A perfect action-comedy star vehicle that was a box office smash in 1984 and still holds up today. Set up as a Sylvester Stallone movie from a director who hadn’t yet proven himself, it’s amazing the number of things that went right, starting with the casting of Eddie Murphy and ending with the earworm score by Harold Faltermeyer. Director Martin Brest sets a tone where Murphy can fly off the comic handle in one moment and in the next, give a look of deadpan seriousness that’s almost chilling. Axel Foley is a clown, but he’s tied to a serious purpose, creating a tension against the rich and privileged no white actor could’ve pulled off.
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