Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

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Plot Summary:

Axel Foley isn't your typical cop, raised on the streets eventually reforming to be a police officer, Foley tends to be reckless and ignore procedures to get things done. It's this attitude that causes problems for Foley. While undercover and trying to bust an illegal cigarette smuggling outfit, two uniform police officers show up suspicious about what is going on. Axel's handling of the situation brings the ire from his boss Inspector Todd.

When Axel gets home he finds an old friend of his, Mikey Tandino, has broken into his apartment. The two friends go out for drinks and Mikey tells about his new job as a security job in Beverly Hills that was set up by their mutual friend Jenny Summers. Just as they return to Axel's apartment though, Axel is knocked out and Mikey is confronted about missing bonds and then is murdered. When Axel recovers he wants to be on the case but is denied due to him knowing Mikey personally. Pretending to go vacation to Beverly Hills to clear his mind Axel continues the investigation there. 

Arriving in Beverly Hills in his Chevy Nova, Axel gets to work on a place to stay. He goes to the Beverly Palm Hotel pretending to be a reporter from Rolling Stone in town to interview Michael Jackson. After getting angry over the "mix-up" of not having his reservation they agree to give him a suite. With his suite all his Axel goes and meets Jenny in town to found out what Mikey was doing. She tells him he was working for a local art dealer names Victor Maitland. Axel heads to Maitland's office and starts pressing about Mikey's murder. Maitland doesn't play around and calls the police and has Axel thrown out a glass window.

Axel is arrested for disturbing the peace and brought to the Beverly Hills police station. Police officers John Taggart and Billy Rosewood begin questioning Axel who gives them smart ass responses getting on Taggart's nerves to the point that he punches Axel in the stomach. Taggart's boss steps in when he sees the violence, condoning Taggart's actions but still pressing Axel. He tells Axel he spoke to Inspector Todd in Detroit and threatened to tell him about Axel's investigating which would get Axel fired. 

Jenny bails Axel out of jail and takes him back to his hotel with Taggart and Billy tailing him, the two officers have been assigned to follow Axel and make sure he doesn't stir up any more trouble. Axel decides to send the two some room service to their car, while the two are distracted by the waiter, Axel sneaks down with a few bananas and stuffs them into their tailpipe. When Axel and Jenny drive away from the hotel and Taggart and Billy try to follow their car stalls out. 

Jenny and Axel arrive at one of Maitland's known warehouses and see two men removing bonds from one of the crates. Axel also notices coffee grounds scattered about some of the crates. Despite being eventually caught Axel whips out his badge and pretends to be a Customs inspector, fooling a security guard long enough to get out of the warehouse. When he gets back to his hotel Axel notices Taggart and Billy still waiting in their car for his return. After sneaking up on the two he offers them a truce and wants to take the two out to some place classy to show his respect.

They go to a strip club and while enjoying the view Axel notices two men entering the club wearing trench coats. Axel warns Taggart and Billy that the two men shouldn't wearing trench coats in the middle of June in California. His hunch was right and when the two men attempt to rob the bar, the three officers are able to stop and disarm the robbers. When the three return to the police station Taggart and Billy's boss, Bogomil, question his officers about why they were in a strip club in the first place. Axel lies for them, saying they only followed Axel to the bar and only went inside after noticing the robbers entering the place. Taggart doesn't let Axel lie though and admits that they went in with Axel and Axel should be given the credit for taking down the robbers. Their boss is fed up with his officers and assigns new officers to tail Axel around the city. 

The next day the two new detective finds Axel loitering outside Maitland's mansion's gate. When Maitland leaves the mansion Axel follows Maitland's car and the detective's follow Axel but Axel is able to quickly lose the two officers and still follow Maitland to his country club. Axel is able to convince his way into the club and confronts Maitland directly for Mikey's death only to be attacked by Maitland's right hand man, Zach. Again Axel is arrested and brought to the police station where Bogomil wants answers from Axel of why he is messing with Maitland and in Beverly Hills. Axel tells him the truth, that Maitland is smuggling bonds and probably had Mikey killed over those bonds. Axel also thinks drug smuggling has to be involved after finding the coffee grounds in Maitland's warehouse. 

Despite understanding Axel's situation and actions Bogomil can't arrest Maitland and after the Beverly Hills police chief hears about Foley's actions, and from Inspector Todd in Detroit, he orders him to leave town. Billy is told to escort Axel to the city limits and watch him leave town. Billy sympathizes with Axel and even likes the way he goes about police business, so when Axel wants to go see Jenny in town, Billy does with him. Jenny tells the two about Maitland getting another shipment and that they need to go to the warehouse. 

With Billy waiting outside, Jenny and Axel sneak into the warehouse. There Axel opens a crate filled with bags of cocaine and packed with coffee grounds. The two are caught though when Zach and men with guns show up. Maitland arrives and Axel is able to get Zach to admit that he was the one who killed Mikey. Zach and Maitland then leave taking Jenny as hostage the remaining men to take care of Axel. Billy bursts into the warehouse and is able to help Axel escape the warehouse and head straight to Maitland's mansion. On their way Billy contacts Taggart, telling him all about the drugs they found and to hide their find from their boss. Taggart sends two detectives off to secure the warehouse and rushes to join Axel and Billy at the mansion.

With all three at the Maitland mansion they sneak onto its grounds and are soon shot at. Meanwhile Bogomil hears word about the drugs in Maitland's warehouse and then the calls of shots fired from the Maitland mansion. He sends all available cars to the mansion after realizing exactly what is going down. Back at the mansion Taggart and Billy take cover as Axel goes inside the mansion. Inside Zach is ready to try and kill Axel as the two go back and forth with gunfire. Eventually Axel is able to kill Zach but is shot by Maitland in the arm. 

Beverly Hills Cop

The police backup, sent by their boss, arrives and start detaining Maintland's security goons. Axel finds Maitland who has a gun to Jenny's head. The two stare one another down and Bogomil appears behind Axel backing him up which gives Jenny a chance to escape. Maitland fires but misses with both Bogomil and Axel emptying their guns and killing Maitland. Bogomil makes up a story to give Axel credit for the investigation into Maitland but also covers everyone involved to his capatin. Axel is "escorted" out of town by Taggart and Billy after giving the hotel bill to the Beverly Hill PD.