The Beverly Hills Cop franchise has a sequel problem. It’s not even that the sequels are bad, as Beverly Hills Cop II is decent enough (if no patch on the original). Beverly Hills Cop III is rough, but they both share the same issue. It’s just less and less believable that our hero would keep returning and being a fish out of water. Now, decades later, a new sequel in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F doesn’t quite fix that, but it tries something a bit different. The results, however, still wind up being ever so slightly lacking.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is notable for having a fully bought in Eddie Murphy, which helps a lot. There are elements of the story that work and feel like a solid greatest hits take on the series. However, a major plot point does not work in the slightest, weighing things down. It ultimately keeps me just a touch on the negative side, though still having had a good time with other parts of the film. You just wish that the movie had turned out to be a little less forgettable.
When we catch back up with our series hero, loose canon cop Axel Foley (Murphy), he’s up to his old tricks. This time, his latest destructive way of solving a case on the streets of Detroit takes place at a Detroit Red Wings game, before spilling out on to the roads, with a snow plow as his improvisational vehicle. Covered for yet again by Jeffrey Friedman (Paul Reiser), Axel is seen as a dinosaur in Detroit. Then, he gets a call from none other than Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) out in California. Billy is working with Axel’s estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige), a defense lawyer, on a high profile case and is worried about her. Concerned, Axel heads back to Beverly Hills.
Back in Beverly Hills once again, Axel finds that Billy has disappeared and Jane is none too happy to see him. She’s defending someone that a lot of important folks would love to see vanish, so she’s being threatened. Axel is reunited with old buddy John Taggart (John Ashton), as well as teamed up with a young detective in Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who just so happens to have been an ex of Jane’s. Together, they all begin to piece together a conspiracy, one that Billy was working before something happened to him. Adventures ensue.
Eddie Murphy is definitely invested in playing this character again, which is very nice to see. He’s not collecting a paycheck, even if it likely was a very lucrative deal to return as Axel Foley. Murphy is doing all of the character’s schtick with gusto. It’s not the original, but what is. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the best new addition to the cast, fitting in nicely as an eventual reluctant partner. More of Gordon-Levitt with Murphy actively would have benefitted the film. Their banter is a real highlight. Sadly, Taylour Paige has the worst part in the movie and doesn’t do much with the role, either. It’s one-note and overly serious, stopping things dead in their tracks. She doesn’t even have chemistry with Murphy, which would have solved a lot. I usually love her, but she’s disappointing here. Kevin Bacon is fun but not doing anything particularly challenging as a smooth talking detective, while returning cast members like John Aston, Judge Reinhold, and Paul Reiser are mostly cameos. Supporting players include another cameo by Bronson Pinchot, but as you might expect, Murphy is the star.
Director Mark Molloy has a workmanlike approach that neither benefits nor hinders the flick. The screenplay by Will Beall, Tom Gormican, and Kevin Etten is reverential to the franchise overall. When they’re doing a greatest hits take on the series, or have JGL and Murphy together, the ground is fertile and sturdy. However, the main plot, surrounding Murphy and Paige, does not work in the slightest. It actively weighs down the narrative, ultimately dooming the picture. Why this was what they chose to focus on is beyond me, as it doesn’t fit the property, is not well down, and pales in comparison to the rest of it.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F could have been a lot worse. It’s a decided step up from the prior installment, if a bit below the first sequel. For me, it’s just shy of being worthy of a recommendation, thought certainly more than worth watching for a fan of the franchise. Again, this could have been a whole hell of a lot worse. The thing is, it could have been better, too. Alas.
SCORE: ★★1/2
