The Big Picture

Eddie Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the entertaining
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

The film successfully captures the essence of the original movies, blending action and comedy while incorporating modern references.
Newcomers Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are great additions, adding depth and heart to the story alongside Murphy.

Before the era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, before Peter Jackson blessed cinemas with The Lord of the Rings, and before Harry Potter ever waved his magic wand, one of the biggest movie franchises in all of Hollywood was Beverly Hills Cop, starring comedy legend Eddie Murphy. The first movie was a massive critical and commercial success, with Murphy’s role as the fast-talking and rambunctious Detroit cop Axel Foley cementing him as an A-lister. The film also spawned two sequels, the equally entertaining Beverly Hills Cop II and the maligned Beverly Hills Cop III (which even this new movie admits, was not Axel’s finest hour).

A fourth Beverly Hills Cop movie had been in the works for decades, going through multiple writers, directors, and release dates. Hell, there was a moment in time when the movie was scheduled to open on the same day as Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Jump to the past five years and Murphy has experienced a career resurgence after taking a step back for a bit. His comeback role as Rudy Ray Moore in Dolemite Is My Name earned him some of the highest praises of his career. Shortly after the movie’s release, he also returned to his old stomping grounds of Studio 8H to host an episode of Saturday Night Live. Not too long after that, the pandemic hit, and Murphy’s comedy sequel Coming 2 America was sent directly to streaming. While the movie itself wasn’t all that great, it was a success in terms of viewership. Since then, Murphy has stuck to making movies for streaming services with films such as You People and Candy Cane Lane.

It then makes sense why Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has found a home on Netflix, but there’s also something bittersweet about it. In the era of legacy sequels, this new film could have found an audience in theaters, but its arrival on Netflix will also certainly attract even more eyes to it.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F 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 Writers Will Beall , Daniel Petrie Jr. , Tom Gormican , Kevin Etten Studio Paramount Pictures Expand

What Is ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ About?

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F begins the same way the first three movies in the series began, with Axel Foley in the midst of a chaotic mission in the streets of Detroit, Michigan. While Foley is thirty years older, he’s hardly changed at all, going against orders, cracking jokes, and getting into trouble. His old partner, Jeffrey Friedman (Paul Reiser), is now the Deputy Chief of the Detroit Police Department, and is on the verge of retirement, encouraging Foley to do the same. Foley, however, has no interest in turning in his badge, especially after receiving a troubling call from his old friend Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), from the Beverly Hills Police Department. He learns that his estranged daughter Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige), a criminal defense attorney, is being threatened by a criminal group after she takes on a client who has been falsely accused of killing an officer.

Foley once again embarks on a mission in the streets of Beverly Hills. He quickly realizes that a lot has changed since his last trip, not that it bothers him too much. Foley’s antics land him once again at the Beverly Hills police station, where he meets Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who just so happens to be Jane’s ex-boyfriend. Abbott isn’t the only new face at the station. There’s also Cade Grant (Kevin Bacon), the head of a special task force who Jane is suspicious of, despite John Taggart’s (John Ashton) endorsement. To make matters even more complicated, Rosewood has gone missing, so now Foley has to team up with a reluctant Jane and Bobby to save his old friend.

Eddie Murphy Hasn’t Missed a Beat as Axel Foley
Image via Netflix

There is no question that Murphy is one of the best comic leading men to ever grace the screen. Even in his stumbles (here’s looking at you Norbit), he’s never not trying. While Coming 2 America may have failed to deliver, Axel F feels like redemption. Despite having a comedian in the lead role, the first two films in the series always had a blend of being a gritty cop flick and a raunchy comedy. While it could have been easy to just have Foley spend the movie talking about how he’s frustrated by how everyone has become more delicate or ranting about the younger generations, that isn’t the case here. Both the film and Murphy know that this character has always been the lightning rod of comic chaos that makes this franchise work. While many of his old colleagues are talking about settling down and getting old, Foley rejects that notion. He’s still the same old rebellious cop that we’ve come to know and Murphy is playing the character the same way he did when he was 22.

Axel F doesn’t play like your typical legacy sequel as, much like the titular character, the film is not remotely interested in passing the baton. It almost feels like barely any time has passed at all. That’s not to say there aren’t any modern references thrown in there with one of the movie’s biggest laughs is centered around the movie Jupiter Ascending (yes, you are reading that right). Although considering the movie is nearly a decade old, it’s probably not that modern of a reference.

The movie still plays with certain clichés that you expect to see from long-awaited sequels, such as bringing back fan-favorite characters, but they never feel like they are there just to be there. Reinhold and Ashton’s Rosewood and Taggart figure into the story in a big way and are far more than just throwaway cameos. Bronson Pinchot is also a major highlight, reprising his role as Surge, and while his role may not be as large as his co-stars, he’s still a joy to watch as the character.

Newcomers such as Paige and Gordon-Levitt are also solid additions. Paige effectively makes Jane feel like Foley’s polar opposite as she’s more about business versus cracking jokes and having fun. Her back and forth with Murphy provides some of the movie’s biggest highlights and these scenes bring in a lot more heart. Gordon-Levitt also fits right in as Bobby, basically playing a straight man who becomes increasingly riled up by Foley and his shenanigans. Bacon’s Grant isn’t given as much depth or background as some of the other newbies, and he’s at the center of one of the movie’s most unapologetically predictable arcs. Yet he too is delightful to watch, playing a character that feels like he was ripped right out of the first two movies.

‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ Should Have Been in Theaters

There has been a stigma surrounding big-budget Netflix movies, and whether it’s warranted or not, a lot of these movies earned a lot of attention because of the convenience of being available on a streaming service. After all, do we think that many people would have seen Atlas in a movie theater? Probably not. Axel F, on the other hand, feels like it was meant to be seen on the big screen with the audience. For a first-time feature director, Mark Molloy sure knows how to make this movie feel as cinematic as possible. Not only that, but he also still reincorporates the 80s flair the first two movies had, much like Joseph Kosinski did with Top Gun: Maverick. The action setpieces feel like they were made to be seen in a packed theater, rather than just on your TV screen. From the movie’s opening snow plow chase in the streets of Detroit to an incredibly amusing helicopter chase sequence, Axel F doesn’t feel dull or like a tired retread. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer knows what makes a fun summer popcorn movie, from 90s classics like Con Air to more recent affairs like Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and while Axel F may not be a future classic, it’s the exact kind of summer action movie that could have played like gangbusters in a theater.

That’s not to say that Axel F is as good as Maverick. While the Tom Cruise film felt like it surpassed its predecessor, this movie feels like it is right on par with the first two movies. It has no interest in having something to say, be it about modern policing or gang violence, as its main intention is to be a showcase for Murphy and his old colleagues to attempt to recapture that magic. Lorne Balfe’s synth-heavy score additionally captures those nostalgic vibes without feeling too on the nose.

The story itself is insanely predictable; right from the jump, you know exactly how the movie is going to wrap itself up. While the highs of sequel movie are certainly high, especially in comparison to other Netflix blockbuster flicks, this isn’t a game-changer. You will know exactly what you are getting into as soon as you click the “play” button on your remote, but you’ll also be pleasantly surprised by just how well the movie works.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is exactly the kind of entertaining summer blockbuster that we need more of. The movie ends up taking the right lessons from other legacy sequels like Top Gun: Maverick and Bad Boys: Ride or Die by accurately recreating the vibe of the original while also incorporating its own personality.

REVIEW Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ perfectly recaptures the joy of the original two films and is powered by a joyful Eddie Murphy.ProsEddie Murphy is as entertaining as ever as Axel Foley and plays the character the same way he did in the 80s.Mark Molloy’s direction and Lorne Balfe’s score help make Axel F feel much more cinematic than your typical big-budget Netflix movie.Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are welcome new additions to the cast. ConsThe story itself is almost too predictable.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F will be available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. starting July 3.

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