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Beverly Hills Cop

(1984, Rated R, Comedy, Starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Classic '80s Murphy vehicle; fun but foulmouthed.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–15

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The hero is an honest cop, but he disregards procedure.
  • Violence:

    Realistic hand-to-hand combat and gun-fighting.
  • Sex:

    Female frontal nudity briefly featured in strip club scene.
  • Language:

    Very strong language.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Hero drinks lightly.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Beverly Hills Cop

Parents need to know that this movie features young comedian Eddie Murphy at the height of his fast-talking and foulmouthed power. Much of what makes the film funny is his use of obscene or at least inappropriate language in a multitude of situations. While he is a cop, his character, Axel Foley, uses the "ends justify the means" approach to police work, and almost every scene involves him lying to various people in order to pursue his goal. Violence is not pervasive, but when it appears, it's rendered realistically -- fistfights leave marks and gunshots produce blood and/or death. Sex is not a major factor in the film, but there is a scene that takes place in a strip club that does feature female nudity.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the following: Are Axel's illegal methods justified by the criminal behaviors of his suspects? What about the situations where his lying and scheming has no material effect on his investigation (as when he lies to an hotel clerk to get a room)? How much of the humor of the film is based solely on vulgar language? Would the film be as funny without it? Is it realistic that most of the characters are charmed by Axel's behavior? How does the humorous tone of most of the movie work with the more serious moments of violent action?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Perfect for older kids.

    This movie is so good, I'm speachless!

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    a good action movie!

    Most of the reviews I saw were downing the movie by saying it is inapropriate for children but i wtched the movie anyway and noticed that the only real issue is thaat there are alot of inapropriate language.This movie has a very good storyline about a cop from detroit who goes to beverly hills on "vacation", but he is really there to investigate the killing of his friend.In the process he makes friends with a beverly hills cop

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