Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s life’s threatened.

My Take – While Eddie Murphy had already well proven his comedic talents as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (SNL), and gained enough appreciation through his stand-up specials, leading to his casting as co-leads in box office successes, 48 Hrs (1982) and Trading Places (1983), however, it was his lead role as Axel Foley, a street-smart plainclothes detective who travels to Beverly Hills, California to investigate a crime even though it is out of his jurisdiction, in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), that shot Murphy to international stardom.

Though Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) was a bigger box office success despite mixed critical reception, the failure of Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) effectively knocked the franchise out of commission.

Now, after languishing in development hell for the about three decades, Eddie Murphy is back as Axel Foley, 40 years after his first outing, in a new action comedy adventure that reunites him with John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Paul Reiser, who also return as their characters, John Taggart, Billy Rosewood and Jeffrey Friedman.

In a surprising turn of events, the fourth film, which has released directly on Netflix, is probably the most enjoyable installment since the 1984 original. Simple, confident and playful in a way that most legacy sequels take for granted, it’s exactly the kind of entertaining summer blockbuster that we need more of.

Sure, in the hands of first-time director Mark Molloy, the film indulges in in its share of nostalgic callbacks, yet manages to stand on its own merits. The film successfully encapsulates the spirit of the original while adapting to the expectations for a contemporary audience. More than just a legacy sequel, it’s also a testament to Eddie Murphy‘s enduring charm and comedic prowess.

Most importantly, it don’t shy away from the fact that 40 years has passed and the style of comedies has changed since then, for better or worse. It adds enough refreshments so it doesn’t just feel like a lazy copy of the charming original.

With a tone consistent with the original trilogy, a straightforward premise that creates space for fresh faces without disrespecting the main character, and a well-paced mix of comedy, action, and tunes, this fourth installment is a highly watchable return to form for Eddie Murphy. The heat is definitely back on.

The story once again follows Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), who is still a detective with the Detroit Police Department. Though he is older and somewhat wiser, he still has the same wisecracking humor and is same hell raiser that bends the rules and tears up the streets of Detroit in his infamous pursuits. Though his former partner Jeffrey Friedman (Paul Reiser) has risen the ranks to become Deputy Chief, and is contemplating retirement, Axel believes he is far from slowing down.

However, Axel returns to Beverly Hills when he gets a call from his old buddy Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), who’s left the Beverly Hills police and is now a private eye investigating department corruption, who informs him about how his estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige), an LA defense attorney, has become embroiled in these shady shenanigans by taking on the case of a cop killer and her life has been threatened.

But there are a lot of hard feelings between Jane and Axel, especially on her part. But when Billy goes missing, father and daughter reluctantly team up with Jane’s detective ex Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to uncover the conspiracy.

Without a doubt, nostalgia was always going to be a big draw here, especially with much of original cast back. But while many can get it wrong by being too heavy-handed with it, this one does enough to put a smile on your face when you spot the throwbacks, and is woven seamlessly enough into the story that it doesn’t feel forced. There’s a concerted effort to write the previous wrongs of the third film and almost entirely recon it from our minds.

The script from writers Will Beall (Bad Boys: Ride or Die), Tom Gormican, and Kevin Etten (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) doesn’t shy away from addressing themes of aging and the treatment of veterans in law enforcement. The film acknowledges that it’s a time capsule, and Foley’s extravagant, wild-west policing style is no longer the norm. But he craves it; it’s an integral part of his routine.

They also come up with clever and comedic situations like commandeering of increasingly ridiculous vehicles accommodate the fact that a 63-year-old Murphy can’t be going running around like he did three decades ago. We see Axel leap from snow plows to meter maid trolleys to helicopters, and each setup isn’t a dodge but an opportunity for visual gags. Plus, each of these choices reaffirms how Axel still thinks on his feet.

Nevertheless, the crux of the emotional center are Axel and Jane. Here, director Molloy does this in the way that there are scenes where they get to talk it out and in the way that Jane inserts herself into the ways Axel hilariously goes undercover. Both characters are very similar; they are dedicated to their jobs, stubborn, and genuinely care about the greater good.

The only difference is that Axel has possibly relied on his job too heavily to escape things outside of it. Lorne Balfe‘s score also captures the sound of Harold Faltermeyer‘s works well, feeling like a natural extension of his best works.

Performance wise, Eddie Murphy slips back into Axel with ease, bringing the same similar sass and recklessness. It helps that Murphy‘s comic timing remains impeccable. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton have a limited screen-time, but the scenes with the three of them together just oozes chemistry.

The same goes for Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot who returns in a small cameo as Serge from the first and third film.

Taylour Page does well, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes for a natural addition to the series. As always, Kevin Bacon never disappoints, but the film could’ve used him more. On the whole, ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ is light, funny, and nostalgic enough to successfully revives a beloved franchise and proves Eddie Murphy‘s still got it.