Rating: 
Summary: Fresh and funny even after 18 years...
Review: Remember when Jerry Bruckenheimer produced quality movies? Remember his partner Don Simpson? Remember Eddie Murphy back when he was fresh and funny? Remember the Axel F. theme? Remember when Martin Brest did comedies?Everything you remember is here on this DVD! Don't bother with the sequels or "trilogy" box. This is the one that got started the formula of "wise-cracking" cops (apart from hysterical one-liners-through-squeeezed-teeth by Dirty Harry, who was well ahead of the times) genre that bolstered Die Hard and Lethal Weapon movies. It's a perfect example of "fish-out-of-water" comedy combined with "buddy movie" genre. Plot in a sentence or two: resolved to find his best friends murderer, Detroit cop Axel Foley follows the trail to L.A. where his "methods" drive baddies and his Beverly Hills "coleagues" crazy. Enhanced remastered SOUND is excellent, even better than what you saw at the theater all those years ago. DVD itself: rather entertaining, although "not-so-special" features have mostly CAST & CREW INTERVIEWS, divided in 3 parts (INTERVIEWS, CASTING and MUSIC). It's fun to see how people look and remiscent on those days about 15 years later. Also, there's DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY and THEATRICAL TRAILER. Pretty standard stuff, as I said. Why they didn't include outttakes (they all talk how they "burned" a lot of film by laughing in the middle of shooting) or alternate scenes (there were a lot of improvisations on set, as they say) is beyond my comprehension. Anyway... Buy this and you won't regret it! It's money well spent! You'll laugh yourself to tears, I guarantee it. Favourite line: "Can you put it in a good spot? All this s**t happened the last time I parked here..."
Rating: 
Summary: AXEL GREASE IN CALIFORNIA
Review: Eddie Murphy is a Detroit cop investigating the murder of a good friend in Beverly Hills. This fish out of water premise is pretty much old hat by now but it's remarkable to see how fresh Murphy's comedy seems after nearly twenty years. Simply put - he's a riot. Whether he's tearing apart the Harrow Club or shoving bananas into tail pipes, it's easy to see why Eddie became the number one box office draw in America during the mid-1980's.
Unfortunately, nobody at Paramount seems to have reasoned this impact. The DVD release is dated and full of digital problems. Colors are faded and weak. So are the black levels. Some scenes appear incredibly out of focus. Loss of fine detail makes for a generally soft visual presentation. Aliasing, shimmering, edge enhancement and pixelization run throughout the print. Extras - some snippet that attempts to sum up the film in under thirty minutes and a trailer. Part II of this film series fairs slightly better in overall visual quality but not by much. The extras on disc two are also a bit more plentiful, but again, not by much. Bottom line: Not really exciting enough to make me spend my money.
Rating:
Summary: Eddie Murphy's Finest Hour!
Review: After twenty years, "Beverly Hills Cop" is still one of the funniest films ever made, and a true milestone of 80's-style American filmmaking. Eddie Murphy, director Martin Brest and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have in recent years set their careers on questionable courses (the first just isn't funny these days, while the latter two don't make good movies anymore). But on this film, Bruckheimer (along with his late partner Don Simpson) and Brest blended a perfect marriage of inspired casting, witty screenplay and killer music to create a wonderous romp of relentless entertainment. This was the movie that sent Murphy into the stratosphere of superstardom, and rightly so. He has never been better or funnier than in this film's portrayal of ingenious, foul-mouthed Detroit detective Axel Foley, raising hell in Beverly Hills. But equal praise must be given to the entire cast, particularly to Judge Reinhold and John Ashton as Murphy's unforgettable Laurel & Hardyesque comedic foils, and Bronson Pinchow as the hilarious Beverly Hills art dealer, Serge. This film gets so many things right that it really hasn't aged, and its thoroughly 80's soundtrack serves it so well that the songs still sound fresh today. The DVD features a few recent interviews with cast and crew members as they reminisce about the glory days of when they made the film. Though their recent works may cast a nasty spell over us (be it Murphy's "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," Bruckheimer's "Gone in 60 Seconds," or Brest's "Gigli"), it's easy to want to forgive them after watching this joyous delight.
Rating:
Summary: Special Edition worth the price
Review: Most people who follow Eddie Murphy know about the quality of this movie from the point of view of the movie itself. This special edition is a very good version of the film. Both picture and sound are very good and the widescreen effect does not interfere for those who aren't purists (I am and prefer widescreen editions). Colors are very crisp and the sound is clear and more than adequate. The film itself is enjoyable and, while the story is not the greatest, the cast including Murphy make it work with enough suspense to make it interesting to the end. The suspense really comes more from the reaction to Axel Foley (Murphy's character) by the Beverly Hills force, especially the old chief than it does from the reason for his trip to Beverly Hills (Will he succeed in getting the BH force to support his actions? will the Chief relent and let Foley finish his investigation?). The action is pretty standard as a cop show. However, Murphy's humor and reactions carry the movie and make it rise above the traditional cop genre. Great supporting cast in Ronnie Cox, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton. Foley's boss back in Detroit is great and deserves more screen time. The DVD extras are good and add to the enjoyment.
Rating:
Summary: First Rate Action/Comedy
Review: "Beverly Hills Cop" isn't for everybody. There is a lot of violence and an excessive amount of four-letter words. If you don't let that bother you, though, you'll really enjoy this one. Eddie Murphy plays Axel Foley, a fast-talking maverick cop from Detroit who goes to Beverly Hills on his own to investigate the murder of a friend. Never mind that the murder took place in Foley's Detroit apartment building and that Foley's boss has told him to stay out of the investigation. Axel's street-wise, inner city character has a field day in chic Beverly Hills. See what happens when he visits another old friend who works in an art gallery, when he invades the buffet brunch at the evil Victor Maitland's posh private club, when he orders food from room service in his hotel (don't ask how he's paying for the room) for the two cops outside who are supposed to be tailing him, or when he takes the same two cops to a strip joint in another jurisdiction. This flick has a lot of very funny moments, and there is a nice balance between the humor and some first-rate action sequences. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton are great as the two local cops and the rest of the cast is solid. The music is also outstanding, and paces the story very well. "Beverly Hils Cop" is one of Murphy's best movies. It is also one of the best examples to date of the combination comedy/action movie. It's obviously not for kids, but a more mature audience should love it. Especially at this price. A great addition to most video libraries.
Rating:
Summary: Eddie Murphy's Finest Hour!
Review: After twenty years, "Beverly Hills Cop" is still one of the funniest films ever made, and a true milestone of 80's-style American filmmaking. Eddie Murphy, director Martin Brest and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have in recent years set their careers on questionable courses (the first just isn't funny these days, while the latter two don't make good movies anymore). But on this film, Bruckheimer (along with his late partner Don Simpson) and Brest blended a perfect marriage of inspired casting, witty screenplay and killer music to create a wonderous romp of relentless entertainment. This was the movie that sent Murphy into the stratosphere of superstardom, and rightly so. He has never been better or funnier than in this film's portrayal of ingenious, foul-mouthed Detroit detective Axel Foley, raising hell in Beverly Hills. But equal praise must be given to the entire cast, particularly to Judge Reinhold and John Ashton as Murphy's unforgettable Laurel & Hardyesque comedic foils, and Bronson Pinchow as the hilarious Beverly Hills art dealer, Serge. This film gets so many things right that it really hasn't aged, and its thoroughly 80's soundtrack serves it so well that the songs still sound fresh today. The DVD features a few recent interviews with cast and crew members as they reminisce about the glory days of when they made the film. Though their recent works may cast a nasty spell over us (be it Murphy's "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," Bruckheimer's "Gone in 60 Seconds," or Brest's "Gigli"), it's easy to want to forgive them after watching this joyous delight.
Rating:
Summary: "The 'Super-Cop' story... was working!"
Review: Sylvester Stallone was set to play yet another monosylabbic action film wonder-cop back in 1984. He had signed on as a gritty Detroit cop who finds himself in posh Beverly Hills avenging his brothers death. Fortunately for the world, we never got to see him in that flick although many of the elements appeared in his next film, COBRA. No, this film was not shelved, it was re-cast, re-conceived and re-written with the Saturday night Live and 48 Hours star Eddie Murphy in the drivers seat. The rest is, as they too often say, history... BEVERLY HILLS COP was the first succesful police action film with a comic lead. Before that most cops had that way too cool, "Go ahead, make my day" attitude. But, putting a comedian with an amazing command of foul language up front brought in the crowds... and the clones. Axel Foley is a 'fish outta water' police detective investigating a Detroit murder in Beverly Hills. He is harrassed and tailed by Beverly Hills Detectives Taggart and Rosewood, played by John Ashton and Judge Reinhold. His tactics seem crude and clash with the police culture in the land of sun and fun, but, quickly they learn he is on to something. Along the way he looks up childhood friend Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher with extreme 80s hair). Murphy's scene with Art Gallery Concierge, "Serge" (Bronson Pinchot) is one of the funniest scenes to come out of any film in the past 30 years. The opening scene involving a high-speed semi-truck chase is a clever mixture of extreme action and comedy. It properly sets the stage for the rest of the film. Watch for Damon Wayans as a 'fruit' salesman. The DVD is part of a new Special Edition release of the "COP" trilogy and has a nice audio/video transfer. Its supplemental features include 2 making-of documentaries and an unexciting commentary by the brilliant director, Martin Brest (MIDNIGHT RUN, SCENT OF A WOMAN). Followed up by two sub-standard sequels.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Eddie Murphy!!
Review: Eddie Murphy is so commercial right now that it's hard to even imagine that he was once funny! This movie is hilarious!!! Murphy's wit and fast talking is absolutely mind bending!! The '80's was IT for him. All the actors in this film are cast just right. I really can't say anymore. See it!
Rating:
Summary: "What's this man doing here?" "Bleeding, sir."
Review: When you're only barely awake, it's dull outside, and you've been kept awake for a big chunk of the night, you want to watch a nice, happy, funny film. That's why I ended up watching this. (Hey, it could have been Hard Rain) Before fame went to Eddie Murphy's head, this series of films shot him into the big time league. He's simplistically funny, without being too over the top, and he is so memorable, particularly in the scenes where he impersonates a homosexual and mocking a fellow black police officer's way of talking. You know a film is either going to be either good or bad, when you recognise the themes and songs featured in it, without having seen the movie previously. I loved the theme song to start with, instantly recognising for some strange reason, but by the end of the movie, it's repeated so many times, you're sick of hearing it. Nowadays, Eddie Murphy is over the top, doing kiddie movies (Daddy Day Care, Dr Dolittle, and the Shrek movies), when really, he seems more natural in this kind of role, or his role in Trading Places. In his more recent films, every joke is forced, and you practically hear Eddie thinking "what am I saying?" This movie is the best way to remember Eddie when he was good, and before he started playing the role, saying the same jokes, and generally trying to be the funny black man.
Rating: 
Summary: Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Review: Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot.
Running Time: 105 minutes.
Rated R for violence and Eddie Murphy-like language. While the television show "Saturday Night Live" and "48 Hours" solidified Eddie Murhpy as a star, the Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer ("Armageddon", "The Rock") production "Beverly Hills Cop" proclaimed that he was a blockbuster film goliath that was here to stay. Using a hilarious script and some slapstick humor, the film became one of the most popular action-comedies to ever hit the big screen. Murphy stars as the rogue Detroit city cop Axel Foley, who travels to Beverly Hills, California to investigate the mysterious murder of his best friend. While staying the gorgeous environment, the Bevery Hills police department assigns two goofball officers (played by Reinhold and Ashton in fine roles) to watch after Foley and make sure that he does not create any problems. With the help of an old friend (Eilbacher), Axel realizes that he is up against a rich and glamorous crook and the only way to get justice is to take matters into his own hands--no matter what Beverly Hills and the police department thinks about it. Eddie Murphy is exceptionally funny in this feature, using many of his usual antics to get the clues that he needs and the things that he wants, but the shining star of the film is the quirky young detective Reinhold, looking up to Axel and doing what he knows is right, even if it is not normal police officer procedure. Director Martin Brest ("Scent of a Woman") and his explosive-friendly producers create an exciting, edge-of-your-seat romp that will have you giggling out loud the entire time. The Special Collector's Edition has many nice added features, including a commentary from Martin Brest, information about the excellent award-winning soundtrack, and exclusive interviews from the cast. Murphy at his absolute best.
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