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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Stays in Its Lane, but Eddie Murphy Remains Undeniable

By Matt Donato  |  July 2, 2024 | 7:00pm
Movies Reviews eddie murphy
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Stays in Its Lane, but Eddie Murphy Remains Undeniable

Does Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F atone for the sins of 1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III? That’s what debut director Mark Molloy hopes in his 30-years-later nostalgia grab to reinstate Axel Foley as an action-comedy mainstay. A script written by Will Beall, Tom Gormican, and Kevin Etten recycles every franchise-pandering trick in the book, reworking old formulas into a generational story that tees up future installments with younger partners who can aid Axel on future investigations. It’s nothing groundbreaking, nor does Molloy subvert expectations like the recent comparison point Bad Boys: Ride or Die, but if you’re a fan of the wisecracking Beverly Hills Cop series, 2024’s long-awaited entry is a comfortably familiar, stays-in-its-lane continuation.

Eddie Murphy’s return to Beverly Hills as Detroit lieutenant Axel Foley is a family reunion. Axel’s estranged daughter, Beverly Hills criminal defense lawyer Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige), is being threatened for representing a client she claims was set up by crooked law enforcers. Axel’s no parent of the year, hence why Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) is the one who reaches out to Axel about Jane, but that doesn’t stop him from booking a flight to California. It’s not long before Axel is stealing traffic patrol vehicles and snooping around Beverly Hills’ finest, working alongside new faces like Jane and reluctant partner Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), as well as longtime friends like John Taggart (John Ashton), now Beverly Hills’ chief of police.

But you’re not watching Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F for the plot. The narrative’s hardly a mystery, since Axel’s earliest encounters with Taggart’s inner circle make it painfully obvious who’s behind the internal police force corruption. Entire scenes meander forward on autopilot, coasting through trope-heavy cop procedure. This isn’t The Departed—nor would the Beverly Hills Cop franchise ever claim such resemblances. The problem with Netflix’s latest mission is how painfully vanilla a story about shady police deals with drug smuggling rings becomes, serving as a generic background for Axel’s father-daughter bonding and time spent with beloved elders.

In these glimpses, when legacy characters nod toward their pasts with reverence or Axel’s streetwise antics draw unwanted attention, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F earns appropriate laughter. Murphy is his troublemaking self, using Axel’s bulletproof overconfidence and mess-around humor to earnestly poke fun at his supporting cast. Reinhold flashes glimpses of Billy’s loose-cannon behavior, while Ashton plays a sitcom stereotype who’d rather ditch retirement than stay home with his wife (it’s been three decades—neither can run and gun like the ‘80s). Murphy and Gordon-Levitt sport decent chemistry as a PG-rated version of Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke from Training Day, but their mentor-mentee relationship never breaks from standard arc. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is always better when the gang’s back together, which remains true even when Luis Guzmán enters the frame armed with a microphone, his singing voice and a pistol.

Molloy functionally manages a by-the-books sequel, where filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah—who had Molloy’s job before ditching Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F for Batgirl (RIP)—bring a far more distinctive style to Bad Boys: Ride or Die. There’s nothing visually stunning about Molloy’s metropolitan shootouts or chase sequences, especially when using blatant computer animations (automobile pixelation sticks out). Nor does Molloy empower progressive evolutions in Axel’s character when challenged by his frustrated daughter Jane, remaining dedicated to fan service that entertains against the odds. What’s not to enjoy about Paul Reiser’s eye-rolls at Axel’s numerous counts of property damage while busting criminals or Bronson Pinchot’s still-thick accent as the flamboyant Serge? Molloy’s better at strolling down memory lane than handling new additions like Kevin Bacon as Captain Cade Grant, who postures, sneers and intimidates as your ordinary syndicated Blue Bloods-type suit-and-tie brass.

Luckily, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F will be remembered for its slavish dedication to selling what’s already adored. Case in point? Lorne Balfe’s original score masterfully manipulates Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic “Axel F” theme track after track, twisting the bouncy electronic banger into fresh arrangements that are equally as catchy. Molloy’s vision might not be as peppy as Balfe’s top-notch musicianship, but it’s still steady enough to bask in nostalgic glows that don’t squander Axel’s return. Murphy’s comedic timing is still razor-sharp, whether he’s messing with his white partners with racially-charged gags, or interrupting cartel karaoke like a loudmouth with a death wish. Axel has a case to crack, a daughter to win back and Californians to offend, all achieved within the bit-too-long algorithmic runtime of a two-hour Netflix Original.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is a standardized comeback that moderately succeeds in balancing tradition with reinvention. The film doesn’t kick your door down and challenge your Beverly Hills Cop fandom—Molloy knocks politely on your door and shows you what you want to see. It’s a humble nostalgia bomb à la Live Free or Die Hard, one afraid to upset the apple cart and detrimentally one-note. But Eddie Murphy’s still Eddie Murphy, and that’s like sneaking in a cheat code. Molloy feeds us the franchise’s signature recipe with a spice or two switched, tending to the core flavors while tweaking just enough to justify the repackaged new release. Redemption, thy name is “Axel F.”

Director: Mark Molloy
Writers: Will Beall, Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon
Release Date: July 3, 2024 (Netflix)

Matt Donato is a Los Angeles-based film critic currently published on SlashFilm, Fangoria, Bloody Disgusting, and anywhere else he’s allowed to spread the gospel of Demon Wind. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. Definitely don’t feed him after midnight.

 
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