Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Kevin Bacon, Bronson Pinchot, Mark Pellgrino, Luis Guzman
Directed by: Mark Molloy
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Action
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Detroit police officer Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to Beverly Hills decades later, when his daughter (Taylour Paige) is threatened by masked men.

Review:

Tim: I have to say, I love these nostalgia flicks, that check in on a franchise decades later. In this case, we get to reconnect with Axel Foley thirty (!) years after his last adventure. I had fun with this film, seeing these characters reunite three decades later. This might not be the greatest movie, but it's a good one, in line with the rest of the franchise. I really appreciated getting to see this.

The biggest deal here is that so much of the original cast was able to return. I'll talk more about Eddie Murphy in a minute, but I loved seeing Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and even Bronson Pinochot return to their roles. They were all important, likeable characters in this franchise and it felt like such a gift to be able to see them back once again. That is such a big reason why I enjoyed this movie. The story keeps them apart for a good bit of the film, but there's at least a few moments where we do get to see them all interacting together. Not surprisingly, those were some of the most enjoyable moments of the film. Reinold, Ashton, and Pinochot haven't had huge careers, so it was nice seeing how they so effortlessly looked to slip back into these roles. Reiser hasn't been a star, but has done some good work in recent years, and like his colleagues, was so enjoyable in this role.

I do feel so fortunate that we got to see Murphy return to Axel. It's one of his most memorable characters and is just so much fun. I was impressed with how Murphy treated Axel. It's the same old character, but he updated him- he felt a bit more subdued, a bit more mature. Too often in movies like this, characters feel like they've tried to make carbon copies of the old performances, with no acknowledging that people change. Thirty years will change a man, and I thought Murphy did a really nice job of conveying that, while staying true to the character's roots. It's a good performance and the chief highlight from the movie.

I also really loved the new additions. Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes every film better and he absolutely does that here. He's not "really" Axel's partner here, but he plays a role close to that. It was great fun seeing Gordon-Levitt and Murphy interacting. They make for a fantastic team. Taylour Paige was good as Axel's daughter. Her performance warmed on me as the film progressed. She has a few tremendous moments and conveys believable emotion in that role. She and Murphy have some great scenes together. It must have been a challenging role, to step into "the daughter of Axel F", but Paige hits the right balance of strength and intelligence that we'd expect from someone like her. She works well opposite Gordon-Levitt, too. It was also wonderful seeing Kevin Bacon, another actor I love seeing 100% of the time. He's solid here, in scenery-chewing mode. Luis Guzman adds a nice small supporting performance, too, and he makes us laugh. The whole cast works well, giving a nice balance to the returning and new characters.

The story itself is solid, if a bit unremarkable. There's a criminal conspiracy afoot and Axel and friends are working the case to figure out what's going on. None of it is excellent, but it's effective enough to hold our attention. Some sequences feel far more character-driven than narrative-driven. Those aren't great, but you can forgive the film a bit for arranging things so these great characters get more opportunities to interact with each other. The movie might be a tad long at 1 hour, 58 minutes, but if the alternative was cutting scenes between the original characters, I'm happy with how it was structured. Director Mark Molloy is fairly inexperienced and maybe an odd choice as director, but he actually does a good job. This movie isn't the best, but it feels appropriate for the franchise and is legitimately entertaining and occasionally funny. I have to admit, I absolutely LOVED hearing the wonderful theme song, "Axel F" make it's return here. It's one of the greatest musical compositions in any movie- instantly recognizable and it fits the character perfectly. In short, the whole movie feels like a worthwhile effort and deserving of our time. I do wish the movie was funnier and a bit more impactful, but we really should celebrate this movie for what it is.

I have to say, I was pleased with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Sure, they could have just put a "4" in there, but this movie is entertaining and fun. It allows us a chance to reconnect with characters thirty years later and gives them another wild adventure. I hope this movie was well-received enough that perhaps we'll get a fifth film? Axel is a great enough character that there's no reason this franchise shouldn't continue. This movie proves he works as well in the 2020s as he did in the 1990s.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop II, 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hrs., Metro