Welcome to an exciting year-long project here at The Nerdy. 1984 was an exciting year for films giving us a lot of films that would go on to be beloved favorites and cult classics. Imagine a world where This is Spinal Tap and Repo Man hit theaters on the same day. That is the world of 1984.
We’re going to pick and choose which movies we hit, but right now the list stands at nearly three dozen.
Yes, we’re insane, but 1984 was that great of a year for film.
The articles will come out on the same day the films hit theaters in 1984 so that it is their true 35th anniversaries. All films are also watched again for the purposes of these reviews and are not being done from memory.
This time around it’s Dec. 5, 1984, and we’re off to see Beverly Hills Cop.
(yes, we know we published this on Dec. 7… you’ll live.)
Beverly Hills Cop
Sitting down to watch Beverly Hills Cop for the first time in several decades was a treat. After having suffered through some questionable comedies throughout this project, it was nice to sit down with one that actually made me laugh again. Sure, I knew all the beats to this one, but 35 years on it still made me laugh.
Beverly Hills Cop came at the height of Eddie Murphy mania. You couldn’t throw a rock without hitting this guy, and from this film, it’s clear why. He was funny in just about everything he did, but he was able to deliver some really punchy drama moments as well. I’m certainly not putting him up for an Oscar, but he was believable in those serious moments.
The basic plot of Beverly Hills Cop, however, is threadbare. It hits just about every imaginable cop movie trope you can think of and then some. From the screaming lieutenant to Murphy’s Axel Foley is the only truly competent cop around despite his unorthodox methods.
The plot is just cliche after cliche… and you don’t care. Murphy is the star here, and he was a heck of a lot of fun to watch.
1984 Movie Reviews will return on Dec. 14 with a triple bill of Dune, Starman, and Runaway!
