Review of the film ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’

Premiere in Netflix 3rd of July, ‘Beverly Hills Police: Axel F.‘ is the making of the new sequel that has been in development for a long time for ‘Police‘ franchise. After more false starts than a car with a banana in the tailpipe (including a failed TV pilot), Paramount sold the rights to the film series starring Eddie Murphy as the witty detective Axel Foley.

Related Article: Top 30 Eddie Murphy Movies of All Time!

Initial thoughts

In some ways, I feel like it’s a legacy sequel.Top Gun: Maverick‘ (It even begins with Murphy’s Foley still in action, still breaking rules and managing to stay on the job thanks to the influence of a friend in high places, much like Tom Cruise‘Axel F’, which although it never reached the heights of that great box office success, manages to walk the rhythm of nostalgia without depending on it so much as to become abusive.

It’s certainly nice to see Murphy back and really enjoying the role (which certainly didn’t seem to be the case in many of the 1994 films).A detective on the loose in Beverly Hills III‘), and the film that surrounds it, although it cannot compete with Martin BrestThe original from 1984 or the one by Tony Scott 1987 sequelshould easily move into third place on most fans’ lists, which is more than can be said for some older sequels like the recent ‘Exorcist‘ liberation or ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny‘.

Script and direction

Written by Will Beall and Tom GormicanThe script manages to bring back many of the franchise’s stalwarts, but also combines them with a story that acknowledges where they would be now and some modern attitudes towards the police from characters like Joseph Gordon-LevittBobby Abbott. And even more welcome, it allows Murphy to be funny again, giving the season-long actor room to improvise and feel like the Axel fans remember. He also comments cleverly on the franchise’s past, including a slightly snarky (but entirely earned) dig at the third film and a moment where Axel considers putting on a voice and playing a character to get what he wants but abandons it, tired of the same old routine.

Mark Molloy is a commercial director making his debut on this film, and the style he’s chosen certainly fits the look of the original trilogy (with perhaps a nod to Scott’s). He doesn’t announce himself too much and also lets Murphy breathe as the lead character, while finding solid work for the entire cast.

Performances:

‘Axel F’ features a solid cast supporting Murphy, and both returning veterans and new faces to the franchise have good roles to play.

Eddie Murphy as Detective Axel Foley

Axel Foley, one of Murphy’s most famous characters and the one that made him a star, is clearly a role the actor is comfortable in (even if he hasn’t always shown it). As for “Axel F,” he’s in fine form, managing to match the talkative Axel of the original two films with the more relaxed, mature version.

Here he faces old friends in a story that proves useful to both him and them.

Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood

Although Judge ReinholdBilly (the only person other than Murphy to appear in all the films) is somewhat sidelined for a portion of the story, but he’s also recognizably Billy: a little grizzled, a little more wrinkled, but still the same gun-savvy, enthusiastic friend.

John Ashton as John Taggart

He is now the chief of the Beverly Hills police force (even though, uh, he was listed as retired when… John Ashton (He didn’t get to reprise the role in the third film, though that is addressed in dialogue here), Ashton’s Taggart is still the grumpy old man, even more so now that he can actually count as a grumpy old man.

Neither Ashton nor Reinhold have much to do, but they are used as much as in the original films: solid support for the protagonist, with their own entertaining stories.

Taylor Paige as Jane Saunders

Axel’s estranged daughter is now a prominent but empathetic lawyer, and in some ways more like her father than she would like to admit. Taylor Paige Murphy stands out for her role as the daughter who holds a grudge against the man who hasn’t been in contact with her, but who is excited by the idea of ​​having Axel back in her life. It’s a well-used plot, but it doesn’t get tiresome.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Detective Bobby Abbott

Gordon-Levitt, like Paige, has a fun energy in Murphy’s company and stands out as a character worth watching in her own right.

Final Thoughts

There can be a real risk in sticking to the traditional strategy with a legacy sequel: it can feel like you’re rehashing old bits in a desperate attempt to entertain franchise fans while also attracting new ones.

But the formula works on an entertaining level with “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which focuses on what works in the franchise and finds organic ways to insert new characters and plot angles. Most importantly, it feels like a “Beverly Hills Cop” movie made by people who respect the previous installments.

‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.

What is the plot of ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’?

Detroit Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back in action in Beverly Hills. After the life of his estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) is threatened, she and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old friends Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.

Who is in the cast of ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’?

• Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Detective Bobby Abbott
• Kevin Bacon as Captain Cade Grant
• Taylor Paige as Jane Saunders
• Judge Reinhold as Lieutenant William “Billy” Rosewood
• John Ashton as John Taggart
• Pablo Reiser like Jeffrey Friedman
• Bronson Pinchot like serge

(L-R) Judge Reinhold, Eddie Murphy and John Ashton attend the World Premiere of ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on June 20, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Netflix.

‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise films:

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