Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

By: Adam Freed

Not all good things must come to an end.  This hasn’t always been the case though as it applies to the once beloved Beverly Hills Cop franchise. 30 years ago the Eddie Murphy lead comedy action saga was thought to be permanently undone by its lowly third installment Beverly Hills Cop III (1994).  The film was universally panned, and marked what was believed at the time to be the death rattle of the once prominent franchise and its shining star.  Clearly Netflix believes in resurrection.  Three decades after Beverly Hills Cop was pronounced dead, the streaming goliath breathes new life into the Eddie Murphy lead vehicle.

In many ways, Beverly Hills Cop (1984) was a perfect career launching pad for the young and gifted Eddie Murphy.  Coming in the wake of the successful 48 Hours (1982) and the 80’s comedic gem Trading Places (1983) Murphy was primed for superstardom.  There were so few actors at the time that carried Murphy’s unique alchemy of comedic gifts, undeniable charisma and natural good looks.  In many ways Murphy seemed the better looking, more marketable crossover version of standup legend Richard Pryor.  With two successful films under his belt, it seemed only a matter of time before a film like Martin Brest’s Beverly Hills Cop harnessed Murphy’s talents and sent the young star into the stratosphere.

Some franchises are larger than their marquee stars, and some cannot be surgically separated from them.  Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is undeniable evidence that Murphy and Axel Foley are forever linked.  Director Mark Molloy’s fourth franchise installment offers to right many of the wrongs from the failed final chapter that laid the franchise to rest 3 decades ago.  First and foremost, Murphy is provided the room to be the best comedic version of himself, while honoring all of the fast talking, car smashing, 80’s style action that fans of the series have come to expect.  The musical cues in the film are updated cuts of songs of the original era, a nice tip of the cap offering an impactful version of fan service to those loyal to the legend of Axel Foley.  In addition, the Netflix reboot hosts a bevy of supporting characters, and a few welcome cameos, that provide the sequel with some much needed performance integrity.  Most notably Joseph Gordon Levitt who as Detective Bobby Abbott, acts as straight man to Murphy’s jester. Levitt’s performance also layers the story with an emotional angle as the former love interest of Foley’s estranged daughter Jane Saunders (a convincingTaylour Paige).  Another notable piece to the film’s performance puzzle is the always welcome appearance of Kevin Bacon, who as Captain Cade Grant plays smarmy foil to Foley’s affable Detroit-based detective.

Although returning to what previously worked in an attempt to revitalize a franchise is hardly an original idea, Mark Molloy and Netflix have wisely done exactly that.  By allowing stars to play to their strengths and unleashing a phalanx of practically executed stunts (including hundreds of smashed cars) Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley revitalizes the fun that it had so desperately lost by the mid 90’s.  Tapping into a nostalgic plot structure and its original filmmaking style, Eddie Murphy’s latest Axel Foley film is sure to become the satisfying series conclusion that dedicated fans feel they deserve.

Target Score: 6.5/10 Leaning into all of the lovable aspects of the original 80’s comedy action series, the Netflix reboot of the Eddie Murphy lead franchise proves entertainingly watchable.