Dir: Mark Molloy
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, Kevin Bacon
While it may coast on outdated 80’s cinematic nostalgia, the long dormant action franchise is revitalised thanks to an entertainingly game performance by Eddie Murphy
Throughout the 80s and 90s, there was a plethora of buddy cop action comedies, each proving to be as critically divisive as the last despite overwhelmingly positive audience reactions. While they remained largely formulaic in putting their chalk and cheese protagonists in increasingly ludicrous action set pieces, the subgenre was a staple at a time when the cinematic landscape was far less cynical than it is today. With the odd exception like Shane Black‘s “The Nice Guys” in 2016, the buddy cop comedy has become a long dormant subgenre and at a time with legacy sequels being regularly rushed into production, it is surprising that we have not seen some of our most beloved duos return to the big screen in recent years.
However, this may change rather quickly as in the past month we have seen the release of the fourth instalment in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence fronted “Bad Boys” series, a franchise I have never got on board with, largely due to Michael Bay‘s involvement. Now only a few weeks on from the cinematic release of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”, audiences have been treated to another action-comedy throwback with “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”. It has been 40 years since the first film’s release which, along with “Trading Places” and another buddy cop comedy, “48 Hrs”, was responsible for Eddie Murphy‘s rise to Hollywood stardom. Largely know for his work on “Saturday Night Live” in the early 80’s, Murphy’s frenetic streetwise humour made him an international comedy icon, with “Beverly Hills Cop” serving as his launchpad. Following the film’s critical and commercial success, a sequel directed by the late Tony Scott was released in 1987, which too was followed up by a third film in 1994.
Following a string of unsuccessful projects in the 1990’s, Murphy’s career was seemingly in decline, and following the release of the critically panned “Beverly Hills Cop III” in 1994, the star distanced himself from the franchise by denouncing the third instalment in a number of interviews. Now three decades years later, Murphy reprises his role as Axel Foley for the fourth and relatively uncalled for fourth film in the once highly regarded action franchise.
Thirty years on from the events of the previous film, Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) remains a detective in Detroit under the supervision of his friend, Deputy Chief Jeffrey Friedman (Paul Reiser). During a pursuit in the field, Axel causes costly damage to the city, pressuring Jeffrey into retirement, who suggests that Axel should reconnect with his estranged defence attorney daughter Jane (Taylour Page) in Los Angeles. Upon receiving a tip from his ex-partner Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) that Jane is in danger after taking on a high profile case, Axel returns to Beverly Hills.
While snooping around Rosewood’s office, Foley is accosted by a gang of thugs, and is subsequently arrested following a chase through Rodeo Drive. At BHDP, Axel is met by Jane’s ex-boyfriend Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), old friend John Taggart (John Ashton), along with his protégé Cade Grant (Kevin Bacon), the latter whom Foley immediately distrusts. In order to rekindle his paternal bond with his daughter, Foley assists Jane and Abbott in solving the case involving her latest client, Enriquez – who has been framed for the murder of an undercover cop.
In an era overburden with spin-offs, remakes and the aforementioned legacy sequels, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” may be seen as an easy cash grab for Netflix, capitalising on a beloved property to boost streaming figures over the 4th July weekend. While it is wrought with call backs to the previous entries, with the likes of Reiser, Ashton and Reinhold returning to their roles after years of Hollywood obscurity, the action comedy provides a fresh bygone energy in what is quickly becoming a stale genre within an industry that is often guilty of being too serious. While it may not match up to the likes of “Top Gun: Maverick” when it comes to legacy sequels, the latest adventure of Axel Foley proves to be a surprisingly entertaining diversion from the thematically heavy action hits of the present.
From its opening action sequence involving Axel skidding through the streets of Detroit in a snow plough, it is evident that director Mark Molloy and Eddie Murphy have brought back a playful spirit to the franchise, something that was painfully lacking in the previous outing. Murphy, who after years of scrutiny, proved his doubters wrong with an Oscar-worthy performance (a disgrace that he was not nominated) in “Dolemite is My Name” , and the 63 -year-old keeps up his A-game with yet another hilariously enthusiastic performance. Murphy’s energy rubs off on his co-stars as well, with series newcomers Paige, Gordon-Levitt and Bacon fully understanding and embracing the assignment. Bacon, as the cartoonishly villainous Grant, is having somewhat of a busy summer having also starred in Ti West‘s “MaXXXine”, which too got an 4th July weekend release.
Despite its good intentions and largely favourable reactions compared to other action legacy sequels, it is clear that the buddy cop formula has sadly become outdated, with several of Murphy’s quips and references seemingly still stuck in the 1980’s. It is after all, a subgenre built on the cultural and societal clashes between its central duos, whether it be Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in “Lethal Weapon” or Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in “Rush Hour”.
With a fifth film in the franchise reportedly in the works, Murphy may prove there is still life in the old dog yet, and while he has shown he still has the comedic chops to carry an action comedy largely on his shoulders, it may be the franchise itself that ultimately may be lost in time. It may not offer anything that will linger long after Harold Faltermeyer‘s iconic synth score plays for the last time, but “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” brings back old fashioned action escapism and is the strongest outing in the series since the film that established Murphy as a generational star.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is now available to stream on Netflix
Dan Loves Film 
Great reviews as always. “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” isn’t a film that I’m planning on seeing mainly because I have not watched the previous films in this franchise. I didn’t grow up watching this series of movies which made Eddie Murphy a superstar. That being said, I do love a good buddy cop movie. I definitely agree with you that the genre has declined over time. We rarely ever get to see an old-fashioned buddy cop movie in the modern era. It’s something that has become closely associated with the 1980’s. In this regard, “The Nice Guys” was definitely an exception. Shane Black’s detective drama brought fresh life into a stale genre from a bygone era. “The Nice Guys” was one of my favorite films of 2016 and didn’t get the appreciation which it deserved. So, I may just watch this latest “Beverly Hills Cop” movie mainly because of my love for the buddy cop genre.
Here’s why I loved “The Nice Guys”:
LikeLiked by 4 people