Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

Movie Info

You use lasers…I use bullets!

Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back!  When his friend Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox) is shot by a mysterious woman (Brigitte Nielsen) while investigating the Alphabet Crimes in L.A., Axel is headed back to L.A. to find out who’s responsible.  Once again, he’s forced to go undercover with Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to find the meaning behind the Alphabet Crimes and stop them.

Directed by Tony Scott, Beverly Hills Cop II is a follow-up to the massive 1984 hit Beverly Hills Cop.  This movie also became a blockbuster and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (“Shakedown” Bob Seger).

With the success of Beverly Hills Cop it was no surprise that it was followed by a sequel.  It is rather surprising that it took three years to happen.  While the first Beverly Hills Cop was a bit of surprise hit, this was much more processed and less clever…but still fun.

Just call me Gun Sonja!!!

The story in Beverly Hills Cop II isn’t as tight as the story in the original.  It would have been hard to follow the first film (it was nominated for an Academy Award for its script), so I can give it some leeway.  The basic premise and why he returns to Beverly Hills is a bit forced and the fact that he how has to once again work undercover within the police department seems redundant.

With less logic, the film itself seems a little bigger and more explosive.  The script does lend itself to this since it is about arms dealers, but it also has that ridiculous ’80s action feel that the first one had, but just not as big and bombastic.  The gunfights, the explosions, and everything seem bigger and more powerful (it had a bit bigger budget).

Rosewood and Taggart…action super-heroes!!!

Eddie Murphy does hold this movie together however.  His comic timing is perfect though I buy less of his improve undercover work.  He comes off as convincing in the film, but I don’t see it to be as natural as before…you can only talk your way into so much.  I don’t feel that either Brigitte Nielsen, Jürgen Prochnow, or Dean Stockwell are as good of villains as Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff) from the first film, but they are pretty solid.  At this point, Judge Reinhold was also rising in popularity so it seems like his role was elevated from the first film.

Beverly Hills Cop II continued Eddie Murphy’s funnyman reign.  At the time, Murphy was on top and Beverly Hills Cop II is a good continuation of the series.  It doesn’t have the same punch as the original, but it still has much of the same heart.  Beverly Hills Cop II was followed by the much maligned Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994.

Related Links:

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)