Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Beverly Hills Cop III Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 9, 2020

Paramount has released the disappointing 1994 sequel film 'Beverly Hills Cop III,' Directed by John Landis, to Blu-ray for the first time. The featureless disc includes 1080p video sourced from a 4K remaster and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film is currently only available in a three film bundle with 'Beverly Hills Cop' and 'Beverly Hills Cop II.'

Detroit Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is hot on the trail of chop shoppers. He’s called off SWAT backup and is keen on busting the perps with his own handpicked team. But in the middle of a bust, his friend is killed and he pursues the gunman. However, he is stopped by the feds, who do not want him to catch the killers; they’re tracking them to a larger scheme. Foley isn’t about to give up so easily. He follows the clues that lead him to, where else, Beverly Hills, where Foley finds his man, Ellis DeWald (Timothy Carhart), to be a high profile and well respected member of the Beverly Hills community, a man of impeccable reputation who is working at a family theme park. As Foley attempts, and fails, to expose the criminal, he runs into countless obstacles but does find himself once again paired with his old friend Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Billy’s new partner, Jon Flint (Hector Elizondo).

Beverly Hills Cop III released seven years after Beverly Hills Cop II, and time was not kind to the franchise. Director John Landis' (Trading Places, Coming to America) film feels like a shell of the original two, Beverly Hills Cop in name only. The movie feels lost, the characters feel lost, the story feels lost, and the comedic beats feel lost. There's little sense of connective world tissue beyond Foley and Rosewood's return, but even the franchise's most stalwart characters seem to be going through the motions, struggling to find the magic that made the original films defining pictures of the 1980s. It's a slapdash exercise in milking a name, and none involved are put into a position to succeed, nor do they seem interested in trying. The movie has a few passable moments, but stick a different title in front, change a couple of names, and this could have been just about anything but a Beverly Hills Cop movie, even keeping Eddie in the lead.

Beverly Hills Cop III Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The first two films looks terrific on Blu-ray, and this one is right up there with them. Beverly Hills Cop III's 1080p Blu-ray presentation offers the most consistent grain structure, the most naturally sharp and effective details, and the smoothest, clearest picture of the trio. Grain is subtle with minimal spikes in density and sharpness. Textural awareness is very high and the natural sharpness remains intact for the duration, accentuating fine skin and clothing details with striking clarity down to individual pores and hairs. Various attractions and the general landscape around the amusement park come alive with high yield textural wonders, featuring expansive clarity and precision accuracy even at medium distance. Colors are strong and vibrant but never overly accentuated. The palette is consistently true and capable, offering excellent coverage through the park and across the assorted attire seen throughout the film. Black levels are inky excellent and flesh tones are accurate across the entire character roster. Compression artifacts are nonexistent, ditto source blemishes. The only "negative" is that some of the visual effects shots during the theme park ride rescue sequence look a little shaky around the edges, but that's to be expected. The bulk of the presentation is gorgeous.

Beverly Hills Cop III Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Beverly Hills Cop III bursts onto Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack in addition to an array of additional language and subtitle options. The first sound is of a train slowly rolling and grumbling off to the right, which delivers quality depth and detail in the rumble and rattle. Radio banter before a Dianna Ross songs fills a cavernous chop shop in the proceeding scene to excellent effect. But these are table setters for what's to come. In the shootout to follow, shots explode with hearty depth and distinct sonic signatures from one weapon to the next. Shots emanate from all over the stage and impact in various locales as well; the soundstage seems more expansive than the 5.1 channel configuration might suggest on paper, seeming to at least intermix two additional back channels for the feel of total immersive coverage around the seating plane. It's a very proficient example of the track's sonic prowess, a quality which carries on through the entire experience. The "alien attack" sequence in chapter four is probably the sonic highlight, with a hugely impressive array of wild sounds spilling through the entire stage, creating a fantastically intense exposure to the attraction's multifaceted sonic qualities. Various action scenes to follow prove fully hearty and vigorous as well as precisely detailed and positioned. Amusement park din draws the listener into the location, while more subtle atmospherics offer additional opportunity for audience draw. Music enjoys rich clarity and wide spacing with a healthy and balanced low end and surround integration. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized from its natural front-center home. This is a fantastic listening experience and bests even the high end video for the disc's top technical asset.

Beverly Hills Cop III Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As it ships in the above-linked three-pack, Beverly Hills Cop III contains no supplemental content. No DVD or digital versions ship with that set, either. It does include a non-embossed slipcover.

Beverly Hills Cop III Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a disappointment. There's barely a feel for the magic that flows from the first two films. The story is flat, the characters are shells of their former selves, and there's no sense of the rhythm and fun that defined the originals. At least the Blu-ray is in tip-top shape, technically. The presentation is devoid of supplements but Beverly Hills Cop III probably didn't look and sound this good in theaters a quarter of a century ago. Recommended if only because it comes with the first two films, anyway and, hey, it has a Sorta-Cylon. That's worth something.