The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991) Columbia Pictures/Action RT: 95 minutes Rated R (language, violence, some sexual content) Director: Sidney J. Furie Screenplay: Rick Natkin, David Fuller and David J. Burke Music: Jan Hammer Cinematography: Frank E. Johnson Release date: October 11, 1991 (US) Cast: Ken Wahl, Matt Frewer, Harley Jane Kozak, Robert Davi, Lee Ving, Branscombe Richmond, Lyman Ward, George Wyner, William Prince, Michael Bowen, Tony Ganios, Michael Alldredge. Box Office: $939,277 (US)
Rating: *
Yes, you are reading the box office figure correctly. No, it’s not a misprint. The Taking of Beverly Hills didn’t even crack $1 million. Part of it is because the studio gave it a brief, limited release in the fall of ’91. It’s one of the last movies I remember playing for a single week before leaving theaters.
The other part is because it’s simply a bad movie and not the good kind of bad movie. It’s like a really bad TV movie with R-rated language and violence. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that The Taking of Beverly Hills is such a stinker; after all, it’s directed by Sidney J. Furie. Get a load of this guy’s resume- the ridiculous Hollywood biopic Gable and Lombard (1976), the boring war romance Purple Hearts (1984), the jingoistic Iron Eagle movies (1986-95), the slightly disturbing Rodney Dangerfield comedy Ladybugs (1992) and the abysmal, half-assed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). The Taking of Beverly Hills is Furie’s second worst movie after Superman IV. It’s a flagrant case of (with apologies to Shakespeare) a whole lot of sound and Furie signifying nothing.
Boomer Hayes (Wahl, The Soldier) is an aging football star with a bum knee. He’s forced to make an appearance at a fundraiser for the homeless of Beverly Hills (?!) by team owner Bat Masterson (Davi, Licence to Kill). There’s a mutual dislike between the two that’s exacerbated by Boomer hooking up with Masterson’s supposed girlfriend Laura (Kozak, Parenthood) at the gala affair. He takes her back to his place where they get to know each other a little before retiring to Boomer’s hot tub.
In a case of really bad timing, a truck carrying hazardous chemicals crashes and releases chlorine gas, forcing the police and EPA officials to evacuate the wealthy citizens. Guess what? It’s a hoax! The “spill” is really a cover for a major robbery. A bunch of ex-cops, led by Varney (Ving, Black Moon Rising), set out to rob all the houses and businesses in the space of 70 minutes (that’s when the National Guard is expected). Laura gets ushered onto a bus out of the city while Boomer waits for her to come back, completely oblivious to the situation. He first becomes aware when a couple of “cops” try to kill him. He’s rescued by Officer Ed Kelvin (Frewer, Max Headroom), a cop who backed out of the robbery scheme after witnessing the murder of the town mayor (Wyner, Spaceballs). All the real cops have been locked away, so it’s up to Boomer and Ed to stop the robbery. In case you haven’t already guessed, the mastermind behind the whole scenario is Masterson. Big surprise, right?
The Taking of Beverly Hills has it all- shooting, explosions, chases, car crashes, stunts involving vehicles, slimy villains and two men against hundreds- and still manages to come up short. I don’t mind that this movie is essentially a Die Hard knock-off. What I do mind is that it sucks. First of all, Wahl and Frewer aren’t exactly an action dream team. I liked Wahl in The Soldier (a seriously underrated action flick), but he brings absolutely nothing to the table here. He’s not even a pale imitation of Bruce Willis. Frewer isn’t at all believable. Davi and Ving (two great character actors) do their best but even they can’t elevate The Taking of Beverly Hills to a watchable level.
The basic premise isn’t bad; it’s a decent idea executed very poorly. I saw it at a prerelease screening the night before it came out (so the bad reviews won’t appear until Saturday) and the joint wasn’t even a quarter filled. It was also the most sedate audience I’ve ever seen at an action movie. Even with all the noise and mayhem, The Taking of Beverly Hills is boring. It’s also very predictable. Even the soundtrack stinks. I’m surprised that Furie didn’t manage to work “The Power” by Snap! into the proceedings. It seems like that tune shows up in a lot of 90s movies.
For the record, I don’t hate all of the director’s movies. I like his 1983 horror picture The Entity. As for The Taking of Beverly Hills, it’s just a total waste. It has plot holes big enough to drive a tanker truck through. It’s obviously aimed at idiots. The only reasons it rates a single star is Davi and Ving. If only they were surrounded by a better movie.
TRIVIA TIDBITS: This movie was originally supposed to be released by Orion Pictures, but Columbia picked it up after the now-defunct studio ran into financial problems. In hindsight, this movie wouldn’t have solved their money problems. If anything, it would have put them deeper in the red.
Look for Pamela Anderson (pre-Baywatch) in an uncredited role as a cheerleader.
