Summary
Netflix has recently releasedBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the fourth installment of Eddie Murphy’s famous film franchise, andthe new movie deals with problems that the lead actor has voiced aboutBeverly Hills Cop III. The firstBeverly Hills Copof 1984 lives on as a beloved box office success that helped Eddie Murphy reach his current fame. However, the following films about the police officer were met with mixed reviews, withMurphy himself explaining theBeverly Hills Cop IIIcriticism.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’scastfeatures many characters, but the story continues to focus on Alex Foley (Eddie Murphy), a Detroit detective who leaves his jurisdiction to investigate crime in the wild culture of Beverly Hills. Each installment in the series shows the street-smart cop taking on chaotic cases with his even more chaotic personality on full display. A movie anticipated for decades,the brand newBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Ffeatures the investigator 40 years laterand thankfully fixes many of the problems withBeverly Hills Cop III.
Beverly Hills Cop 4 Addresses Why Eddie Murphy Hated The Last Movie
The Actor Considers The Third Movie The Weakest Of Them All
Axel Foley is among Eddie Murphy’s most iconic characters. Still, the star expressed contempt forBeverly Hills Cop IIIin the past, which makes sense considering how disappointing the third installment was. Calling it"atrocious"during a 2006Inside The Actor’s Studiointerview, Murphy has named money as his main motivator for signing onto the project.
Axel Fbrings the franchise back to basics while doing some new things with Murphy’s beloved character.
Axel Feven jabs atBeverly Hills Cops III, such as when Abbott refers to a moment from the third film as a bad time in Axel’s life. Acknowledging the shortcomings of the last movie,Axel Fatones for the franchise’s past failure by returning to the charm of the first filmand pulling in more of the classic action-comedy humor that taps into the fans' shared nostalgia.Axel Fbrings the franchise back to basics while doing some new things with Murphy’s beloved character.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Ending Explained
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F finds Eddie Murphy’s title character on his most personal case yet, and the sequel leaves the door open for another movie.
Why Beverly Hills Cop 3 Was So Poorly Received
The Third Film Failed to Honor The Franchise
While explaining his distaste forBeverly Hills Cop III,Murphy has cited flaws like a weak villain, production problems, script issues, and more as contributors to the third movie’s poor critical and public perception. During development, the project’s strained budget and leadership changes only worsened the movie’s tonal inconsistencies, with the absence of Axel’s witty spirit cheapening the franchise. Suddenly, the series strayed from the strengths of its characters and the excited energy of its crime antics.
Beverly Hills Cop IIIgrossed $119.2 million on a $70 million budget.
The poor performance ofBeverly Hills Cop IIIcaused delays for the fourth installment, but thankfully, Eddie Murphy’s appreciation for his initial performance led him to revisit the character and the story that sparked the saga throughBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F.Netflix’s choice to revisit the case that introduced viewers to Axel reveals how nostalgia can restore compelling narratives, even after being sidetracked. Considering thatBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fhas already held the number one spot on Netflix’s list of top ten movies in the U.S., Axel Foley’s return worked after all.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Cast
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.
