Film: Beverly Hills Cop aka: Beverly Hills Cop III
Trust me!
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)This is the movie that made Eddie Murphy a star. Axel Foley (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 againt 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.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 Bad Ass 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.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.
Beverly Hills Cop provides examples of:
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.
Bad Omen Anecdote: Near the conclusion, Billy and his partner, Taggart, find themselves outnumbered and pinned down by enemy gunfire. Despite the gravity of their situation, it's made clear that Billy is having the time of his life, as he gleefully recalls how Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid found themeselves in a similar situation when facing the Bolivian Army. Taggart tells Billy, if they make it out alive, he's going to make him pay.
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 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.
Black and Nerdy: The black guy on the second team assigned to shadow Axel, who has no problem lampshading it:
White Cop: We're the first team.
Black Cop: Yeah, and we're not gonna fall for a banana in the tailpipe.
Axel: [nasally voice] You're not gonna fall for the banana in the tailpipe? It should be more natural, brother. It should flow out, like this - "Look, man, I ain't fallin' for no banana in my tailpipe!" See, that's more natural for us. You been hanging out with this dude too long.
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 Bad Ass.
Taggart eases up a bit as well, but he's nearly always angry when he does, because he knows it's the best course of action. He's just not happy about it.
California Doubling: while still filmed in California most of the theme park scenes In III were filmed nowhere near Beverly Hills or Los Angeles, but way up north In Santa Clara just south of San Francisco
Cast the Expert: The role of Detroit police inspector Douglas Todd was played by Real Life Detroit police detective Gilbert Hill.
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.
Harpo Does Something Funny: By the time Eddie Murphy was attached to the project, the script had been shopped around considerably and rewritten several times. Many of the funniest scenes just resulted from Eddie and the other actors improvising in place of the scripted lines.
Ignoring By Singing: After messing up the cigarette sting operation Axel is bothered by Jeffrey. Alex uses the "la la la" version while trying to get Jeffrey to stop.
Foley: I am not listening to you.
Jeffrey: Great. Real mature.
Foley: I am not listening to Jeffrey, but he's still talking.
Leitmotif: The instrumental piece "Axel F" has become a sort of national anthem for The Eighties.
Lemming Cops: When the Beverly Hills cops are driving en masse into Maitland's mansion, some of his mooks try a getaway only to crash and cause the entire line of police cars to get into a chain of rear-end collisions, and Bogomil to break his By-the-Book Cop face to exclaim, "Oh, shit!"
Mexican Standoff: Occurs briefly at the end of the first movie, with Axel squaring off against Maitland, with Jeannette as hostage. Bogomill breaks it up by entering the scene, giving her an opportunity to break free and giving the two cops a clear shot.
Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: A gangland style murder and some German bearer bonds lead Axel to uncover a large cocaine smuggling operation.
Obstructive Bureaucrat: The Beverly Hills police have some traits of this, but come around in the end.
Not exactly intentional on his part, but the police and criminals of Beverly Hills alike mistake Axel's less than textbook approach as ignorance and stupidity. That doesn't stop him from taking advantage of their underestimation.
He also deliberately uses a "foolish black man" act several times to get past people by convincing them he's just a simpleminded servant.
Only a Flesh Wound: When Axel gets shot in the shoulder by Maitland, he keeps going on one arm. It's even lampshaded near the end.
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...
The Red Stapler: Axel's T-shirt, which became an instant best seller.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Some of Maitland's security goons try a getaway upon realizing that the entire Beverly Hills police force is on its way into the mansion.
Signature Laugh: Axel, so much that it was used in all the advertising.
Storming the Castle: Maitland's mansion, with one of the most hilarious shootout scenes ever filmed.
There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Maitland gets shot something like twenty times when one or two would have been more than enough.
Throw It In: There's moment where Maitland has Axel and Jenny cornered and is deciding what to do with them when he stop in his tracks and makes a face. In reality the actor was reacting to something Eddie Murphy ad-libbed but was removed in editing. They kept in his reaction because I made Maitland seem even more sinister and unhinged.
Tap on the Head: One of Maitland's mooks to Foley before Mikey is killed. He later taunts Axel about it while beating him up.
Casey: "How's that little bump on the head I gave you in Detroit? Healed up nice, I hope."
Rosewood: (holding the launcher on his lap and reading the instructions) "...Aim through here, push this." [whooosh... KABOOOM!] Taggart: "Fuck Rambo."
Badass Longcoat: Rosewood carries one in the trunk of his car, waiting for an opportune moment to use it.
Car Fu: Attempted by the Big Bad against Axel, which fails after he shoots Dent through the head. However, the collision puts Axel down long enough for Karla Fry to get the drop on him, allowing Taggart and Rosewood to play Big Damn Heroes.
Criminal Mind Games: Subverted in II, as the "alphabet crimes" are actually a Red Herring to cover up Dent's robbery of his own properties to finance his arms smuggling.
Bad Boss: DeWald responds to an injured henchman's plea for assistance by kicking him out of their speeding truck and underneath the wheels of Axel's car during the opening Chase Scene.
Of Corpse He's Alive: Axel uses a dead henchmen to trick the others where he fled.
Punch Clock Villain: The chopshop guys at the start. They don't carry guns, try not to hurt anybody, and sing along to the radio cheerfully. Even Axel didn't want to see them get hurt, and the Big Bad gunning them down is clearly supposed to make us hate him more.
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