Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Taking of Beverly Hills Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 25, 2017

While an anticipated release during the summer of 1988, few expected “Die Hard” to do much business, with industry coverage focused on the size of Bruce Willis’s paycheck, not the masterpiece he was starring in. When “Die Hard” became one of the biggest moneymakers of the year, rival studios wanted their own version of the “Die Hard on a blank” formula, which began to take shape during the 1990s. Sure, we all have fond memories of “Speed” and “Under Siege,” but there are countless forgotten rip-offs, including 1991’s “The Taking of Beverly Hills.” The picture was meant to entertain with rampant violence and make a big screen hero out of star Ken Wahl, and it’s certainly a loud distraction, with plenty of mindlessness orchestrated by director Sidney J. Furie. “The Taking of Beverly Hills” is ultimately too one-note to compete in the subgenre, but it certainly has its heart (or fist) in the right place, with the production trying to generate as much mayhem as possible with the one-man-army premise.

Robert (Robert Davi) is a shady businessman who wants to be included by the Beverly Hills elite, using his considerable wealth to prove his power, also training his eye on his rival’s daughter, Laura (Harley Jane Kozak). Boomer (Ken Wahl) is an injured NFL quarterback participating in a charity gala, trying to help the homeless in Los Angeles, but his attention is turned to Laura, working to charm the reluctant woman, hoping to score a date. While Boomer and Laura take off on a romantic evening, getting to know each other, ending up in Boomer’s home, Robert commences a master plan to set off a fake chemical spill, effectively clearing Beverly Hills of residents for a short period of time. Armed with disgruntled cops who can’t afford to live in the place they defend, Robert orchestrates a massive heist with help from right-hand man Varney (Lee Ving), clearing homes and businesses of jewels and cash. While Laura joins the evacuation, Boomer is accidentally left behind, forced to fight his way out of Beverly Hills with good-ish cop Ed (Matt Frewer), with the pair eventually declaring war on the terrorists.

“The Taking of Beverly Hills” is 96 minutes long, but Furie and the editors work very hard to get there, opening with an offering of narration from Ed that sets up the divide between the haves and the have nots, including the cops, who are tasked with protecting a section of Los Angeles that wouldn’t accept them as residents. The main titles are four minutes long, while the end credits eat up another six minutes. That’s a lot of padding, and it’s easy to see why such throttling is necessary as the tale unfolds. There’s not much of a story to elevate “The Taking of Beverly Hills,” which offers straightforward villainy from Robert, who’s looking to humiliate those in power, also harboring a “secret” plan as the destruction of the area begins, sending in a team of trained cops to clear out households and shops before looting them for everything they’ve got. Not that “Die Hard” was all that complicated, but there were dramatic connections and relationship woes to add to viewing experience, deepening interest in the characters and raising stakes with violence. Furie (helmer of “Superman IV,” “Iron Eagle,” and “Lady Sings the Blues”) doesn’t have much interest in the well-being of the players, establishing criminal activity and charging forward with all kinds of chaos as Beverly Hills is burned to the ground (interestingly, the effort was actually shot in Mexico).

Once Robert’s scheme commences, “The Taking of Beverly Hills” plays a clunky but effective game of escalation, with Boomer going from a potential Romeo with Laura (wooing her into a late night bubble bath before she’s taken) to a man on the run, marked for death by the cops, who initially ignore word of his presence because they assume the name Boomer belongs to a dog (a clever touch). But the football hero is no canine, soon scrambling to get away from danger with help from Ed, a cop participating in the crime, only to be turned off by the violence, electing to help the last Beverly Hills resident to restore what’s left of his honor. Buddy comedy interplay is lacking, but “The Taking of Beverly Hills” is so broad, it really doesn’t matter, with Boomer more effective as a mulleted crash test dummy, tossed through walls and glass, laboring to find any weapons to help defend himself against the terrorists.

Most of the fun of “The Taking of Beverly Hills” is watching Boomer keep up with defensive measures, chased around the city by a particularly determined enemy (Branscombe Richmond) who uses a SWAT tank, a flamethrower, and giant guns to kill one man. Boomer retaliates with Molotov cocktails, a football tackling dummy, and throwing stars. Furie greases the action with pop hits from the day, adding tunes from EMF, Janet Jackson, and Faith No More to help set the B-movie mood, and it’s admittedly quite fun to watch the stunt work in action, with cars constantly crashing and explosions for every occasion. “The Taking of Beverly Hills” isn’t restrained when it comes to fire and shattered glass, generating pleasing screen energy, while Wahl attempts to master the everyday hero routine. Curiously, it seems the producers didn’t think they had such an intense feature, muting all but one F-word in what appears to be an attempt to secure a PG-13 rating.

The Taking of Beverly Hills Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation doesn't provide a refreshed view of "The Taking of Beverly Hills," but the feature comes to Blu-ray in good shape. Age is apparent, but the viewing experience is acceptable, offering some detail to enjoy, taking in the impressive set construction and decoration, and actors such as Robert Davi have interesting facial particulars to survey. Distances are also clear, helping to sell the Mexico-as-Beverly Hills illusion. Colors are adequate, leading with a colder, nighttime palette that's broken up by orange fireballs and period costuming. Storefront hues also come through as intended. Skintones run a bit hot at times, but mostly remain natural. Delineation has some moments of solidification, but evening activity isn't blocked out. Source is in good shape, with some brief speckling.

The Taking of Beverly Hills Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is perhaps the best to be expected from the 1991 production, which delivers an engaging, forceful listening event. Dialogue exchanges are clear (ADR is terrible), sustaining through conversations and shouted panic during destruction sequences. Vehicle movement is compelling, with mild separation. Scoring is secured with decent instrumentation, while soundtrack cuts offer slightly more heft. Atmospherics are welcome, delivering a feel for the sleeping city, and sound effects are loud, handling explosions galore and sharp gunfire.

The Taking of Beverly Hills Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Howard S. Berger and Sidney J. Furie biographer Daniel Kremer.

• And Theatrical Trailers #1 (2:23, SD) and #2 (1:28, SD) are included. Both look like they were downloaded from YouTube.

The Taking of Beverly Hills Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Minor beats about class divide and police obligation are provocative, but not developed in full. "The Taking of Beverly Hills" doesn't make time to explore the reasons why the crime is taking place, it just offers a set-up and a payoff, keeping simple to reach the mass audience. It's an engaging picture with lowered expectations, and in the grand scheme of "Die Hard" rip-offs, it's one of the more pleasingly dumb entries, keeping Wahl on the run, dropping football terms into threats, and making a mess out of the most famously ritzy neighborhoods in the world.