrack - even if I hated "Axel F", and is good fun!
