CMT - Beverly Hills Cop II

They say that a "Jack-of-all-trades" is a master of none, but is that really true? Plenty of actors have branched out to music, and a lot of musicians have graced the silver screen. Manny Pacquaio was a boxer, a basketball player, a singer, an actor, and he's currently serving as a senator in the Philippines. So maybe we should roll the dice as many times as we can; if we keep trying different things, we might achieve success.

While you think it over look at Jeremy Wade, the host of River Monsters on Animal Planet. Wade has been fishing since the 1980's, and he brought his craft to print media, television and film. His personal focus never leaves angling, and he made his name and fortune off that expertise alone. Finally, consider comedian Eddie Murphy, who is not a focused craftsman or a jack-of-all-trades, but a little bit of both.


Classic Movie Trailers – Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)


Murphy's early career is interesting. He started doing stand-up at 15 years of age, and by 1980, he landed a spot on Saturday Night Live. The program was a launch pad for the performer, and in 1982 he got his big screen debut. "48 Hrs." was an incredible success, and suddenly the SNL star was a household name.

People didn't know that he was singing back then. He was in the background, crowing along with The Bus Boys in chorus. Maybe you remember the song "Party All The Time"; most people just "Remember The Time" instead. To be fair, his singles put up some decent numbers, but I doubt the general public knows he's had not one, but three released albums.

Personally, I think his music speaks to our struggles. It also shows what can happen when we branch to other disciplines. There's no denying Murphy's success as a comedian and actor, but that third thing is more debatable and arguably forgettable. That said, I can hardly blame the man; with so many things to love, it's impossible to have a single interest.

Besides, he was hot when his first album dropped. I'm sure it had his passion for music, but anything with his photo would have sold. You can look at it as a rich man's flirt with his fancy, or you can view it instead, as a savvy business move. Regardless, Eddie knows where his strengths lie, and this movie is a testament to how they're complimentary.

When Axel Foley acts like someone else on-screen, it could be an SNL skit, and it's just as effective. Most of the time, I thought Axel's BS shouldn't have worked, but I was too busy laughing to care. His comedic sense and timing made those moments for me, and they kept the humor high throughout the rest of the film. If you're an actor that can make the audience laugh on cue, you're just as talented as the one that makes them cry.

Regarding talent, I feel it's a starting point for the disciplined. We all have different capacities to do different things, but no one is born a master. So yes, Eddie popped out the womb with a better sense of humor, but years of grinding stand-up put him much farther ahead. With practice he made perfect, but while he was honing his craft, he was getting better at acting as well.

Plenty of comedy routines require competent acting. If you're really good at it, that helps you do the job. When he stepped on the set of "48 Hrs.", he definitely had some skill to draw from. By the time he filmed this picture, he was even better at it.

You can't say that about his trip to the sound studio. For all I know, he practiced in the shower two days before recording. However, even if he did it seriously for years, it's a hard enough task to demand even more. The same can be said of acting and recording artists do it, but they're capitalizing on fame and the best, expensive coaches. Ultimately, acting is side gig for them; they're in it for the love and the cash, not to go to the Oscar's.

I believe there is something elusive called 'the pinnacle'. It's something tradesmen labor to reach for all of their lives. The more jobs you add to your resume, the less time you have to get good at any of them. If you can't get good you can't be great; these are not my rules.

You can always prove me wrong and become the next Pacquaio. You could beat Jamie Foxx at comedy, singing, acting and playing piano. Just remember that both of them found success in one area first; they didn't blow up in three jobs all at once. Following in their shoes is like breaking in a house with a gum wrapper; basically what I'm saying is, "don't try this at home".



Trailer Here.

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See "Beverly Hills Cop II" on Netflix!

Next Week: The Start of a Sam Neil double-feature... A look at "Event Horizon" will be followed by "Jurassic Park" on September 5th!