Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
Jul 25, 2024
The fact of the matter is that sometimes a movie franchise needs to gracefully retire. It’s a bitter truth to accept, especially when expectations are high among both long-time fans and newcomers. While ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F‘ wasn’t a complete disappointment, it fell notably short of its predecessors. The film lacked the trademark humor, adrenaline-pumping action, and overall charisma that defined the series. In short, it failed to capture the essence that made the previous films classics.
Thirty years after the third installment, Eddie Murphy returns to the iconic franchise that helped launch his early stardom. Unfortunately, the fourth film, ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,’ fails to resonate with viewers and critics alike. Released on Wednesday, June 3, 2024, on Netflix, it currently holds the number one spot in the Top 10 Netflix films, despite its mixed reception.
Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns in ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,’ now with a grown daughter, Jane (Taylour Paige), who is a lawyer in Beverly Hills. Jane is involved in a highly corrupt case, defending Sam Enriquez (Damien Diaz), an alleged cop killer and drug smuggler who insists on his innocence. Meanwhile, back in Detroit, Foley finds himself in a bizarre snowplow chase while attempting to apprehend robbers at a hockey game. The film is filled with various high-speed chases, involving a traffic control vehicle, a golf cart, a helicopter, and a box truck. When Axel flies out to Beverly Hills to reconnect with his estranged daughter, she initially wants nothing to do with him. However, after persistent pleading and begging, he manages to get on her good side just enough to join her in the investigation.
Staying true to his character, Axel quickly irritates the local authorities while trying to protect Jane and solve the case. He teams up with Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young cop with a complicated history with Jane. Their relationship is awkward, and filled with unspoken tensions. Abbott is not a fan of Axel’s chaotic methods, but he sticks by his side during a dramatic and highly unrealistic helicopter chase that wreaks havoc on the city and even damages a private golf course. Axel’s failure to address his past mistakes has strained his relationship with Jane, who harbors deep resentment toward him and is adamant about never dating a cop.
Jane gave up on the case after gathering enough evidence to create reasonable doubt for her client, but Axel refused to back down. He and Detective Abbott ultimately take down Grant (Kevin Bacon), the sketchy leader of the interdepartmental narcotics task force secretly running a drug smuggling operation. After both are set up and arrested, Axel, predictably, outsmarts Grant to escape custody. He and Abbott break free by stealing a police helicopter.
The climax of the film features a call from Grant, who reveals he is holding Jane hostage at his mansion, which doubles as the headquarters for his illegal activities. Axel, Abbott, and others head to Grant’s mansion in a chaotic showdown. Foley, driving a box truck, rams into multiple cop cars on the street to attract their attention and lead them to Grant’s headquarters. However, this somewhat clever plan backfires spectacularly as the pursuing cops crash into each other and various obstacles, leaving Foley without backup.
Upon their grand arrival, Foley crashes the truck into the mansion’s foyer, setting off a dramatic shootout. Foley’s old cop pals join in, adding to the chaos. The sequence follows a predictable path: the main character saves the day, and just as the villain meets his end, Foley takes a bullet while protecting his daughter. Time passes, and Foley, now recovering in the hospital, manages to escape for a meal at a diner across the street with Jane. Jane updates him on the case: the evidence was handed over to authorities, resulting in the District Attorney dropping all charges against her client. They share a heartfelt conversation, culminating in a long-awaited apology from Axel.
The film concludes with a nostalgic nod to longtime fans. Axel climbs into the backseat of a car with Billy and John in the front, convincing them to go get steaks. The scene closes, leaving the door open for potential future installments in the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise.
‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ brings back many familiar faces, soundtrack cues, storylines, and witty lines. This film takes a slightly different approach, showing viewers a new side of Axel Foley as he tries to be a better dad and repair the rocky relationship with his daughter. It’s a departure from the usual antics of a character known for making jokes and annoying everyone, no matter the city he’s in. This character growth can be an enjoyable film trope for some. Another highlight is the unintended humor that some actors bring to the smallest moments. Sergio (Bronson Pinchot), with his strong accent and sociable nature, and Ashley De La Rosa (Nasim Pedrad), a shallow and wealthy real estate agent, steal the show during the mansion tour scene. Their energetic personalities and unintentionally funny interactions make this scene a standout, leaving audiences wishing it wouldn’t end.
For those who pay close attention to detail, certain moments of subpar editing may be a bit irksome. For instance, there are scenes where an actor’s expression changes abruptly between shots, disrupting the viewer’s immersion in the film. Additionally, many of the action scenes lack coherence and visual direction, such as when Axel chases robbers on bikes in a snowplow; the sequence feels disorganized and poorly executed. Even smaller moments can be disappointing, like when Axel gets pepper-sprayed by a parking enforcement officer as he steals her golf cart. It’s hard to believe he could tolerate being pepper-sprayed for over 10 seconds and still manage to drive the cart as if nothing happened.
You’ll either want to stream it or skip it; there’s no middle ground with this film. Directed by Mark Molloy and written by Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr., and Will Beall, ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ falls short of the classic films from over 30 years ago. It’s a movie you’ll have to watch for yourself, but don’t expect it to reach the heights of its predecessors. Viewers can stream it on Netflix now.
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Kaili Spooner's passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider's values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
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