Beverly Hills Cop 1984 ****

1984’s biggest comedy hit was originally planned as a vehicle for Sylvester Stallone; director Martin Brest abandoned most of the original script and fashioned something far more relevant, with Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) moving to LA from Detroit and running foul of murderous art-dealer Vincent Maitland (Steven Berkoff). The degree of improvisation pays dividends, as Murphy’s schtick seems fresh and funny, and support from Judge Reinhold and Ronny Cox adds to a warm mix of genre tropes. While the action never reaches the heights of the breakneck opener, with Murphy hanging onto the netting of a careering runaway truck, the character development and breezy playing make this fish-out-of-water flick gel.