Actor Eddie Murphy’s been experiencing a wonderful resurgence lately between exploring new stories (Dolemite Is My Name (2019)) and revisiting old ones (Coming 2 America (2021)), each time reminding audiences why we’ve loved being entertained by him for ages. Now, nearly four decades since introducing audiences to Detroit-based detective Axel Foley, Murphy redons the Detroit Lions jacket, blue jeans, and smart mouth that makes up the uniform of the persistent officer for a brand-new adventure in a fourth outing subtitled Axel F. Bringing together the best parts of the first two Beverly Hills Cop films, Axel F is a return to form that reminds audiences that sometimes “the vibe” is as important to the story as the story itself. To that end, Axel F is not so much a new attitude, but a well-worn one that can still bust the bad guys, even if a few steps slower than it used to.
L-R: Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley and Paul Reiser as Jeffrey Friedman in BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F. Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.
Axel Foley (Murphy) knows only one thing for sure: if a crime is happening, on-duty or off, he’s going to take action. It’s a mentality that’s gotten him into as many scrapes and punishments as it has cultivated commendations and friendships. Upon receiving a call from longtime friend Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) about trouble in Beverly Hills involving Axel’s estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige), Axel takes the first flight out and immediately starts putting his nose where others prefer he not. What he doesn’t realize is how deep the trouble goes and to what lengths the bad guys will go to stay on top, but when has that ever stopped Axel?
Sequels are about revisiting characters and worlds that we enjoy, so it’s important to point out that there are several familiar faces that pop up in Axel F, many of which have been pointed out in the marketing. This is worth mentioning in order to dispel the sense that the film is aimed at a specific audience of older fans looking for nostalgia over a good story. There are certainly plenty of moments, beats, and flourishes throughout the film that harken back to favorite bits, visual styles, and even the score and music, but that’s not what the film *is,* and that makes a big difference in delivering enjoyment. Since Beverly Hills Cop 2 (1987), these films have illustrated the close bonds between the characters, making those who return more than cameos or nods for series fans, but opportunities for the world to feel authentic. Thus, Axel F is less of a changing of the guard that many long-gestating sequels or legacy sequels often lean toward with the introduction of Paige’s (Zola) Jane or Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s (Glass Onion) BHPD Detective Bobby Abbott. Rather, these characters get folded into the pre-existing world in a manner that tracks within the already close-knit dynamics established in prior stories. For instance, that Billy would call Axel about Jane makes sense when one remembers that both 2 and 3 setup and reinforce that Axel not only kept in touch with Billy and Taggart (John Ashton), but they would regularly get together. Fast eyes will catch a fantastic 2 easter egg that includes Ronny Cox’s Bogomil, an element that only reinforces the connective tissue of the film, but it’s not just there for nostalgia’s sake, serving the scene and the narrative in an important way. This is among the many things the script by Will Beall (Aquaman; Gangster Squad), Tom Gormican (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), and Kevin Etten (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), from a story by Beall, gets right and course corrects for all the ways that 3 lost its way.
L-R: Joseph Gordon Levitt as Detective Bobby Abbott and Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley in BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F. Photo Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix. Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.
Another element that’s critical to the emotional and narrative arc of the film is the way in which law enforcement itself is explored. The original film is a classic “fish out of water” story mixed with class warfare, demonstrating that being a law enforcement officer doesn’t automatically open the same doors when one moves outside one’s jurisdiction. With each new film, Foley’s support system in Beverly Hills grew to the point that his antics are as-expected, thereby requiring Axel F to find something else to utilize. Here, the script drills into two parallel concepts: growing older and what it means to be a good cop. The first aspect is explored by the way Foley finds himself without the safety net that he’s accustomed to, his protection by Bogomil and Gilbert R. Hill’s (Beverly Hills Cop 1–3) Captain Todd gone with only Paul Reiser’s (Beverly Hills Cop 1 & 2; Alien) Jeffery Friedman left in Detroit and Billy and Taggart in Beverly Hills. This new threat requires Axel to face the fact that his schemes won’t always work and that he needs to reconsider his perspective. Don’t mistake it to mean that the film is dour in any way or uncharacteristically introspective; rather, the film makes sure to point out that Axel’s attitude of a young detective doesn’t work as well or look as good 40 years later. Alongside it, the script explores what it means to work in law enforcement. From the first film, Axel’s been a detective tracking the truth and trying to lock up the guilty. That Axel F opens with him wearing the same kit and driving the same car could be viewed as a character stuck in a specific gear, locked in a mentality that keeps him juvenile, but the truth is more likely that he’s not in law enforcement to get rich but to protect people who had a troubled childhood like himself. Something about Axel’s charm (by way of Murphy’s charisma) endears him so that we look the other way when he does things outside the lines of the law, even as we understand that what he’s doing won’t hold up in court. He’s the kind of cop audiences want to believe in, that they want to see on the street and on their side. This was part of the juxtaposition of Axel’s first appearance in Beverly Hills while investigating the death of his friend that cast him as the rogue to the sharply-dressed, to-the-letter BHPD. Now, however, his style seems not only in vogue, but necessary as the legal system has gotten so tied up in rules and regulations that it moves too slowly to act against the ones who know the loopholes. This script contracts Axel as a person, as a parent, and as a police officer up against each other, demonstrating that, in his case, no amount of wishing otherwise would separate them from who he is at his core. One doesn’t expect the script to be so meaty, but there was great subtext in the first film and it’s a wonder to see it all so smoothly meshed into the story here.
L-R: Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley and Taylour Paige as Jane Saunders in BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F. Photo Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix. Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.
Ultimately, though, what audiences hope for out of a Beverly Hills Cop movie is smart action, wise-ass tomfoolery, and a compelling story. Not only does this film have all three, but Eduard Grau’s (The Gift) cinematography and composer Lorne Balfe’s (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) score both tip their hat to original cinematographer Bruce Surtees and composers Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey (something profoundly missing in 3) in ways that will make longtime fans rejoice. The look and sound of the first two films, especially, are directly connected to the overall vibe of these films, helping to convey a somewhat rebellious spirit that encapsulates who Axel is. By bringing this back around, long-time series fans will feel far more comfortable with the narrative as it plays out. It certainly helps that there’re some audio cues that are decidedly for the series fans (nostalgia is a powerful drug), but they work within the scene to convey tone and intensity regardless of audience awareness, making them accessible to folks dropping in on Axel’s adventures for the very first time.
Truth be told, Foley is a good cop who’s not always great at his job. Sure, he catches the bad guys, but his determination to catch them often results in quite a bit of damage. This is very much to our advantage as it makes for fantastic entertainment as we watch Axel get himself into and out of trouble. While these characters are certainly showing their age, there’s no sign of them slowing down — which is only a plus for audiences. Now, if we could just get Netflix to figure out how to put more of their originals on physical formats, then audiences would really be winning, because Axel F deserves a spot on the shelf next to 1 and 2.
Available on Netflix July 3rd, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Netflix Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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