Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

Tired, Formulaic Action/Comedy - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F review by GI

In 1984 Beverly Hills Cop was smash hit, an action comedy that combined gritty thriller style action with Eddie Murphy's unique fast talking brand of street comedy. It was fresh and enhanced with a soundtrack that was exactly right for the time. After two average sequels the franchise is now back with this latest film from Netflix. Essentially it's a rehash of the set pieces, scenes and jokes from the first film even the soundtrack is back. Murphy is no longer a mainstream comedic figure and to be frank it's all very tired, formulaic and predictable. Much of the original cast return to recreate scenes including Judge Reinhold and John Ashton in a story that has Detroit cop Axel Foley returning to Beverly Hills to help out his old buddies and his estranged daughter, Jane (Taylour Paige), a lawyer who is representing a man accused of killing a cop. Of course Axel quickly identifies the bad guys here led by Kevin Bacon. Fans of the first film will recognise nearly every scene repeated although there are plenty of wacky chases and Murphy tries to wisecrack his way through the film. It's all a bit stale and relies on fan loyalty rather than be a sharp film for a new age.