Beverly Hills Cop II
Encyclopedia
Beverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 action
-comedy film
starring Eddie Murphy
and directed by Tony Scott
. It is the first sequel
in the Beverly Hills Cop series
. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley
, who returns to Beverly Hills, California to track down a joint robbery/gun-running ring. He reunites with Beverly Hills detectives Billy Rosewood
(Judge Reinhold
) and John Taggart (John Ashton
) to stop the gang after their friend, Captain Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox
), is shot and seriously wounded by them.
Although it made less money than the original Beverly Hills Cop
and received mixed reviews from critics, the film was still a box office success, making $153,665,036 domestically. Aside from box office success, the film was nominated for an Oscar and for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, for the song "Shakedown".
), Detective Billy Rosewood
(Judge Reinhold
), and Sergeant John Taggart (John Ashton
) are trying to figure out who is behind the "Alphabet Crimes," a series of mostly high end store robberies distinguished by their monogrammed envelopes with an alphabetical sequence the assailants leave behind. Complicating matters is the new "political" state of the Beverly Hills police, headed by an incompetent and verbally abusive new police chief Harold Lutz (Allen Garfield
), who is doing everything he can to stay on Mayor Ted Egan's (Robert Ridgely
) good side. Unimpressed when Rosewood calls the FBI to help solve the case, Lutz holds Bogomil responsible as commanding officer and suspends him, despite Bogomil's efforts to convince him that Rosewood was only following a hunch, a traditional aspect of police work. Lutz also punishes Taggart and Rosewood by placing them on traffic duty.
On the way home, Bogomil is shot by Karla Fry (Brigitte Nielsen
), the chief hench-woman of Maxwell Dent (Jürgen Prochnow
). Finding out about the shooting by a news report, Axel Foley
(Murphy
) immediately flies out to Beverly Hills (covering his absence from his actual job in Detroit by telling his commanding officer Inspector Todd he is going "deep deep deep DEEP undercover" on the credit card fraud case he had been assigned to) to help find out who shot Bogomil, to repay the favor he owes Bogomil for saving his job two years ago. Taggart and Rosewood agree to assist Foley because of Lutz's apparent attempts to find an excuse to get them fired.
Posing as an undercover FBI agent to get past Lutz (by getting his would-be partner Jeffrey Friedman in Detroit to pose as Todd, and intercept Lutz's phone call to Todd's office, to convince Lutz that Foley is part of a multi-jurisdictional task force), Foley soon starts making the connection between the robberies and Dent. Foley has Bogomil's daughter Jan use her connections as an insurance agent to find out about Dent's financial dealings: Dent is robbing his own businesses on purpose in order to finance firearms deals and is discreetly using his henchman Charles Cain (Dean Stockwell
) as the front man for his operations. Bogomil was shot because his investigation was on the correct track into the case.
Having foiled a robbery attempt at a bank depot, Foley is able to trick Dent's accountant (Gilbert Gottfried
) into using his computer and discovers that Dent and Karla are planning to leave the country. Foley also learns from Jan that all of Dent's businesses have had their insurance coverage canceled and are about to go bankrupt except his race track, which he is convinced is the next target. On the way to the race track, Foley solves the latest riddle sent to the police, and is convinced that this riddle was made easily solvable in order to implicate Cain as the Alphabet Bandit, although Foley, after meeting him earlier, knows Cain is a patsy designed to throw the authorities off of Dent's trail.
The three arrive too late to stop the robbery and find Cain's body (he was shot by Karla) among those killed. While Lutz announces publicly that the Alphabet Crimes have been solved, Foley notices some red mud at the stables, which leads him, Taggart and Rosewood to Dent's oil field, where Dent is making his final arms deal. The three get into a shootout with everyone involved in the deal. Dent confronts Foley in the warehouse, but Foley gets distracted by one of Dent's henchmen on the roof above him and Dent gets away. Dent then crashes through the wall in his car and Foley shoots Dent through the windshield, sending his car down a hill and erupting in flames. Karla appears and is about to kill Foley, but is shot dead by Taggart.
Just as the last thugs are about to flee, the police arrive upon the scene, along with Lutz and Mayor Egan. Lutz tries to fire Rosewood and Taggart for their insubordination, and also tries to arrest Foley. However, both Taggart and Rosewood stand up to Lutz this time and prove that Dent was the real Alphabet Bandit. They are also able to convince Mayor Egan of Lutz's incompetence, and the Mayor personally fires Lutz because he is tired of his abusive attitude towards his own men.
At the end of the film, Bogomil is chosen by Mayor Egan to replace Lutz as the new Chief of Police, and Foley returns to Detroit, but not before he gets chewed out by Inspector Todd over the phone, right after Egan called Todd to congratulate him on allowing Foley to assist them on this case.
had planned a television series based on the first film
. Eddie Murphy refused the series but was willing to do a sequel. Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer hired Tony Scott to direct due to his success with the 1986 blockbuster film Top Gun
. The film was originally to be set and filmed in London
and Paris
, however, the script was re-written after Eddie Murphy
expressed a reluctance to film outside the United States.
. Upon their next meeting, Lutz says that he checked with Immigration
and they had never heard of Johnny Wishbone. St. Croix is an island in the US Virgin Islands
and therefore Immigration would have no record of anyone from there coming to the Continental U.S. When Axel Foley is searching the map coordinates the address of City Deposit is 9752 Gregory way but when Taggart is calling for back-up he clearly says the address as 341 Gregory. In another scene after the City Deposit heist, as Murphy jumps up into the concrete truck, he drops his gun which can be seen briefly and in a change of camera view of the following scene you can see the gun in the street. And after Murphy reaches the armored truck to look through it he has his gun.
Detroit Police Inspector Todd's office window has his name inscribed as "G. TODD", however, in Beverly Hills Cop III
, dialogue reveals that Todd's first name is Douglas. The "G" may stand for the first name of Gil Hill
, a former detective for the Detroit Police Department and past President of the Detroit City Council who actually plays Inspector Todd.
. However, the film's soundtrack
CD released by MCA Records
includes only a different song entitled "Hold On," sung by Corey Hart. This song has different music and slightly altered lyrics. The movie introduced George Michael
's controversial song "I Want Your Sex
". It also includes "Cross My Broken Heart
" by The Jets
and "Shakedown
" by Bob Seger
which became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
, as well as "Better Way" performed by James Ingram
. As with the first movie, none of Harold Faltermeyer's soundtrack score has ever been released. However, Harold Faltermeyer
's 1988 album, Harold F, includes a song called "Bad Guys" which is used as part of the film's score—an instrumental section of the song plays during the opening jewelry store robbery scene, and also during several other scenes throughout the movie.
The soundtrack debuted #8 on the Billboard charts and spent 26 weeks on the charts, a far cry compared to the 49 weeks the soundtrack for the first Beverly Hills Cop. Despite this, one song from the album, "Shakedown" was nominated for on Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. However, another song from the album "I Want Your Sex" was nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Song.
33 million on its opening weekend, a sales mark that would result in its being the highest opening weekend debut of the year. Beverly Hills Cop II made approximately $153,665,036, becoming the third biggest hit domestically at the box office that year, after Fatal Attraction
and Three Men and a Baby
and the second highest grossing film worldwide that year, behind Fatal Attraction.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
-comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
and directed by Tony Scott
Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
. It is the first sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
in the Beverly Hills Cop series
Beverly Hills Cop (film series)
Beverly Hills Cop is a series of action-comedy films, with characters written by Daniel Petrie, Jr. and Danilo Bach. The films star Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold and John Ashton, though Ashton does not appear in Beverly Hills Cop III. Harold Faltermeyer produced the now famous "Axel F" theme song...
. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley
Axel Foley
Axel Foley is a fictional character, portrayed by Eddie Murphy, and is the main protagonist of the Beverly Hills Cop film franchise. He is ranked number 78 on Empire Magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time...
, who returns to Beverly Hills, California to track down a joint robbery/gun-running ring. He reunites with Beverly Hills detectives Billy Rosewood
Billy Rosewood
William "Billy" Rosewood is a fictional character from the Beverly Hills Cop film series, and is portrayed by Judge Reinhold.-Fictional character biography:...
(Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold is an American actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy.-Early life:...
) and John Taggart (John Ashton
John Ashton (actor)
John David Ashton is an American actor born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre.John Ashton attended Enfield High School in Enfield, Connecticut....
) to stop the gang after their friend, Captain Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox
Ronny Cox
Daniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
), is shot and seriously wounded by them.
Although it made less money than the original Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
and received mixed reviews from critics, the film was still a box office success, making $153,665,036 domestically. Aside from box office success, the film was nominated for an Oscar and for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, for the song "Shakedown".
Plot
In a scenario set approximately two years after the original film, Captain (formerly Lieutenant) Andrew Bogomil (Ronny CoxRonny Cox
Daniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
), Detective Billy Rosewood
Billy Rosewood
William "Billy" Rosewood is a fictional character from the Beverly Hills Cop film series, and is portrayed by Judge Reinhold.-Fictional character biography:...
(Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold is an American actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy.-Early life:...
), and Sergeant John Taggart (John Ashton
John Ashton (actor)
John David Ashton is an American actor born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre.John Ashton attended Enfield High School in Enfield, Connecticut....
) are trying to figure out who is behind the "Alphabet Crimes," a series of mostly high end store robberies distinguished by their monogrammed envelopes with an alphabetical sequence the assailants leave behind. Complicating matters is the new "political" state of the Beverly Hills police, headed by an incompetent and verbally abusive new police chief Harold Lutz (Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield, born and sometimes credited as Allen Goorwitz , is an American film and television actor.-Biography:...
), who is doing everything he can to stay on Mayor Ted Egan's (Robert Ridgely
Robert Ridgely
Robert Ridgely was an American actor and vocal artist, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work.-Career:...
) good side. Unimpressed when Rosewood calls the FBI to help solve the case, Lutz holds Bogomil responsible as commanding officer and suspends him, despite Bogomil's efforts to convince him that Rosewood was only following a hunch, a traditional aspect of police work. Lutz also punishes Taggart and Rosewood by placing them on traffic duty.
On the way home, Bogomil is shot by Karla Fry (Brigitte Nielsen
Brigitte Nielsen
Brigitte Nielsen is a Danish model, actress, musician and reality television personality who began her career modelling for Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton and several years later made appearances in the 1985 films Red Sonja and Rocky IV and is also known for her marriage to Sylvester Stallone...
), the chief hench-woman of Maxwell Dent (Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
). Finding out about the shooting by a news report, Axel Foley
Axel Foley
Axel Foley is a fictional character, portrayed by Eddie Murphy, and is the main protagonist of the Beverly Hills Cop film franchise. He is ranked number 78 on Empire Magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time...
(Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
) immediately flies out to Beverly Hills (covering his absence from his actual job in Detroit by telling his commanding officer Inspector Todd he is going "deep deep deep DEEP undercover" on the credit card fraud case he had been assigned to) to help find out who shot Bogomil, to repay the favor he owes Bogomil for saving his job two years ago. Taggart and Rosewood agree to assist Foley because of Lutz's apparent attempts to find an excuse to get them fired.
Posing as an undercover FBI agent to get past Lutz (by getting his would-be partner Jeffrey Friedman in Detroit to pose as Todd, and intercept Lutz's phone call to Todd's office, to convince Lutz that Foley is part of a multi-jurisdictional task force), Foley soon starts making the connection between the robberies and Dent. Foley has Bogomil's daughter Jan use her connections as an insurance agent to find out about Dent's financial dealings: Dent is robbing his own businesses on purpose in order to finance firearms deals and is discreetly using his henchman Charles Cain (Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
) as the front man for his operations. Bogomil was shot because his investigation was on the correct track into the case.
Having foiled a robbery attempt at a bank depot, Foley is able to trick Dent's accountant (Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his trademark comedic persona of speaking in a loud, grating tone of voice. He has played numerous roles in film and television, perhaps most notably voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin , and...
) into using his computer and discovers that Dent and Karla are planning to leave the country. Foley also learns from Jan that all of Dent's businesses have had their insurance coverage canceled and are about to go bankrupt except his race track, which he is convinced is the next target. On the way to the race track, Foley solves the latest riddle sent to the police, and is convinced that this riddle was made easily solvable in order to implicate Cain as the Alphabet Bandit, although Foley, after meeting him earlier, knows Cain is a patsy designed to throw the authorities off of Dent's trail.
The three arrive too late to stop the robbery and find Cain's body (he was shot by Karla) among those killed. While Lutz announces publicly that the Alphabet Crimes have been solved, Foley notices some red mud at the stables, which leads him, Taggart and Rosewood to Dent's oil field, where Dent is making his final arms deal. The three get into a shootout with everyone involved in the deal. Dent confronts Foley in the warehouse, but Foley gets distracted by one of Dent's henchmen on the roof above him and Dent gets away. Dent then crashes through the wall in his car and Foley shoots Dent through the windshield, sending his car down a hill and erupting in flames. Karla appears and is about to kill Foley, but is shot dead by Taggart.
Just as the last thugs are about to flee, the police arrive upon the scene, along with Lutz and Mayor Egan. Lutz tries to fire Rosewood and Taggart for their insubordination, and also tries to arrest Foley. However, both Taggart and Rosewood stand up to Lutz this time and prove that Dent was the real Alphabet Bandit. They are also able to convince Mayor Egan of Lutz's incompetence, and the Mayor personally fires Lutz because he is tired of his abusive attitude towards his own men.
At the end of the film, Bogomil is chosen by Mayor Egan to replace Lutz as the new Chief of Police, and Foley returns to Detroit, but not before he gets chewed out by Inspector Todd over the phone, right after Egan called Todd to congratulate him on allowing Foley to assist them on this case.
Principal cast
- Eddie MurphyEddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
as Detective Axel FoleyAxel FoleyAxel Foley is a fictional character, portrayed by Eddie Murphy, and is the main protagonist of the Beverly Hills Cop film franchise. He is ranked number 78 on Empire Magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time...
a street smart Detroit cop. He goes to Beverly Hills to investigate the attempted murder of his friend Captain Andrew Bogomil.
- Judge ReinholdJudge ReinholdJudge Reinhold is an American actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy.-Early life:...
as Detective Billy RosewoodBilly RosewoodWilliam "Billy" Rosewood is a fictional character from the Beverly Hills Cop film series, and is portrayed by Judge Reinhold.-Fictional character biography:...
, a Beverly Hills detective who (along with Sergeant John Taggart) help Axel investigate the attempted murder of their supervisor, Capt. Andrew Bogomil.
- John AshtonJohn Ashton (actor)John David Ashton is an American actor born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre.John Ashton attended Enfield High School in Enfield, Connecticut....
as Detective Sergeant John Taggart, Billy's partner and a friend of Axel who (along with Billy) help Axel investigate the attempted murder of their supervisor, Capt. Andrew Bogomil.
- Jürgen ProchnowJürgen ProchnowJürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
as Maxwell Dent, an arms dealer, businessman, & the antagonist of the story.
- Ronny CoxRonny CoxDaniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
as Captain Andrew Bogomil, captain of the police force in Beverly Hills. He is almost killed by Karla Fry in an attempted murder and the film deals with the subsequent work of Axel, Rosewood and Taggart into investigating both the Alphabet crimes and who shot Captain Bogomil.
- Brigitte NielsenBrigitte NielsenBrigitte Nielsen is a Danish model, actress, musician and reality television personality who began her career modelling for Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton and several years later made appearances in the 1985 films Red Sonja and Rocky IV and is also known for her marriage to Sylvester Stallone...
as Karla Fry, Dent's henchwoman.
- Allen GarfieldAllen GarfieldAllen Garfield, born and sometimes credited as Allen Goorwitz , is an American film and television actor.-Biography:...
as Police Chief Harold Lutz, the new chief of police in Beverly Hills. He is seen insulting or firing his men for no apparent reason, often treating them badly and ignoring on what they have to say. This reason is what led Taggart and Rosewood to work with Axel in secret behind his back since he is looking for an excuse to get them fired.
- Brian O'Connor as Henry Biddle, Lutz's aide
Supporting cast
- Dean StockwellDean StockwellDean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
as Charles "Chip" Cain - Paul ReiserPaul ReiserPaul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
as Detective Jeffrey Friedman - Gilbert HillGil HillGilbert R. "Gil" Hill is a former President of the Detroit City Council. He was also a Detroit police officer and part-time actor, gaining recognition in the Beverly Hills Cop movie franchise....
as Inspector Douglas Todd - Tom BowerTom Bower (actor)Tom Bower is an American actor who has appeared in a wide variety of television and film roles from 1973 to present. He played physician-husband Curt on The Waltons. He has held a number of prominent supporting roles including Dan Miller in the 2000 film Pollock and the gas station attendant in...
as Russell Fielding, gunsmith of the Beverly Hills Gun Club - Paul GuilfoylePaul GuilfoylePaul Guilfoyle is an American television and film actor. He is currently a regular cast member of the forensic television drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation where he plays Captain Jim Brass.-Early life:...
as Nikos "Nik" Thomopolis - Robert RidgelyRobert RidgelyRobert Ridgely was an American actor and vocal artist, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work.-Career:...
as Mayor Ted Egan - Alice Adair as Jan Bogomil
- Tommy 'Tiny' Lister as Orvis
- Chris RockChris RockChristopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
as Playboy Mansion Valet - Hugh HefnerHugh HefnerHugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
as himself - Ola RayOla RayOla Ray is an American model and actress most notable for co-starring alongside Michael Jackson in his short film for "Thriller" in 1983.She modeled for Playboy and was the Playmate of the Month for the June 1980 issue....
as One of the Playmates - Gilbert GottfriedGilbert GottfriedGilbert Gottfried is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his trademark comedic persona of speaking in a loud, grating tone of voice. He has played numerous roles in film and television, perhaps most notably voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin , and...
as Sidney Bernstein - Frank J. Pesce as Carlotta
- Robert PastorelliRobert PastorelliRobert Joseph Pastorelli was an American actor. He had many roles on TV, in movies, and on the stage, including the seven years he played the portly painter Eldin Bernecky on the television series Murphy Brown. His last role was as an oddball hit man in Be Cool, reuniting him with Michael star...
as Vinnie - Glenn WithrowGlenn WithrowGlenn Withrow is an American actor, director, producer and writer.-Personal life:Withrow was born in Highland Heights, Kentucky in 1953. He is married to actress Hallie Todd...
as Willie - Valerie Wildman as Gun Club Receptionist
Production
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
had planned a television series based on the first film
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
. Eddie Murphy refused the series but was willing to do a sequel. Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer hired Tony Scott to direct due to his success with the 1986 blockbuster film Top Gun
Top Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
. The film was originally to be set and filmed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, however, the script was re-written after Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
expressed a reluctance to film outside the United States.
Mistakes Found
When Axel Foley first meets Chief Lutz, he tells him he is Johnny Wishbone from the Isle of St. CroixSaint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...
. Upon their next meeting, Lutz says that he checked with Immigration
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
and they had never heard of Johnny Wishbone. St. Croix is an island in the US Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
and therefore Immigration would have no record of anyone from there coming to the Continental U.S. When Axel Foley is searching the map coordinates the address of City Deposit is 9752 Gregory way but when Taggart is calling for back-up he clearly says the address as 341 Gregory. In another scene after the City Deposit heist, as Murphy jumps up into the concrete truck, he drops his gun which can be seen briefly and in a change of camera view of the following scene you can see the gun in the street. And after Murphy reaches the armored truck to look through it he has his gun.
Detroit Police Inspector Todd's office window has his name inscribed as "G. TODD", however, in Beverly Hills Cop III
Beverly Hills Cop III
Beverly Hills Cop III is a 1994 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by John Landis, who had previously worked with Murphy on Trading Places and Coming to America...
, dialogue reveals that Todd's first name is Douglas. The "G" may stand for the first name of Gil Hill
Gil Hill
Gilbert R. "Gil" Hill is a former President of the Detroit City Council. He was also a Detroit police officer and part-time actor, gaining recognition in the Beverly Hills Cop movie franchise....
, a former detective for the Detroit Police Department and past President of the Detroit City Council who actually plays Inspector Todd.
Soundtrack
The song "Hold On" as sung by Keta Bill plays during the scene wherein Axel, Rosewood, and Taggart confront Dent at the Playboy MansionPlayboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
. However, the film's soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
CD released by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
includes only a different song entitled "Hold On," sung by Corey Hart. This song has different music and slightly altered lyrics. The movie introduced George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
's controversial song "I Want Your Sex
I Want Your Sex
"I Want Your Sex" was a single which first charted in June 1987, appearing on George Michael's Faith album, and the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II....
". It also includes "Cross My Broken Heart
Cross My Broken Heart
"Cross My Broken Heart" is the title of the first single released from Magic, the second studio album released by the dance-pop band The Jets. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1987. It also appears on the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy film, Beverly Hills Cop...
" by The Jets
The Jets (band)
The Jets are a family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, composed of brothers and sisters who specialize in pop, R&B, and dance music, particularly Latin freestyle.The group officially formed in 1985, with the original lineup fizzling out by 1990...
and "Shakedown
Shakedown (Bob Seger song)
"Shakedown" is the title of a song recorded by Bob Seger that is from the soundtrack of the film Beverly Hills Cop II. The music was written by Harold Faltermeyer, who wrote the score for the film, and Keith Forsey, and the lyrics by Seger...
" by Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
which became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, as well as "Better Way" performed by James Ingram
James Ingram
James Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards...
. As with the first movie, none of Harold Faltermeyer's soundtrack score has ever been released. However, Harold Faltermeyer
Harold Faltermeyer
Harold Faltermeyer is a German musician, keyboardist, composer and record producer.He is recognized as one of the composers/producers who best captured the zeitgeist of 1980s synth-pop in film scores...
's 1988 album, Harold F, includes a song called "Bad Guys" which is used as part of the film's score—an instrumental section of the song plays during the opening jewelry store robbery scene, and also during several other scenes throughout the movie.
The soundtrack debuted #8 on the Billboard charts and spent 26 weeks on the charts, a far cry compared to the 49 weeks the soundtrack for the first Beverly Hills Cop. Despite this, one song from the album, "Shakedown" was nominated for on Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. However, another song from the album "I Want Your Sex" was nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Song.
Critical reception
The film received a mixed reception. It currently holds 46% rating at Rotten Tomatoes with an average review of 4.8 out of 10. Film critic Ryan Cracknell noted that "Murphy still has energy and charisma to spare and raises the performances of the more subdued that surround him," while Roger Ebert (then of review duo Siskel & Ebert) gave the film only one star out of four, remarking "What is comedy? That's a pretty basic question, I know, but Beverly Hills Cop II never thought to ask it."Box office
Beverly Hills Cop II was one of the most anticipated films of 1987 and became a box office success upon release, despite not making as much as the first Beverly Hills Cop. The film debuted #1, earning $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
33 million on its opening weekend, a sales mark that would result in its being the highest opening weekend debut of the year. Beverly Hills Cop II made approximately $153,665,036, becoming the third biggest hit domestically at the box office that year, after Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking...
and Three Men and a Baby
Three Men and a Baby
Three Men and a Baby is a 1987 comedy film starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, Nancy Travis , and Ted Danson, and directed by Leonard Nimoy, in his first non-Star Trek movie directorial role. It follows the mishaps and adventures of three bachelors as they attempt to adapt their lives to...
and the second highest grossing film worldwide that year, behind Fatal Attraction.
Nominations
- Academy Awards
- Best Original Song for the song "Shakedown"
- Golden Globe Awards
- Best Original Song for the song "Shakedown"
Awards
- ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
- Most Performed Song From Motion Pictures for the song "Shakedown"
- Razzie Awards
- Worst Original Song for George Michael for the song "I Want Your Sex"
- Kids' Choice Awards
- Favorite Movie
- Favorite Movie Actor for Eddie Murphy