The Import Corner Presents: Beverly Hills Cop 3-Movie Collection (U.K. Import) Blu-ray Review + Screenshots

The Beverly Hills Cop franchise isn't the best franchise out there, but there are two very solid films here. The first film is a classic, one of the biggest R-rated films and comedies of all time. The second film is a solid action film that doesn't forget its roots. The third film is an utter trainwreck that shouldn't have been made in the first place.

This collection is a nice way to have the films together. Watch the first two, skip the third, and you will be very happy.

THE FEATURES ⭐⭐⭐ Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

-Commentary with Director Martin Brest When Brest is talking, he gives us some really great stories about the making of the film, but there are noticeable gaps where Brest is just watching the film. Overall, it is a decent track that would have benefitted from having another person in the room with Brest to get him talking more. -Beverly Hills Cop: The Phenomenon Begins (29, 11s, SD, 1.33:1) Beverly Hills Cop started out as a straight-laced action film until the script was rewritten by Daniel Petrie Jr. who added a lot of comedy to the film. The studio then went and hired Sylvester Stallone when the producers really wanted Eddie Murphy Stallone rewrote the script to better fit his voice and changed the film back into an action film. When the studio saw how much money Stallone’s version of the film was going to cost ($20+ Million), they decided that the film was not feasible and had producers talk to Stallone, who stepped down, taking his script ideas and writing the film Corba. The producers brought in their first choice, Eddie Murphy. Murphy added a lot of the comedy to the film and the rest is history. -A Glimpse Inside the Casting Process (9m 37s, SD, 1.33:1) Casting Director Margery Semkin talks about how Beverly Hills Cop was cast and the ideas behind some of the more outlandish characters.

  -The Music of Beverly Hills Cop (7m 49s, SD, 1.33:1)

All of the songs, as well as the score, are talked about. The ideas and reasons for the
songs in the film were of particular interest to me.

I have seen Beverly Hills Cop plenty of times over the years and the thing that has
always stuck with me the most is the music, whether it be the wonderful score by
Harold Faltermeyer, or The Heat is On, which opens the film up. The song that stuck
with me the most was Nasty Girl, which plays in the strip club. I love the way that the
song goes with the scene so well. The artist of the song always alluded me until Vanity who sings the song, died in 2016. The song was all over the radio and then it finally
clicked who the artist was.

-Location Map

We are given a map of Beverly Hills and seven points on the map. Clicking on any
of these points will bring up a short featurette, featuring the film’s production
designer, Angelo P Graham, who gives us some tidbits about that particular
location.
The seven points are:

-Beverly Hills Police Station (1m 28s, SD, 1.33:1)
-Victor Maitland’s House (1m 45s, SD, 1.33:1)
-The Biltmore (51s, SD, 1.33:1)
-Warehouse (58s, SD, 1.33:1)
-Art Gallery (1m 31s, SD, 1.33:1)
-Harrow Club (40s, SD, 1.33:1)
-Strip Club (28s, SD, 1.33:1)

-Theatrical Trailer (2m 33s, HD)

       Not everything was ported over from the DVD, but thankfully it was only one small item                    that wouldn’t have made much of a difference anyway. The missing feature is:

-Still Gallery

        Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

None of the special features were ported over to this blu-ray release from the original
DVD release. The following is what is missing from that release:

-Beverly Hills Cop II: The Phenomenon Continues
-Original Production Featurette
-Deleted Scene
-“Shakedown” Featurette
-Original Theatrical Trailer

Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)

This title card is hidden in the end credits. That is how ashamed this film is of what it is.

Again, none of the special features were ported over for film either. There were only
two features, but they could have easily been ported over. They are:

-Beverly Hills Cop III: Triple Axel
-Original Theatrical Trailer

I am not a big fan of missing special features. These features, along with the ones from part one and three, were all produced (except for the featurettes that were shot during the making of the films) in 2000-2001. These have been around for well over a decade and Paramount couldn’t take the very small amount of time to include them? That is a shame because some of the features were pretty good. I can do without the still galleries, but the rest of the features is inexcusable.

         

THE PACKAGING ⭐ 1/2

The cover is pretty generic. We have Eddie Murphy posing with a gun, the title above his head and some palm trees and a Beverly Hills sign in the background.



The back cover is also very plain, giving us each film, plot summary, special features (only on the first film) and the poster credits.



The discs are all silver with the title of the film and some logos. That's it.


The discs themselves are REGION FREE


THE PICTURE ⭐⭐⭐



All three films in this set look great, with the first film looking the best. Colors are all bright and vibrant. Film grain is intact and unobtrusive. While the first two films look great, the third film, while looking good in the way of the film's transfer, looks flat and boring, which is how the film was shot.


THE SOUND ⭐⭐⭐



Each film comes with a nice 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that gets the point across without having to do too much work. While the first and third films are not the most action packed films in the world, it is the second film that gives its track the most workout. Director Tony Scott has always been the type of director that gives his films an overachieving sound mix and that is certainly the case with Beverly Hills Cop II. There is a lot going on and the track does a great job immersing us into the world that Scott has created. These are great tracks that any fan would be proud to have.


THE FILMS


Beverly Hills Cop ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Detroit cop Axel Foley is delighted when he receives a surprise visit from his best friend Mikey Tandino, who lives in California. Not long after Mikey arrives in Detroit, Mikey is killed, right in front of Axel, by a man named Zack. Axel follows Zack to Beverly Hills, California, where Beverly Hills police department Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil assigns Detective Billy Rosewood and Rosewood's partner, Sergeant John Taggart, to keep an eye on Axel. Axel visits his friend Jenny Summers, who works in an art gallery. With Jenny's help, Axel discovers that Zack works for Jenny's boss, Victor Maitland, the man who owns the art gallery. Maitland is a drug kingpin who is using the gallery as a front, and Maitland had Zack kill Mikey after Maitland accused Mikey of stealing some of Maitland's bonds. With the help of Jenny, Billy, and Taggart, Axel does what he can to make sure Maitland and Zack won't kill any more people.

The first Beverly Hills Cop is a classic. For a very long time it was the highest grossing comedy of all time as well as the highest grossing R rated film of all time. The fact that the film held onto both of those records for such a long period of time is true testiment to how much people love this film.


The film started out as a vehicle for Sylvester Stallone, but he left when he wanted the film to rely more on action rather than comedy. Eddie Murphy came in to fill the shoes that Stallone left, but Murphy threw the shoes away and brought his own brand of comedy to the film. What resulted is a film that is loved by anyone who has seen it.


The film uses Murphy to all of his strengths. He is funny, charming, and can carry an action scene. Murphy is also a team player, allowing his co-stars to get in some laughs as well. There are so many quotable lines in the film that one could make a film using just those lines. The film wouldn't make much sense, but it could be done.


Director Martin Brest was the right choice for this film. He knows how to shoot action and he also knows how to keep his stars in check. We all have a feeling that there are hours upon hours of footage that didn't make the film that has Murphy trying all different kinds of things to make people laugh. Brest knows how to keep Murphy's focus on the film while also allowing him to make Axel Foley his own. Brest doesn't do what directors do today and leave in as much of the ad-libbing as possible. There is purpose in Brest's direction and he makes the film better because of it.


Beverly Hills Cop is a great film. It is incredibly funny with Murphy showing that he can carry a film on his own. The action scenes are nice and well shot. We can tell what is going on and we never feel lost during them due to crappy editing. Everyone needs to watch Beverly Hills Cop at least once a year.


Beverly Hills Cop II ⭐⭐⭐



Detroit cop Axel Foley is watching the news on TV when the reporter tells a story that Axel's friend, Beverly Hills police Captain Andrew Bogomil, has been shot by a tall woman. Axel heads out to Beverly Hills to visit Bogomil in the hospital, and this is where Axel is reunited with Bogomil's daughter Jan Bogomil. Axel is also reunited with Detective Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart. Billy and Taggart decide to let Axel help them find the woman who tried to kill Bogomil, even though abusive police chief Harold Lutz has been deliberately trying to find a reason to fire Billy and Taggart. Axel, Billy, and Taggart soon discover that the alphabet robberies, a series of robberies that have been going on in the area, are masterminded by weapons kingpin Maxwell Dent, and Dent had sent his fiancee Karla Fry to try to kill Bogomil because Bogomil had been after Dent. With this information, Axel, Billy, and Taggart try to find Dent and Karla.

Part 2 is a different beast than part 1 was. The hiring of Tony Scott (Top Gun) was an interesting idea as he brings a certain look to a film. In the 80's and 90's, Scott liked to fill his frame with smoke. In the 2000's he used many different types of media (different cameras shooting at different speeds) to give his films a sense of bewilderment. His last two films, 2009's remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 and 2010's runaway train film Unstoppable, saw Scott return to making good old fashioned thrillers. Scott still over edited them a bit, but these films were a return to form for Scott. It is a shame that he took his own life. I am sure that he still had many films in him.


Because Scott was brought into the fold of the sequel to Beverly Hills Cop, this meant that there would be more of a focus on action than in the first film. There are a number of action scenes in this film and they are well shot and exciting. There is the smoke that Scott so loved and it adds to the overall atmosphere of the film.


Being an action director doesn't mean that Scott removed the comedy that made the first film loved by so many. The comedy is still here and it is still as funny as ever. Murphy is again on point and he brings his A-game to the film. There is a standout piece where he has to get into a gun club so he can question a suspect. The way in which he makes his entry is an incredibly funny scene that ends with a laugh I did not see coming.


Judge Reinhold and John Ashton are given their time to shine too, but it is the new information about Reinhold's character that steals some thunder away from Ashton. Reinhold's character Billy is a gun nut and this leads to many jokes about him seeking therapy for his craziness.


Of course the interactions between the three men are as funny as ever and the actors have a good chemistry. We believe that they are friends and we want to see them in further adventures. In fact, they could have made more films in the series and we would have always come back for more.


I like the direction that the filmmakers took with this film. It shows that they were willing to try something new with the franchise while sticking to the roots of the characters. The film is very funny and the action scenes are well shot and keep the film moving at a brisk pace. It is a shame what would become of the series, but we can say that two out of three ain't bad.


Beverly Hills Cop III 1/2⭐



One night in Detroit, during a shoot-out at a chop shop, Detroit cop Axel Foley sees his boss, Inspector Douglas Todd, getting killed by a well dressed man. Using his last breath, Inspector Todd tells Axel to get the man who shot him, and Axel says that he will do that. Axel does some looking around, and finds the killer's vehicle at Wonder World, a theme park in Beverly Hills, California. In Beverly Hills, Axel is reunited with his friend Billy Rosewood, who tells Axel that John Taggart is now retired and living in Arizona. Billy is now the deputy director of operations for joint systems interdepartmental operational command (JSIOC). Billy also has a new partner named Jon Flint. Axel checks out Wonder World, which is owned by Dave "Uncle Dave" Thornton. At Wonder World, Axel rescues two kids who are stuck on a ride that broke down, and after this, Axel is taken to see the park's head of security, Ellis DeWald, and Axel recognizes DeWald as Inspector Todd's killer. Jon refuses to believe this, because DeWald is one of Jon's friends. Ellis runs a counterfeiting ring that uses the theme park as a front. Axel is also falling in love with Janice Perkins, who works at the park. When Dave gets shot by DeWald's men, Axel is accused of being the man who shot Dave. With the help of Billy and Jon, Axel sets out to prove his innocence and get revenge on DeWald.

I am going to get this out of the way first: I HATE BEVERLY HILLS COP III!!


Now that is out of the way, let's talk about this failed abortion of a film.


Beverly Hills Cop III is one of the worst films to come out of the 90's. This is not a Beverly Hills Cop film. It doesn't look nor feel like a Beverly Hills Cop film. While it does have Axel Foley and Billy Rosewood from the first two films and it does take place in Beverly Hills (kinda), that is all the film has going for it.


The first mistake that was made was the hiring of John Landis as the director of this film. Landis is an ok director that lucked into the hits that he had more than having any talent. He has made some classics, of this there is no doubt, but his luck had been running out by the time this film came about. He hadn't had a hit in six years and his last film, Innocent Blood, was a flop at the box office. The only thing keeping Landis in the public eye was his work on the Michael Jackson music video Black or White, a good song that has an ok video attached to it.


If you were to ask me, Landis brought nothing to Beverly Hills Cop III when he should have brought a lot. His direction is stale and flat. The few action scenes that this film does have (way down in number from the last film) are lifeless and standard. There is no excitement or flair. There is one scene where Murphy's character, for some unknown reason, thinks that by getting onto a ride will help him evade park security. The security guards want the ride stopped so they can get to Murphy, but the ride can't be stopped, again for "some reason", and the ride goes haywire. One of the cages that has some kids in it breaks and Murphy gets out of his cage to go and save the kids. Murphy does save the kids, but the scene is so preposterous and comes out of nowhere that we are left scratching our heads as to why the scene is there in the first place.


So the action scenes don't work, surely the comedy has to work, right? No. It doesn't. I don't think that I have seen Eddie Murphy this unfunny in my life. In Dreamgirls, a film where Murphy plays a heroin addicted music star, Murphy is funnier than he is here. This film is a wasteland of funny. I don't think that I laughed once during the film's 1 hour and 44 minute run time. I will give the film credit, though, there were a couple of chuckles here and there, but I am not sure if those were genuine chuckles or my bodies way of trying to stay awake. I wish that Murphy had been funny in the film because it would have made the film more bearable.


The film was written by Steven E. de Souza, who had worked with Murphy before on 48 Hours, so there should have been some kind of rapport. de Souza is the man who brought us Commando, The Running Man, and Die Hard, some of the best action films of the 80's, how did he write a misfire like Beverly Hills Cop III? I don't know, but I do know that the very same year that this film was released, 1994, was the same year that de Souza's directorial debut, Street Fighter, was released. While both films are bad, Street Fighter had some funny moments, like the speech that Van Damme gives his troops and it also had a great performance from Raul Julia, who made the first incarnation of M. Bison his own.


While doing research for this review, I found out that the budget of the film was $55 million. That does not include the $15 million given to Murphy. I understand the salary that Murphy got, but I can fathom how this film cost that much money. If you had told me that the film cost between $25 and $ 30 million then I would believe you, but $55 million? There is nothing in this film that warrants that much money. There are barely any action scenes in the film and what action there is could have been done for much, much cheaper. The film looks like a straight-to-video film that happens to star Eddie Murphy. So much money was wasted on such a piece of shit film.


Beverly Hills Cop III is dead zone of comedy and action. This film is only a part of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise because of Murphy, Reinhold, and the town of Beverly Hills. You take out those three components and you are left with a subpar film from a director who gave us Blues Brothers 2000. This is not the film for the franchise to go out on, but that is the way it is sometimes. I am just glad that Murphy was able to bounce back from this and give us The Nutty Professor films. He did also give us Pluto Nash, but we can forgive him for that.


OVERALL ⭐⭐⭐


The Beverly Hills Cop trilogy is a mostly good trilogy that most fans look at as a double feature while forgetting that part 3 even exists. The first film is a classic. An incredibly funny film that proved that Eddie Murphy could carry a film on his own and cemented him as the one of the funniest people to come out of the 80's. The second film, while not the classic that the first one is, is a film that tries something different and mostly succeeds due to the fact that it hasn't forgotten its origins. The third film is a trainwreck of epic proportions that does exactly the opposite of the second film while forgetting where it came from.


This 3 movie collection is worth the price just for the first two films and the coaster that can be made out of the third film's disc. The first film has a nice selection of special features, but the other two films are surprisingly devoid of any special features, even though the dvds of the same films do have special features. While I did take points off for leaving these features off, I don't think that too many will mind or even remember that the dvds had special features on them to begin with. The picture and sound quality are great and warrant a purchase.

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