Eddie Murphy Takes a Shot at the Worst Beverly Hills Cop Sequel
The upcoming Eddie Murphy film premiering on Netflix, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, took a playful jab at what many consider the franchise’s worst installment: Beverly Hills Cop III (a stinker). In the exciting trailer, a scene with co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt features the latter flipping through a case file on Axel, featuring photos from the first two films.
Levitt lists Axel’s previous years in Beverly Hills, 1984 and 1987; each mention is accompanied by photos from those films, respectively. When Levitt mentions 1994, however, the year of the mediocre third Beverly Hills Cop movie, you can hear the surprise in his voice; plus, no photos accompany it, and Murphy nods knowingly.
It’s almost like Eddie Murphy breaks the fourth wall–or thinks about it.
Without Beverly Hills Cop and Eddie Murphy’s iconic performance, there would be no Bad Boys franchise, for instance, or The Other Guys.
In any case, the trailer previews a return to form, a revival of the franchise’s roots. It’s refreshing to see the winsome blend of comedy and action, in which the jokes land as much as the action wows. Murphy crashes a snowblower through what seems like a dozen cop cars after earlier sitting beside Levitt as he smashes a helicopter into the LA greenery, for example.
Meanwhile, sharp, humorous dialogue counteracts the crashes, booms, and bangs. To see one of the franchises that pioneered the buddy cop action comedy subgenre succeeding, at least in a trailer, is invigorating. Without Beverly Hills Cop and Eddie Murphy’s iconic performance, there would be no Bad Boys franchise, for instance, or The Other Guys.
So, hopefully, if Murphy’s comedic genius is consistently noticeable in the film, it will satisfy streamers; Axel is, after all, one of his most beloved characters. The fact that the movie is self-aware enough to mock the third installment in the franchise implies, just perhaps, that the film will be a return to form.
…the Beverly Hills Cop franchise introduced the world to the wisecracking, street-smart Axel Foley, one of the roles that catapulted Eddie Murphy to superstardom.
Will we have a full-on ‘80s revival on the level of Top Gun: Maverick? Who’s to say? Regardless, a new Beverly Hills Cop film earning familiar and unfamiliar audiences on streaming through engaging laughs and edge-of-your-seat action is more than welcome.
The film is far from the only exciting release on the streaming giant’s horizon. Netflix’s 2024 features the second season of Squid Game, among other titles.
First hitting screens in 1984, the Beverly Hills Cop franchise introduced the world to the wisecracking, street-smart Axel Foley, one of the roles that catapulted Eddie Murphy to superstardom. Martin Brest directed the film and shaped its beloved aesthetic–an effortlessly cool sensibility enriched by Murphy’s incomparable comedic performance.
The box office success reinforced the popularity of Foley and, of course, Eddie Murphy.
By blending action and comedy in a way largely unseen and captivating audiences worldwide, the film was a global sensation and the highest-grossing of 1984.
Unsurprisingly, the massive success of the first film led to a sequel, Beverly Hills Cop 2, in 1987, directed by the much-celebrated Tony Scott. Maintaining the high-octane action and humor of the first film while increasing the stylish flare (a hallmark of Scott), the film only augmented the franchise’s import. The box office success reinforced the popularity of Foley and, of course, Eddie Murphy.
The 1994 film, however, constituted a rough patch, unpopular with critics and audiences alike. Nonetheless, we’re still excited about this new reboot on Netflix.
