Category: Crime

48 Hrs. (1982) 

Director: Walter Hill

Screenplay: Roger Spottiswoode, Walter Hill, Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza

Stars: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O’Toole, Frank McRae, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly, Sonny Landham, Brion James, Kerry Sherman, James Keane, Greta Blackburn, Margot Rose, Denise Crosby, Olivia Brown, Todd Allen, Jack Thibeau, Ola Ray and Jonathan Banks.

Tagline: The boys are back in town. Nick Nolte is a cop. Eddie Murphy is a convict. They couldn’t have liked each other less. They couldn’t have needed each other more. And the last place they ever expected to be is on the same side. Even for… 48 HRS

The Plot…

When San Francisco detectives, Cates (Nolte),  Algren (Banks) and Van Zant (Keane) attempt to arrest two escaped convicts, things go sideways.  Algren and Van Zant are killed.  The convicts get away.

Detective Cates has a plan to catch the killers.  He’s getting a 48 hour supervised prison release for Reggie Hammond (Murphy). Hammond is a fast-talking, hip con man and thief.  Hammond also worked with one of the convicts.  Cates believes Hammond’s inside info will lead him to the convicts.

Cates and Hammond take an instant dislike to each other.  Over the next 48 hours they may develop a friendship… if they survive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The idea of a cop and a convict working together had been floating around for a while.  Paramount hired Walter Hill to write a script with the idea that Clint Eastwood would play the convict.  Hill did, but when he finished he said he thought the script would work better with Eastwood playing the cop and someone like Richard Pryor playing the convict.  The project went into limbo until a few years passed.  Hill was brought back to work with Nolte and Eddie Murphy (in his feature film debut).

Eddie Murphy wasn’t the first actor considered for the role.  Gregory Hines was.  Other actors considered before Murphy included Howard Rollins, Jr. and Denzel Washington.

Eddie Murphy’s character’s name originally was Willie Biggs.  Murphy thought it sounded like a “Hollywood, made-up, black guy’s name” so it was changed to Reggie Hammond.

Nick Nolte was paid one million dollars and got top billing.  Eddie Murphy made $450,000.00.  For the sequel Murphy got top billing and seven million dollars, while Nolte made three million dollars.

Director Walter Hill has a brief cameo as a convict in the opening chain gang scene.

Nolte and Murphy, Remar and Landham are perfectly cast.  Each pair has the right chemistry.

48 Hrs. (1982) rates 5 of 5 stars.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) 

Director: Mark Molloy

Screenplay: Will Beall, Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten; story by Will Beal; based on characters created by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr.

Stars: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, Kevin Bacon, Luis Guzmán, Christopher McDonald and Steven Berkoff

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When Detroit police detective Axel Foley (Murphy) receives a call from his old pal P.I. Billy Rosewood (Reinhold), Foley learns that his grown estranged daughter’s life is in danger.  Foley arrives in Beverly Hills. He discovers that an attempt on his daughter’s life was made and Billy is missing.

As Axel digs into the case, he uncovers a conspiracy going to the highest levels.  Now both Axel and his daughter are targets.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Will Beal, who came up with the story and co-wrote the screenplay, is a former L.A. cop turned writer.  Beal’s L.A. REX is excellent.

Steven Berkoff, who played the villain in the original film, has a brief uncredited cameo as a motorist.

This is director Mark Molloy’s first feature film.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F hits all the right beats for fans of the series.  It has a plausible reason for Foley to return to Beverly Hills.  It brings back characters in a way that works.  It gives Foley a daughter (that wasn’t mentioned in Beverly Hills Cop III, although she would have been born).  It references the past films, even going so far as to say that Foley’s third case in Beverly Hills wasn’t his “finest hour”.  Beverly Hills III was easily the least favorite of the series.  It uses the famous Axel F theme from the original Beverly Hills Cop by composer Harold Faltermeyer.

For some reason Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F works when it shouldn’t.  When we see Axel driving a snow plow through the city, destroying dozens of vehicles, we ignore the fact that this would probably injure or kill pedestrians as well.  We accept the fact that he is able to keep his job.

When he gets his “partner” to steal a helicopter and fly down Beverly Hills Streets the only damage is to vehicles.  People are never hurt. That’s why Axel and Bobby walk away from a helicopter crash without even a limp or bruise.

The same is true when there is a shoot-out on a crowded Beverly Hills Street.  Only the bad guys die.  I guess it is because in a Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F shootout, the bad guys fire dozens of shots and always miss.  Later when Axel is hit, the bad guy was shooting at his daughter and Axel jumps in front of her.

The fact that we are able to ignore these things is evidence that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F works.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)  rates 4 of 5 stars.