Beverly Hills Cop

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Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is a hip, street-smart detective in early 1980s Detroit; as something of a loose cannon, he's not well respected by Da Chief, but the other guys on the force love him. One day, an old friend of his visits -- then ends up killed by hitmen just outside Axel's apartment. Despite being warned away from the case Axel, determined to find out what happened, takes vacation time and follows the killers' trail back to Beverly Hills, California.

Hilarity Ensues as Axel adjusts to the more straight-laced world of Beverly Hills, using his comedic timing and unflappability to get himself out of some sticky situations. As he tries to build a case against the Mooks that killed his friend back in Detroit, he manages to talk his way into (and out of) the Beverly Hills jail, his hotel, a bonded warehouse, a country club, and more. Just when he's about to crack the case, the Big Bad arrives and kidnaps his not-quite-love-interest, Jeannette Summers (Lisa Eilbacher), forcing the Beverly Hills police detectives he's been trying to win over to come and help. The movie ends in a massive, scenery-chewing shootout at the villain's huge mansion, with the local detectives learning that sometimes bending the rules isn't so bad after all.

This was the movie that made Eddie Murphy a star, and resulted in two sequels. It was the highest-grossing movie in the United States in 1984, the same year as Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

Axel Foley is back, this time prompted to return to Beverly Hills after Captain Bogomil is gunned down in cold blood as part of a serial crime rampage. Naturally, the local police chief, Lutz, wants nothing to do with him, so he invents an elaborate cover story, first as a psychic and then later as part of a mythical intercity task force on organized crime. He's up against the "Alphabet Bandit", a man who pulls off daring crimes in broad daylight and leaves behind only a cryptic clue in the form of a coded note. With the aid of Taggart and the newly Badass Rosewood, he traces the bad guys all over the city, including a car chase involving a cement mixer, the Playboy Mansion, and finally a shootout at an international arms smuggling depot. The film features Brigitte Nielsen as Karla Fry, The Dragon. The third-highest grossing movie of 1987 in the United States, earning more than Lethal Weapon and Dirty Dancing combined.

Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)

This time, Axel is attempting to take down a car theft ring when the thieves well-armed clients shoot their way out, killing the chief. To avenge his boss, Axel follows a lead to a Los Angeles theme park which is the front for a massive counterfeiting operation. Accused of the shooting of the park's owner, he enlists the help of Rosewood and his new partner, Jon Flint, to prove his innocence and get revenge on the ringleader. It was the thirty-fourth highest grossing release of 1994, beaten by the Jean Claude Van Damme movie Time Cop. There was no Beverly Hills Cop IV.


Beverly Hills Cop is the Trope Namer for:
The following tropes are common to many or all entries in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise.
For tropes specific to individual installments, visit their respective work pages.

Beverly Hills Cop provides examples of:

  • Adult Child: Billy Rosewood.
  • The Alleged Car: Axel's beat up old Chevy Nova, which is apparently a Running Gag between him and Jeannette.
  • Audit Threat: When Axel Foley is caught illegally searching for evidence, he pretends to be an inspector and threatens an employee who questions his authority with an IRS audit. The employee drops his objections.
  • Banana In the Tailpipe: The Trope Namer.
  • Bavarian Fire Drill: Even though Axel Foley is an actual cop, his jurisdiction is in Detroit and any time he visits Bel Air, he must use Bavarian Fire Drill tactics to get the job done. On the other hand, he also uses this trope when he does have jurisdiction, as does Rosewood after getting the idea from Axel in the first film.
  • Big Bad: Victor Maitland.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Occurs twice. The first time comes after Axel tells Billy to Wait Here outside Maitland's warehouse, and Billy is subsequently forced to go rescue him. The second is when Bogomil bursts in on the Mexican Standoff between Axel and Maitland, with Jeannette as the hostage.
  • Big Guy, Little Guy: Taggart and Rosewood, the cops assigned to watch Axel and whom he eventually befriends.
  • Bikini Bar: Axel visits one with Taggart and Rosewood in tow, then ends up breaking up a robbery.
  • Bolivian Army Ending: Discussed by Rosewood during the big shootout, to Taggart's horror.

Rosewood: You know what I keep thinking about? You know the end of Butch Cassidy? Redford and Newman are almost out of ammunition, and the whole Bolivian army is out- out in front of this little hut?
Taggart: Billy, I'm gonna make you pay for this.

  • By-The-Book Cop: All the actual Beverly Hills cops. Rosewood, at least, learns to ease up a little more each time meets Axel, becoming a gun-nut and a Badass.
  • Catch Phrase: Axel: "Trust me!" Jeffrey: "This is not my [locker/office]!" Todd: "You're damn right!"
  • The Cavalry: The entire Beverly Hills police force shows up just in the nick of time to rescue Taggart and Rosewood.
  • Character Development: Both Rosewood and Taggart have moments when they are forced to abandon their By-The-Book Cop methods in order to rescue Axel and Jeannette, respectively.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Billy shows symptoms of this, with Taggart getting to play straight man to his bizarre non-sequiturs.
  • Cluster F-Bomb: Axel, many times.
  • Cowboy Cop: Again, the Trope Namer. Axel, obviously.
  • Da Chief: Foley's boss -- played by an actual Detroit cop, too.

Axel: Wait a second, look. I just thought, that if there was a problem -
Inspector Todd: Don't think, Axel! It makes my dick itch!

Foley: I am not listening to you.
Jeffrey: Great. Real mature.
Foley: I am not listening to Jeffrey, but he's still talking.
Jeffrey: I hate when you do that.

Chief Hubbard: "What is that man doing here?"
Axel: "Bleeding, sir."

  • Pants-Positive Safety: Axel keeps his service automatic shoved into his belt, behind his back.
  • Playing Drunk: While in the bar, Axel pretends to be drunk to make an armed robber think he's harmless and get close enough to take him out.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Inspector Bogomil, who in some early scenes is a by-the-book Obstructive Bureaucrat, proves himself one of these when he actually listens to Axel's theories about Maitland and launches an investigation. Later, upon learning that two of his officers joined Axel in Storming the Castle, he sends in the entire Beverly Hills Police department to back them up.

Dispatcher: Sir, reports of shots fired, same location. 609 Palm Canyon Road.
Bogomil: Put it out as a nine-nine-eight! Officers need assistance... undercovers on scene!
Dispatcher: Sir?
Bogomil: Do it! I want all North End units to roll, South End units stay in their location! Damn...

Casey: "How's that little bump on the head I gave you in Detroit? Healed up nice, I hope."

Beverly Hills Cop II provides examples of:

Rosewood: (holding the launcher on his lap and reading the instructions) "...Aim through here, push this."
[whooosh... KABOOOM!]
Taggart: "Fuck Rambo."

Beverly Hills Cop III provides examples of: