Beverly Hills Cop II

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Jurgen Prochnow, Ronny Cox, Brigitte Nielsen, Paul Reiser, Dean Stockwell, Chris Rock, Robert Pastorelli, Gilbert Gottfried
Directed by: Tony Scott
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Action
1987

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Detroit police officer Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is upset to learn his friend, the Beverly Hills police captain (Ronny Cox) was shot and nearly killed. Axel once again travels to Beverly Hills, teaming up with Billy (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) to bring the killer to justice.

Review:

Tim: Beverly Hills Cop II is the inevitable sequel to the smash hit. This time, Tony Scott takes over the directing reigns, and intelligently, he doesn't stray too far from the script or the atmoshphere of the first film. In fact, he keeps it a little too close. This movie feels a bit too much like the first film. I wish it had taken a few more chances. Still, the movie keeps the formula of the first film intact, and for that reason, it is enjoyable.

Eddie Murphy is once again funny and entertaining as Axel Foley. He is just perfect for this role, and it is so much fun to see him wreck havoc in Beverly Hills, respecting no one or anything, bent on bringing the criminals to justice. He has some hilarious moments, putting other people in incredibly awkward positions. These are great moments, and I really had fun watching them. Judge Reinhold is back as Billy, and although he is more of a caricature than a multi-dimensional character, Reinhold's performance is so good that it barely matters. I also liked the casting of Jurgen Prochnow as the villain. He was born to play a bad guy, and he is spectacular here. The rest of the cast features some small but good shows from Paul Reiser, Chris Rock, and Gilbert Gottfried.

Once again, the movie balances out the action and the comedy very well, with more of a focus on comedy. This formula works extremely well, and I am glad it wasn't lost in this sequel. There are once again some exciting action sequences, which keep the audience interested in between comedic moments. The story isn't very original, but it is fast-paced and keeps us interested.

Beverly Hills Cop II is a movie that ensures it doesn't stray too far from the original. For this reason, the movie is very enjoyable. However, I wish the movie would have taken a few more chances, possibly striving to be better than the original. It felt like this movie played it far too safe, and for that reason, it doesn't quite reach the heights of the first film. On the other hand, though, this is a sequel that respects the original, and doesn't represent a huge drop in quality, which so often happens with sequels. For that reason, this is a movie that is deserving of our time, and it launched the Beverly Hills Cop franchise into one of the best of the 80s.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop III, 48 Hrs.