Beverly Hills Cop

The heat is now on DVD. Arguably Eddie Murphy's best, Beverly Hills Cop is a tailor-made star vehicle that captures the comic actor at his 1980s, cock-of-the-walk peak. In this landmark fish-out-of-water action comedy, Murphy stars as maverick Detroit cop Axel Foley, whose investigation into a buddy's death leads him to Beverly Hills and a corrupt art dealer. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton lend able support as the by-the-book local "super cops" whom Foley confounds at every turn. While making the most of his solo set pieces (demanding a room at a sold-out posh hotel, crashing a ritzy club, bluffing his way into a customs office), Murphy also generously allows Bronson Pinchot to steal his all-too-brief scenes as a fey art gallery worker with an indecipherable accent. Murphy is notably missing in action on this otherwise arresting DVD that features commentary by amused director Martin Brest as well as interview segments about the film's production, casting, and chart-topping score. Among the more intriguing recollections is that the film was originally a vehicle for Sylvester Stallone, who insisted on rewriting the script. If you want some idea of what that debacle might have been like, see Cobra. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray Review—May 10, 2011—Paramount, 105 min., R, $24.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1984's Beverly Hills Cop sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras carried over from the previous DVD release include audio commentary by director Martin Brest, “The Phenomenon Begins” featurette on the film's cult status (30 min.), “A Glimpse Inside the Casting Process” (10 min.), “The Music” (8 min.), an interactive location map, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut of an ‘80s pop culture classic.]