Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F - 40 Years, Same Axel

Beverly Hills Cop arrived in theaters 40 years ago...jiminy cricket am I old. While I was but a wee lad when those first two movies came out, I did get to see them when I was more age appropriate to see them.

While Eddie Murphy was hardly unheard of at the time, he was still establishing himself at the time he did the first Beverly Hills Cop. The movies 48 Hours and Trading Places were some of his first post-SNL hits and are still remembered today, but Beverly Hills Cop was his first solo outing. He was the main lead and it was all on him to prove he could do it. And do it he did.

The first was a perfect balance of comedy and action, which is a stark contrast to what the film was supposed to be with Sylvester Stallone in the lead role. It was going to be much darker and action heavy...luckily that didn't happen. Stallone got Cobra, so it worked out for everyone.

The second, while not as great as the first (IMO), still hit all the right beats as an enjoyable movie. Then there was the third...I saw this one at a drive-in when I was twelve. I enjoyed it then, but upon rewatching I see it for the many many flaws it had and while even the cast wanted to distance itself from it. It was missing a lot.

Nearly 20 years later, Heeeeere's Axel F. Cue the music!!

The movie manages to hit a lot of nostolgia notes, bringing back old faces that hadn't been seen since Part II and same Eddie Murphy improv, while trying to do something more. Taking it from an 80s action movie into today.

Axel F hits the main beats of the first three movies. Axel is in Detroit working as a detective, a bust goes horribly awry, and something happens to someone in his life that brings him to L.A. In this case, it was his daughter being in danger and Rosewood going missing.

You know its going to be slightly different when he returns to The Beverly Palms Hotel (same from the first one) and starts to con his way into a cheaper room before he stops midway and just asks for a room. He gets one with the inflation rate of 900+ compared to 200+ in the 80s...Inflation, it is a bitch.

The core of the movie is Axel trying to find Rosewood, who no longer works for the LAPD after accusing a fellow officer of being dirty. He's working as a PI and while investigating a case ends up getting taken by a cartel. Rosewood is helping Axel's daughter prove a client's innocence who was set up by the cartel.

Throughout the movie, he tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter with mixed results. He does end up working on the case with detective (and his daughters ex) Bobby Abbot.

The three eventually figure out who's behind the cartel and its rather obvious when you watch. It's not exactly Agatha Christie...its an action movie.

Overall, its a worthy sequel. You know what you're getting with a movie like this, especially one that was released 30 years after its last (poorly received) sequel. It takes itself seriously when it needed to and hit all the right comedy beats. Treading on nostalgia while realizing its 2024.

It was great to see the old faces. Paul Reiser and John Ashton return (both in leadership roles at their PDs) after a long absence. Paul Reiser stepped right back into his neurotic and pent up former partner Jeffery Friedman and Ashton unretires and runs the BHPD as Chief. Bronson Pinchot of course returned as everyone's favorite character Serrrrrrrge. Like in the other movies, his appearance was just long enough to help move the plot along.

It loses some points for having Rosewood sidelined like Doug in The Hangover movies, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt does fine as Axel's reluctant Beverly Hills partner.

Eddie Murphy of course shines as Axel. Ever the wisecracking, but brilliant detective...who may at times...cause millions of dollars worth of damage to get the bad guy he's looking for.

If you love the other movies, you'll love this one. It was a fun, enjoyable experience. Here's hoping for another one where Axel retires to Beverly Hills and becomes a PI.

4/5