Paramount Home Video's first discs to carry the THX logo were letterboxed reissues of 'Beverly Hills Cop' and 'Beverly Hills Cop II'. I have not seen the original transfer of 'Beverly Hills Cop II' so am unable to compare the two, though this is probably unnecessary. I do have the original disc release of the first film and a direct comparison shows a definite improvement in quality but not as much as I expected.
The original transfer of 'Beverly Hills Cop' was grainy looking with somewhat faded and unimpressive colors. The new transfer has done a very good job of cleaning up the grain and the colors are fantastic. Bright, vivid reds, solid and accurate fleshtones, and a consistency that is excellent from beginning to end. Contrast is also much improved giving a number of scenes a darker look but still retaining good shadow detail. There is still a slight softness to the image and some loss of fine detail. As good as this transfer is, I would have to rate this as the weakest THX transfer that I have seen, though this may well be as good as the source material will allow. 'Beverly Hills Cop' was shot flat and this transfer has been matted to about 1.85:1. Compositions appear well balanced with this framing.
The soundtrack is a bit more reserved than the flashier sequel but does not detract from the action. The bass is a bit cleaner than the older transfer and dialog is well balanced with the music and effects. Overall, not great, but very good.
While there are a few minor flaws with the 'Beverly Hills Cop' transfer, 'Beverly Hills Cop II' is exactly what one will expect from a THX laser disc. Consistant, accurate color, excellent contrast and brightness, and image clarity seen only in the best transfers. This film was shot in Super 35 (or something like it) and has been framed at about 2.35:1. This framing looks good for most of the film though a few scenes appear somewhat crowded. One side note, for some reason the opening Paramount logo is framed at 1.85:1 then the film starts at 2.35.
The soundtrack is a souped up version of the first film, much like another Tony Scott trademark, 'Top Gun'. Deep, solid bass and crystal clear highs make this a more enjoyable movie than it deserves to be.
'Beverly Hills Cop' runs 105 minutes and contains a whopping 11 chapters. 'Beverly Hills Cop II' is 103 minutes with 13 markers. Both discs are priced at $39.95. The pricing appears to be Paramount's attempt to charge a premium for the THX logo. In my opinion, there is nothing out of the ordinary to warrant a higher price for these discs. But, they are both high quality transfers and the films bear repeat viewings. Both are recommended, even at $40 a pop.
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