Martin Brest
Beverly Hills Cop

Forty years of cinema, thirty-seven films made, five albums released, ten children, a laugh that's a show in itself, a Golden Globe for Dreamgirls, and a recent Lifetime Achievement award. Edward Regan Murphy, known to friends as "Eddie", started his career with a golden apprenticeship, setting fire to the broadcast schedule of "Saturday Night Live" fresh out of Roosevelt High School with a diploma in hand. And it was quite a debut, as today the show has inducted Murphy into its Hall of Fame as the greatest artist ever, tied with Bill Murray.

It's difficult to rank the best Eddie Murphy films, but surely the most entertaining and captivating ones can be found in the two decades of the actor's greatest success (the Eighties and Nineties), even though the past twenty years of the new millennium have not disappointed at all. It is no coincidence that in 2007 he received his first Golden Globe as a supporting actor for his portrayal of James "Jimmy" Thunder Early in "Dreamgirls".

"48 Hrs", "Another 48 Hrs," with a deadly Nick Nolte, "The Golden Child," "Trading Places" with Dan Aykroyd, "Coming to America," "The Nutty Professor" with Jada Pinkett Smith, are just some of the most iconic titles of an incredible filmography. And among these, we also have none other than the trilogy of "Beverly Hills Cop".

I consider the first of the three films to be the most successful, as in 1984 it was a huge triumph. Second only to the first "Ghostbusters" by Ivan Reitman, it literally enriched producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Bruckheimer, moreover, would not see such earnings again for almost twenty years.

Everything that preceded the filming of Beverly Hills Cop is cinema history. Initially, the lead role was expected to be assigned to Mickey Rourke, who abandoned the project due to impatience with the lengthy production times. He accepted another film and goodbye and thank you. Then they thought of the man of the moment, Sylvester "Sly" Stallone, who accepted with enthusiasm but insisted on putting his hands and beak on the original script. In what he had read, he found little action (for his taste) and very little Italian flavor (also for the profile of a Latin lover). He decided that the protagonist should have a love story and an Italian name: Cobretti (does that ring a bell?). The producers did not appreciate Stallone's audacity and sent Cobretti and the new script back, which was "recycled" for the making of his "Cobra," which would be released two years later.

Eddie was hired two weeks before filming began, and his Axel Foley became the star of the film.

We all know the story. The enterprising young Detroit detective Axel Foley wants to shed light on the murder of his childhood friend Mike Tandino (not exactly a saint), who carries with him many shadows and questions. Being a natural maverick, the lively Axel does everything to get to the truth, disregarding protocol and creating chaos for his boss and the entire precinct. After risking being fired, he takes a week off, which will be anything but a period of rest. Destination Los Angeles, specifically Beverly Hills, following a tip and his gut.

From here on out, the madness begins. Pure action and comedy, bullets and laughs in abundance. And since "three is a perfect number," Axel will initially combat and then ally himself with two well-dressed policemen from the upscale neighborhoods: Sergeant John Taggart, nearing retirement but no less combative, and Detective William "Billy" Rosewood, his lanky and somewhat scatterbrained deputy. The duo will go to great lengths to help Foley in his investigations, ignoring the rules and admonitions from their superiors. Copy and paste.

There are gags and subsequent jokes that have become memorable. Whether or not dubbed. The latter is absolutely privileged for our country, thanks to the voice of the unforgettable and never forgotten Tonino Accolla, who lent his voice to many overseas actors, including Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Wesley Snipes, to name a few. Not to mention the legendary Homer Simpson, who, unfortunately, is no longer what he once was today. Those who have listened to Eddie Murphy's original voice, however, may have been somewhat disappointed. Not for the quality of the acting, which is indisputable, but for an important detail, his undoubted distinctive mark: the laugh.

Every time we've heard that damn laugh, through Tonino's voice, it has done nothing but provoke one of our own. An involuntary emulation like a contagion. And this regardless of the joke and context. Unlike "ours," the original laugh seems like a donkey's bray, a sort of wheeze before suffocation. Thanks to Accolla's work, along with many of his very lively solutions, that wheeze has gained a new identity, a sound with a completely different character and indisputably hilarious. And that's no small feat, I'd say. A merit or an affront to the original? That's up to you, but I think there is only one answer.

The first chapter of the saga was enormously successful, holding the record for box office takings for the entire year of its release, 1984. Axel Foley was ranked among the hundred film characters of all time and today is a true icon. Like the Theme Song, composed by Harold Faltermeyer, which is part of the most famous film musical motifs and in 1985 climbed the American Billboard charts.

The hilarious ending of the film does not directly lead to the second chapter, effectively denying us a peek at the events that would lead to the new first take. The ending remains open but makes no reference to the events that will serve as the future narrative thread. Beverly Hills Cop 2 also achieved great success, which was not the case for the third film, which somewhat disappointed.

After a period of evaluation, in 2019 Paramount Pictures confirmed the imminent start of work on the fourth chapter, which last April was entrusted to director Mark Molloy.

Beverly Hills Cop inspired a famous and hilarious local comedy film with Renato Pozzetto and Enrico Montesano, "Piedipiatti," which shares much of the plot and ideas with its American older brother.

While waiting for the fourth film, which will be released sometime on Netflix, we will inevitably have to go back and review to ensure we're not caught unprepared and defenseless. And to avoid a banana in our tailpipe.