Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), a street-smart Detroit detective, travels to Beverly Hills to solve the murder of his best friend. He falls foul of everyone he meets due to his tough Detroit approach, but undaunted, starts to unravel the mystery with old friend Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher) and two intrigued local detectives, Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton).