Alex Foley is a fast-talking undercover detective who makes his way from the hard streets of Detroit to the glam life of Los Angeles in the first of this buddy cop action comedy franchise that defined the '80s and launched SNL veteran Eddie Murphy into superstardom (after previously making a splash in 48 Hrs).
What's great is how director Marty Brest balances the grittiness of the drama with the silliness of the humor, which was never quite replicated to the same effect throughout the series. The back-and-forth antagonism between Murphy and the two by-the-book detectives Taggart and Rosewood (John Ashton and Judge Reinhold) is irresistibly charming. It's an '80s staple that still holds up, even though the surrounding cultural landscape has changed significantly.
The soundtrack is a big part of the reason why this remains such a classic, from Harold Faltermeyer's catchy synth theme to some great '80s pop hits.
4 bananas in the tailpipe out of 5
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