Axel Foley is back in Beverly Hills, and this time he’s chasing a killer. Beverly Hills Cop II brings Eddie Murphy’s Detroit detective back to the land of sunshine and palm trees for a sequel that trades the original’s charm for a bigger, louder action spectacle. The result is a film that knows exactly what it wants to be: a comedy with teeth, and it mostly delivers.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
Axel Foley Returns to Investigate the Shooting of Captain Bogomil
The setup is simple. Captain Andrew Bogomil is shot in Beverly Hills, and Axel Foley travels from Detroit to investigate. He teams up again with Detective Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart, the same partners from the first film. Together they uncover a series of “Alphabet” robberies, each marked with a letter, and find that they’re being masterminded by a heartless weapons kingpin named Karla Fry.
The film’s central mystery is built around a string of precision robberies, each leaving behind an envelope marked with a letter of the alphabet. Captain Bogomil is shot while investigating the case, and his near-fatal attack draws Foley into town. Along the way, Foley examines expertly modified bullet casings and visits a local gun club, where he meets Fry, the woman who masterminded the robberies.
Karla Fry and the Alphabet Robberies
Karla Fry is the villain of the piece, and she’s a far more dangerous presence than the original film’s villains. She carries out a precision robbery of a jewelry store, leaving behind an envelope marked “A” with a cryptic code. Her plan is to use the robbery as a cover for a larger scheme involving the city’s depository, marked “C” and “D.”
The robberies themselves are the film’s engine. Each one leaves behind a letter, and Foley pieces together the pattern by examining the bullet casings. The chase across Beverly Hills builds toward a final confrontation at the Playboy Mansion, where Fry, Dent and Foley all face off.
The Chase Through Beverly Hills
The film’s best sequences come in the middle stretch, where Foley, Rosewood and Taggart pursue the getaway vehicle through Beverly Hills in a cement mixer. The chase causes extensive collateral damage, and the film leans fully into the absurdity of a cement mixer being used as a police vehicle.
It’s a wild set piece, and it works because the film commits entirely to it. The destruction is cartoonish, but the energy is real, and it’s the kind of sequence that made the first film a hit. The chase is a highlight, even if the film spends too much time building up to it.
Mixed Reviews From Critics
Beverly Hills Cop II was a commercial success. It grossed approximately $300 million worldwide against a $27 million budget. That’s a huge number, and it speaks to the film’s appeal beyond critics. The film also earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song.
The critical reception was mixed. Some reviewers praised Murphy’s performance, while others found the film too reliant on action over humor. The film’s tone is uneven, and the balance between comedy and spectacle often tips too far in one direction.
The film’s biggest problem is pacing. The first half drags, with the investigation taking longer than the story needs it to. The chase sequences in the middle stretch are the film’s high points, but they arrive late, and the film spends too much time getting there.
A Solid Sequel With Rough Edges
Beverly Hills Cop II isn’t the greatest sequel ever made, but it’s a solid one. Murphy’s performance carries the film, and the action set pieces are genuinely fun. The film’s weaknesses—uneven pacing, a reliance on spectacle—are real, but they don’t sink the movie.
The film earns a 6.5 out of 10.
Key Facts
– Director: Tony Scott
– Writers: Robert D. Wachs, Larry Ferguson, Warren Skaaren, Eddie Murphy
– Runtime: 103 minutes
– Release date: May 20, 1987
– Gross: approximately $300 million worldwide
– Budget: $27 million
Beverly Hills Cop II is a sequel that understands what made the first film work and pushes it further. The action is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the comedy is sharper. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s a confident one, and it knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be.
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