When is an Eddie Murphy movie not an Eddie Murphy movie? When it’s a Dudley Moore movie trying to pass itself off as another Eddie Murphy buddy movie.
After poor test audience reactions, Paramount apparently offered Eddie a big fat cheque (more than Trading Places and 48 Hrs. combined) for what is essentially a few pick-up scenes to insert in an already finished movie. Eddie’s added “strategic guest star” material ultimately didn’t do much for the movie, and it still… tanked.
Don’t worry about poor Mr. Murphy, though. This flop barely left a tread mark on his resume, especially after the meteoric success of Beverly Hills Cop just a few months later.
The same couldn’t be said for writer/director Willard Huyck (who had co-penned American Graffiti with wife and writing partner Gloria Katz). Even though he went on to co-write Temple of Doom and the under-appreciated Radioland Murders, things started to cool off drastically after his next – and last – directorial effort: Howard the Duck.
Sure, Best Defense was one of those movie ideas that might have worked on paper with a bit more fine-tuning at the blueprint stage, but David Rasche’s appearance makes it worth the price of a rental. It’s a movie to keep on the cold war-era military comedy shelf next to Deal of the Century, Spies Like Us, or Tank, but it hasn’t risen the ranks enough to sit next to Stripes.