Beverly Hills Cop II
The charisma of Eddie Murphy combined with a strong supporting combined to make Beverly Hills Cop one of the biggest blockbuster of the 1980's. It is not unkind to call the films and the scripts fluff as they is exactly what they are. The Beverly Hills Cop films are really more comedy, not surprising with Murphy in the lead, than they are crime stories, as the scripts are mere props for Murphy's acting talent. Like many sequels, such as Die Hard, one has to ignore the absurdity of all the characters being placed “back in the saddle” one more time and just go with the premise.
Both Beverly Hills Cop films are great examples of how a simple idea, well executed can lead to serious box-office success, especially if that simple idea is built around one of the hottest celebrities of the time. Perhaps what sets the film most apart is the new direction of Tony Scott which added some polish to the overall feel of the film.
Beverly Hills Cop II is like so many of the successful sequels of the 1980's in that it feels more like episode two of a television series than a real sequel to a film. The character development is virtually non-existent and you often feel that the pieces on the board are simply being moved around in slightly different directions but nothing really changes. In the long run this is death for a franchise.
Story C
Acting B
Visuals B-
Originality/Innovation C-
Enjoyability Grade C+
Home Theater/HD Factor C+
Overall Grade C+ (Sure there is a story involving some baddies, but the script is so recycled you probably won't care. Beverly Hills Cop II is mostly of interest as an example of how to make a buck in Hollywood, but it is also an example of the how to slowly kill a profitable cash cow.)
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