Tony Scott was a visual genius. If you look at the 1987 sequel Beverly Hills Cop II, you can see his fingerprints on every single frame. It’s got that orange-teal hue, the heavy smoke, and the long lenses that made Top Gun a masterpiece just a year earlier. Honestly, it’s a weird movie when you step back and look at it. It’s darker than the first one. Much more aggressive. But somehow, Eddie Murphy makes it work because he was at the absolute peak of his movie star powers.
The mid-eighties were a wild time for cinema. Sequels weren't just expected; they were demanded by a public that couldn't get enough of Axel Foley. Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, the legendary production duo, knew they had a goldmine. They didn't just want a funny movie. They wanted a high-octane, stylish action thriller that happened to have a comedian in the lead role.
The Shift from Comedy to "Style over Substance"
A lot of people forget how grounded the original 1984 film was. Martin Brest directed that one with a focus on fish-out-of-water comedy. But when Tony Scott stepped in for the sequel, the vibe shifted. It became a "designer" action flick. You've got these long shots of Ferraris and high-end boutiques, all drenched in that California sun that looks almost like it's from another planet.
It’s about the Alphabet Crimes. A series of high-stakes robberies that leave the Beverly Hills Police Department looking totally incompetent. Axel Foley sees his friend, Captain Andrew Bogomil (played by the late, great Ronny Cox), get gunned down in the street. That's heavy. It’s not exactly the setup for a lighthearted romp. Axel ditches his undercover gig in Detroit, heads back to the 90210, and teams up with Rosewood and Taggart again.
Judge Reinhold’s performance as Billy Rosewood in this movie is hilarious. He goes from being a straight-laced cop to a guy obsessed with Rambo and heavy weaponry. He has a literal arsenal in his car. Taggart, played by John Ashton, is the perfect foil—just a grumpy guy who wants to follow the rules but keeps getting dragged into Axel's chaos. Their chemistry is why the movie survives the tonal shifts.
Why the Alphabet Crimes Plot Actually Matters
The villain, Maxwell Dent (Jürgen Prochnow), and his enforcer, Karla Fry (Brigitte Nielsen), aren't your typical bumbling bad guys. Nielsen is imposing. She’s tall, blonde, and utterly lethal. She barely speaks, but her presence creates a genuine sense of threat that was missing from the first film’s antagonists.
The plot involves illegal arms dealing and insurance fraud, which sounds like a boring business meeting, but Scott turns it into a series of set pieces. The oil refinery shootout? It's iconic. The strip club scene? Classic 80s grit. The pacing is breakneck. You don't have time to think about the logic because the movie is moving at 100 miles per hour.
Eddie Murphy’s Absolute Prime
If you watch Beverly Hills Cop II today, you're watching a man who knew he was the biggest star on Earth. Murphy’s improvisations are legendary. The scene where he pretends to be a building inspector to take over a mansion? Pure Axel Foley. He talks so fast and with such confidence that the people he's conning—and the audience—just go along with it.
He wasn't just a comedian anymore; he was an icon. The Detroit Lions jacket became a fashion staple because of him.
But there’s a tension in this movie. Murphy has admitted in interviews later on that he felt the pressure of the "sequel trap." Sometimes you can see a bit of a harder edge in his performance. He’s less the laughing prankster and more of a cool, calculated detective who is genuinely pissed off that his friend got shot. It gives the film a weight that differentiates it from the 1994 third entry, which most fans agree was a total disaster.
The Visual Language of Tony Scott
We need to talk about the cinematography. Jeffrey L. Kimball, who worked with Scott on Top Gun, brought that same aesthetic here. The movie uses "Golden Hour" lighting constantly. Everything glows. It’s a hyper-stylized version of Los Angeles that doesn't really exist, but it feels real within the context of the film.
Some critics at the time hated it. They thought it was "MTV-style" filmmaking. They weren't wrong, but they were wrong about it being a bad thing. That style defined a decade. Without Beverly Hills Cop II, you don't get the visual DNA of Bad Boys or Michael Bay's entire career. It’s the blueprint for the modern blockbuster.
The soundtrack is another beast entirely. "Shakedown" by Bob Seger and "Be There" by Pointer Sisters. It’s pure ear candy. The music drives the action. It’s loud, it’s synth-heavy, and it’s undeniably catchy. Harold Faltermeyer’s "Axel F" theme returns, obviously, but it’s tweaked to fit the more aggressive tone of the sequel.
Behind the Scenes Chaos and Success
Production wasn't exactly smooth. There were constant script rewrites. Originally, the movie was supposed to take place in London, but Murphy didn't want to go overseas. So, they moved it back to Beverly Hills. The script was being finished as they were filming.
Despite that, it was a massive hit. It opened to record-breaking numbers in May 1987. It eventually grossed nearly $300 million worldwide. Think about that for a second. In 1987 dollars, that is an insane amount of money for an R-rated action-comedy.
- Directing: Tony Scott replaced Martin Brest.
- Villains: Brigitte Nielsen and Jürgen Prochnow.
- The Hook: The Alphabet Crimes and the shooting of Bogomil.
- The Comedy: Rosewood’s obsession with guns and Taggart’s frustration.
It’s a movie that relies on your familiarity with the characters. It doesn't waste time introducing them. It assumes you love Axel, Billy, and John. And we did. We still do.
What People Get Wrong About the Sequel
A common criticism is that it's "just a remake of the first one." That’s lazy.
The first movie is a character study wrapped in a comedy. The second movie is a heist-thriller wrapped in a music video. The stakes are higher. The violence is more visceral. It’s also much more cynical about the Beverly Hills elite. The way Axel manipulates the high-society world feels more biting here.
Also, can we talk about the sheer amount of smoke in every room? Seriously. Tony Scott loved a smoke machine. Whether it’s an office or a warehouse, there is always a mysterious fog rolling across the floor. It’s ridiculous, and it’s beautiful.
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How to Revisit the Franchise Today
If you're planning a rewatch, or if you're diving in because of the recent Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix, you have to watch the 1987 sequel with the right mindset. Don't look for the subtle wit of the original. Look for the energy. Look at how Murphy commands a room.
The best way to experience it is on a 4K remaster if you can find it. The colors pop in a way that modern digital films just can't replicate. The grain of the film adds a texture that feels "expensive" in a way that’s hard to describe.
Actionable Insights for Movie Buffs:
- Watch for the cameos: Chris Rock has a tiny role as a valet. It’s one of his earliest appearances.
- Compare the tone: Watch the first 10 minutes of the original and the first 10 minutes of the sequel back-to-back. The difference in camera movement and lighting tells the whole story of 80s cinema evolution.
- Check the gear: Look at Rosewood’s "handcannon" (the Smith & Wesson Model 29). It’s a deliberate nod to Dirty Harry, showing how the character has changed.
- Listen to the score: Pay attention to how Faltermeyer uses different synth patches to make the sequel feel "harder" than the original.
Beverly Hills Cop II is a time capsule. It represents the moment when the "Bruckheimer Blockbuster" became a solidified genre. It’s loud, it’s flashy, and it’s unapologetically entertaining. It might not have the "soul" of the first film, but it has enough style to fuel ten other movies. Axel Foley didn't just survive the sequel; he conquered the decade with it.
To get the most out of your next viewing, pay close attention to the background details in the precinct scenes. The set design is incredibly dense with 80s technology and "high-tech" props that looked futuristic then but feel charmingly retro now. Contrast Axel's "Detroit" grit against the polished chrome of Beverly Hills one more time—it's a dynamic that never truly gets old.