Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F – Review

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 58 minutes, Director – Mark Molloy

Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is called back to Beverly Hills to investigate a drug case which leads to dangerous criminals following both him and his estranged daughter (Taylour Paige)

It’s been 30 years since we last saw Eddie Murphy’s wisecracking cop Axel Foley, and 40 since his big screen debut. While over the course of ten years his energy and wits worked for the age of the character, three decades later you’d expect there to have been some change in his nature. While the grins and wisecracks are still present there’s certainly a sign that Axel Foley has indeed aged and matured further. It’s a key detail that some comedy legacy sequels of this nature often miss out, with the central characters feeling unchanged, their behaviour no longer fitting of their age, if Foley is near Murphy’s age he’s around the 60 mark now (although certainly doesn’t look it), with all his colleagues, if not already in, then considering retirement.

Foley is brought back from Detroit to Beverly Hills to investigate a drug case which leads him to his estranged daughter, Jane (Taylour Paige) who lives in the city, a lawyer preparing to represent a man who claims to have been framed for murder. The two are quickly reunited and find themselves tracked by the gang they’re trying to investigate. Faces new and old surround Murphy with familiar and likable dynamic styles as the narrative unfolds with no feeling passing on the torch from the former and occasional feelings of ‘we couldn’t not’ or ‘for the fans’ with the latter.

Yet, despite the clichés which it brings up throughout the narrative and general moulding, this fourth entry into the Beverly Hill Cop series isn’t as weighted by convention as it could. Yes, it’s perhaps as good as a straight-to-Netflix sequel of this kind could be, however it has its moments. Working best when allowing Murphy to be free with the comedic beats. There are a good few chuckles to be found throughout, and while not consistently frequent there’s still enough to make this a likable enough comedy that leans into Murphy’s still-present comedic skills while showing a believably aged version of his character – allowing for a bit more interest in his decisions and actions over the course of the run-time.

When it comes to the action on display feature-debut director Mark Molloy brings an 80s style to the proceedings with things taken back to a more simplistic nature. There may still be destruction when it comes to chases but, as the opening stages reintroducing us to the unique workings of the titular cop show, there’s a stripped-back nature to them that doesn’t focus on a grand spectacle and series of explosions and instead brings a faster pace to the moment as tyres screech down the road in the middle of the night with Foley behind the wheel.

Add to that the way in which Beverly Hills is captured and there’s a good deal of consistency between this and the previous three films. Occasional strands might lead the narrative to feel a bit busy, largely as it fits in the thread of Axel bonding with his daughter whilst working around the higher ups in the police and trying to evade the gang that’s after them. While this point is generally worked in well enough it’s one of the more conventional ideas which stands out amongst the rest in terms of just how familiar it feels to many other sequels.

However, for the most part Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F manages to keep its head above water. Eddie Murphy gives a good performance that’s best when really diving into a scene of direct comedy, which is where the film’s strengths lie. While the proceedings may be rooted in convention it doesn’t weigh the film down enough to tip it over, and instead making a likable enough, if potentially forgettable, legacy sequel.

Most enjoyable when leaning into the comedy Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is a conventional legacy sequel that captures the 80s style of the previous films in its narrative and manages to pull enough of its ideas towards the 2-hour mark to make for a likable, if forgettable return for one of Eddie Murphy’s most iconic characters.