Beverly Hills Cop is an action-comedy film, which was directed by Martin Brest. It was released to the cinemas in the USA on 5 December 1984.[1]
Plot[]
Axel Foley is a plainclothes Detroit detective whose latest unauthorized sting operation goes sour when two uniformed officers intervene, resulting in a high-speed chase through the city that causes widespread damage. Axel’s superior, Inspector Douglas Todd, reprimands him for his reckless behavior and threatens to fire him unless he changes his ways.
Axel arrives at his apartment to find it has been broken into by his childhood friend, Michael "Mikey" Tandino. Mikey had done prison time for a car theft the pair had committed when they were younger, but has since landed a role as a security guard in Beverly Hills thanks to mutual friend Jenny Summers. Mikey shows Axel some German bearer bonds and Axel wonders how he got them, but chooses not to question him about it. After going out at a bar, they return to Axel's apartment, where two men, Zack and Casey, knock Axel unconscious, confront Mikey about the stolen bearer bonds and then murder him.
Axel asks to be assigned to investigate Mikey's murder, but Inspector Todd refuses to allow it because of his close ties to Mikey. Under the guise of taking vacation time, Axel travels to Beverly Hills to solve the crime himself. He finds Jenny working in an art gallery and learns about Mikey's ties to Victor Maitland, the gallery's owner. Posing as a flower deliveryman, Axel goes to Maitland's office and tries to question him about Mikey, but is thrown out of a window by Maitland's bodyguards and arrested for trespassing.
At the local police station, Beverly Hills Police Department Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil assigns Sergeant John Taggart and Detective Billy Rosewood to follow Axel. Taggart and Billy have a humiliating and comical encounter with Axel when he temporarily disables their car. As a result, Billy and Taggart do not get along with Axel at first, but the three begin to develop a mutual respect after they foil a robbery at a striptease bar.
Continuing his investigation, Axel sneaks into one of Maitland's warehouses, where he finds crates full of coffee grounds. Axel suspects they have been used to pack drugs, since he knows they are often used to cover the scent of drugs from police dogs. He also discovers that many of Maitland's crates have not gone through customs. He attempts to alert Bogomil that Maitland must be a smuggler, but Beverly Hills Police Chief Hubbard, who has learned of Axel's ill-advised investigative actions, orders that Axel be escorted out of town. Axel convinces Billy to pick up Jenny instead and take her with them to the warehouse, where a shipment is due to arrive that day.
Axel and Jenny break into the warehouse and discover several bags of cocaine inside a crate. Before Axel can get this new-found evidence to Billy, Maitland arrives along with his associates Zack and Casey. Maitland takes Jenny and leaves Axel, with orders that he be killed. Zack then tells Axel that he was the one who killed Mikey. After some hesitation, Billy enters the warehouse and rescues Axel after a brief gunfight during which he kills Casey.
Taggart tracks Axel and Billy to Maitland's estate, where he joins the two in their efforts to rescue Jenny and bring Maitland to justice. Together, the trio wipe out a number of Maitland's men, including Zack. With Bogomil's help, Axel then fatally shoots Maitland and rescues Jenny.
Bogomil fabricates a story to Hubbard that manages to cover for all the participants without discrediting the Beverly Hills PD. Axel, realizing that his exploits while "on vacation" will likely get him fired from the Detroit PD, asks Bogomil to smooth matters over with Inspector Todd. When Axel mentions the possibility of setting up shop as a private investigator in Beverly Hills, Bogomil nervously agrees to wipe the slate clean for him.
Later, Taggart and Billy meet Axel as he is checking out of his hotel and pay his bill. Axel invites them to join him for a farewell drink, and they accept the offer.
Cast[]
- Eddie Murphy as Detective Axel Foley
- Lisa Eilbacher as Jeanette "Jenny" Summers
- Steven Berkoff as Victor Maitland
- Judge Reinhold as Detective William "Billy" Rosewood
- Ronny Cox as Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil
- John Ashton as Sergeant John Taggart
- James Russo as Michael "Mikey" Tandino
- Stephen Elliott as Chief Hubbard
- Paul Reiser as Jeffrey Friedman
- Bronson Pinchot as Serge
- Jonathan Banks as Zack
- Michael Champion as Casey
- Frank Pesce as Cigarette Buyer
- Gilbert R. Hill as Inspector Douglas Todd
- Damon Wayans as Banana Man
- Martin Brest as Beverly Palms Hotel Checkout Clerk