This was the blockbuster that propelled Eddie Murphy to superstardom at a time when his brash, confident swagger still appeared fresh and he hadn't descended into caricature. In the first and best of the trilogy, he plays the streetwise Detroit cop who causes a major upset in posh Beverly Hills when he turns up to investigate the murder of an old friend. Director Martin Brest orchestrates the senseless set pieces with slick precision and British actor Steven Berkoff pops up as the villain of the piece.

Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.