Axel Foley returns!! Eddie Murphy didn’t quite have the raging comeback everyone hoped for the last belated sequel/IP revival he was gunning for with Coming 2 America, but it sure looks like this newest entry in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise could be a major hit.
Even though this is being housed at Netflix, I hope Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has at least a small theatrical run. If you’re going to have this many explosions, action sequences and car chase-style set pieces, it deserves to be seen on the big screen. Considering Murphy is north of 60 years old, it looks like he can still move around pretty well, but what I’m most excited for is to see him explore what it’s like to be a grizzled, older law enforcement veteran instead of so much of a hotshot, cocksure, precocious cop.
The one-line premise from IMDb reads, “Detective Axel Foley finds himself drawn back to the opulent environs of Beverly Hills to investigate the untimely demise of a long-time confidant.”
An institutional corruption investigation? The death of a dear friend? Sounds like a plot loaded with dramatic potential, despite the visuals-heavy nature of the teaser. That’s what a teaser is meant to be, though. Give folks some eye candy, show them that this will be a pulse-pounding affair despite a sexagenarian taking top billing, and try to sneak in more of the “comedy” of the action-comedy. I get it.
The cast looks awesome. Had no clue the likes of Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were in this. What a pleasant surprise that got me way more eager to see this thing than I was. Then, of course, Murphy isn’t the only one returning! How about Judge Reinhold getting back in there as Axel’s former partner, and Paul Reiser circling back to the series after appearing in the first two installments? I will never say no to seeing those two guys in the mix, and it’ll be so interesting to see where they’ve ended up as characters all these years later from the original 1984 classic. Same goes for John Ashton, who’s reprising his role as John Taggart.
Guess who else is coming back? Bronson Pinochet as Serge. Didn’t spot him anywhere in the teaser. Still needs to be acknowledged regardless.
Forty years later from the OG. Wow. I wasn’t quite alive when this movie came out, but trust it’s got me feeling a little old and freaking out about aging a little. If I can live anywhere near the Bengals fan who’s raging with Fireball for her 105th birthday during Saturday’s game, guess I’ll be thrilled.
We still have a wait until Summer 2024 for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, not to mention a proper, fuller trailer with more plot details. So far, I say, so very good. Murphy’s first leading role at Netflix came in Dolemite Is My Name. He’s legitimately phenomenal in that. Move that movie near the top of your queue if you haven’t seen it yet.
