Summary
- It is great to see Eddie Murphy again with Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, and others, but you should lower your expectations.
- An overload of nostalgia and a weak script that can only copy the usual beats of the earlier films hinder
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
‘s success. - New characters and relationships lack chemistry and take away too much screen time from the classic old characters.
Eddie Murphy and the original cast return to the classic action-comedy franchise that made him a household name. If only Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F could have avoided stale nostalgia and a weak script to capture the magic of the first two blockbuster films. A lesson was indeed learned after the debacle of 1994’s godawful Beverly Hills Cop III. This fourth iteration gets back to hard-R roots with F-bomb-laden dialogue, an attempt at wisecracking racial humor, and John Ashton reprising his role as the grouchy Taggart. What’s noticeably lacking is believable chemistry between the old and new characters. They fit like square pegs in a ridiculously contrived, brainless narrative.
Set 30 years later in Detroit, Axel Foley (Murphy) is back playing fast and loose to capture baddies attempting to rob the Red Wings ice hockey game. Calamity predictably ensues in the aftermath, with chaos and carnage littering the winter streets. Axel’s reputation for breaking the rules has made him a local legend. But the deputy chief, Jeffrey Friedman (Paul Reiser), still Axel’s bestie, can no longer shield him from the mayor and commissioner’s wrath.
Meanwhile, in a Los Angeles jail, Axel’s daughter Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige) meets her newest client. Sam Enriquez (Damien Diaz) is about to be prosecuted for the murder of an undercover cop during a cartel drug deal. He swears his innocence — Sam was knocked unconscious during the attack, and believes someone is framing him. Sam was recommended to Jane by one of her father’s trusted friends. Private investigator Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) has been circling a dangerous conspiracy.
Daddy-Daughter Issues in Beverly Hills
2/5
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.
Release Date July 3, 2024
Director Mark Molloy
Runtime 1h 55m
Studio(s) Paramount Pictures , Jerry Bruckheimer Films , Eddie Murphy Productions
Distributor(s) Netflix
Pros
- It is great to see these characters again, and the gun play is fun.
Cons
- This is a woefully predictable script that feels like a copy of better things with no surprises.
- The lack of chemistry between the new characters (and their dominance over the classic old characters) sinks the film.
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As Axel deals with the fallout of his actions, masked goons give Jane a terrifying warning to drop the Enriquez case. Billy goes against her wishes and calls in the Axel cavalry. His daughter’s in danger and needs help. Axel races to Beverly Hills to reunite with Billy, but he’s a no show at the airport. Axel realizes Billy’s in over his head. He must make amends with Jane, find Billy, and get to the bottom of what’s happening.
Mark Molloy, a commercial director in his feature debut, and primary screenwriter Will Beall (Gangster Squad, Aquaman), a former LAPD detective, milk the cow dry in an overblown attempt to cash in on earlier success. They put Axel, Billy, and Taggart, now the chief of Beverly Hills police, in similar situations from the previous films, the goal being to rekindle audience affinity for these beloved characters.
It works to a point. You do enjoy seeing the band together again strumming the greatest hits playlist. But you can only play so many oldies before the new material has to take hold. This is the film’s biggest problem. No buddy cop gimmicks can mask a bad story. It’s a disappointing result after decades of development limbo.
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New Characters Take Up Too Much Time
The script deserves further scrutiny and lambasting. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has no surprises. The antagonist could be wearing a sign around his neck. He’s the villain, everyone knows, but the film dances around the obvious like a bad merengue. What’s worse is that Billy vanishes for an extended period of time. And Taggart doesn’t behave like the ride-or-die partner he’s always been. This was done to facilitate more screen time for Axel, Jane, and her former boyfriend, Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).
The producers are trying to pass the torch to a new generation by dimming the fire on the characters we actually want to see. The focus should have been on the primary leads with Paige and Gordon-Levitt in supporting fashion. This is a huge mistake that kneecaps the film.
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Manufactured Relationships Fizzle
The central relationship between Murphy and Paige doesn’t resonate as it should. Their angst feels manufactured and burns runtime without any real comedic value. Jane fights hard not to be a chip off the old block. But, drum roll please, she has to get crafty like dear old dad to snag the baddies. Paige is a fine actress. She and Murphy should have been more appealing together. Their lack of chemistry puts a major roadblock to her character’s likability.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F skates by on good enough gunplay and car chases. The producers wisely keep Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On” and Bob Seger’s “Shakedown” as toe-tapping accompaniments to the violence. But again, they prove a lack of creativity in using dump trucks and municipal vehicles as the preferred smash ’em up tools. That was clever in the first films. It’s flogging an old horse now…like Axel still driving his crappy blue Chevy Nova. That’s meant to be funny, but it’s just kind of dumb. Why can’t a hero cop get a new car after 40 years?
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It’s Great to See These Characters but Lower Your Expectations
Netflix
Lower expectations to the ground. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F deserves a worse rating. But gosh darn it, you are happy to see these characters back together after so many years. Axel, Rosewood, Taggart, Jeffrey, and even Serge (Bronson Pinchot), a fleeting bright spot, still have charisma. They just need another sequel with better writing and direction that truly makes the film about them.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is a production of Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Eddie Murphy Productions. It premieres July 3rd exclusively on Netflix. You can watch through the link below.
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