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Forty years after Beverly Hills Cop and Axel Foley first hit the big screen, the loudmouth Detroit cop is back to bring some more excitement to the high society lifestyle of Beverly Hills. Part nostalgia trip, part whole new adventure for the renegade cop, Axel F is a definite return to form for the franchise. Not that this is a particularly high bar, considering the pitiful disappointment that is Beverly Hills Cop III. This new outing is nothing new, nothing ground-breaking, but it is everything we love about Beverly Hills Cop. And while it doesn't quite reach the levels of the first two movies, it is enough of a laugh riot to make hanging out with the old gang a welcome reunion.
Eddie Murphy slips back into the role with ease, as do the rest of the returning cast, and they all seem very happy to be back. This time Axel's facing something we've never seen him deal with before - family. Which puts an interesting spin on things, as his usual tricks aren't working. And while he hasn't exactly matured, he's not quite so wild and whacky as he used to be, which I think is a genuine reflection of both the man and the character's age, but he's still Axel Foley. The same could be said of the movie itself; it's funny, it's mad - Axel and his new friend, Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) do steal a police helicopter, after all - and it's definitely a Beverly Hills Cop movie, but the pace is a little slower, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The new cast members are all good fun. Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt make the perfect foil to Axel, as his pissed off daughter/dedicated lawyer and the cop whose toes her father is stepping on. While Kevin Bacon is clearly having fun with a character that would otherwise be a tad one note. Also, watch out for an amusing cameo by a certain famous golfer. As for the returning cast, they're all great. They're just not in it enough. For a movie that for the most part handles the nostalgia well, it misses out on some of the big things we love about the franchise; like the pairing of Billy (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton), who hardly see each other. While Paul Reiser doesn't really get anything to do as Jeffrey, certainly nothing all that funny, and Bronson Pinchot's return as 'Serge' feels oddly forced.
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| Image Credit: Empire |
However, this is the type of movie where you come for the laughs and the action, and Axel F does at least deliver on both those fronts. Sometimes both at the same time, as is the tradition with this franchise. A chase through a chilly Detroit nicely sets the tone for what is to come, or at least serves as a nice reminder of how Axel goes about policing. And it's not long before Beverly Hills receives the same treatment, with a Parking Attendant's buggy becoming an internet sensation and some of the most colourful hitmen starting a shootout in a busy L.A. street. All of which is set to a funky soundtrack and delivers the kind of chaos Axel and his friends are known for, and audiences love them for. But again, director Mark Molloy and co. seem to have taken the age of our heroes into account. So while all the chaos is reminiscent of all that we know and love from Beverly Hills Cop, the harbingers of said chaos aren't playing a young man's game. In fact, they're amusingly age appropriate... kind of.
After the miserable 3rd instalment, Axel F is a nice return to form for Beverly Hills Cop. It's not on par with the first two movies, and the returning characters get far too small a role, but it is a fun, new adventure for an older Axel Foley. And the curiously open ending suggests this may not be his last.
7/10
Don't forget to check out my Beverly Hills Cop | Moustache ReWatch.
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