Beverly Hills Cop Axel F

 

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

The Limits of Nostalgia and the Weight of 80s Tropes

★★½☆☆

Eddie Murphy remains charismatic, but the "sound and fury" of the plot often falls flat.

Directed by Mark Molloy, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is equal parts fun and predictably tired. While it’s a joy to see Eddie Murphy reprise his most famous role alongside legacy characters, the hijinks quickly defy believability. Axel Foley remains the same blunt instrument he was in the 80s—shooting first and asking questions later—even when his age suggests he should be moving toward more elegant crime solving rather than dodging automatic rifle fire on Wilshire Blvd.

"There was an opportunity here to maybe change the tone up a bit... Instead, what we get is Foley chasing perps in a semi through heavy traffic... which likely stakes his claim as the unluckiest street detective in cinematic history."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director: Mark Molloy
• Starring: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige
• Legacy Cast: Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser
• Platform: Netflix

The Vision

The filmmakers seem trapped by the franchise's roots, doubling down on the reckless "cowboy" mentality that defined the original trilogy. While Murphy himself has noted that at 63 he "shouldn't be hanging off car hoods anymore," the production doesn't trust the audience to enjoy a slower, more suspense-driven mystery. The film is at its best when it slows down to let Murphy’s comedic affability shine, yet it too often retreats into loud, violent spectacles that eventually feel strangely boring.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• Decades in the Making: A fourth Beverly Hills Cop film had been in various stages of development since the mid-90s, with directors like Brett Ratner and Adil El Arbi previously attached.
• Practical Pedigree: Director Mark Molloy insisted on using as many practical stunts as possible to capture the tangible feel of 80s action cinema.
• The "Axel F" Theme: Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic synth theme was updated by composer Lorne Balfe, who integrated it with a more modern orchestral soundscape.

✅ Pros

• Eddie Murphy remains effortlessly charismatic and funny.
• Great to see the original "legacy" cast back together.
• Genuine laughs when the dialogue is allowed to breathe.

❌ Cons

• Plot gets too loud, violent, and repetitive.
• Foley's reckless behavior defies modern believability.
• Missed opportunity to evolve the character’s methodology.

🏆 Final Verdict

A functional nostalgia trip that works best as a "hangout movie" but falters as an action-thriller. Murphy is the anchor, but the sound and fury surrounding him signify very little.

View original review on Letterboxd