A master of his own brand of humor matched with an infectious laugh; Eddie Murphy was one of the hottest comedians around during the 1980s. Initially recognized for his appearances on Saturday Night Live, it was his work in film that would ultimately morph him into an international star. Making his feature debut in 1982 with 48 Hrs., Murphy co-starred alongside Nick Nolte. Proving he had a presence on the silver screen, he moved on to Trading Places in 1983 where he played off Dan Aykroyd. Both memorable films, the true test for Murphy came a year later in 1984 when he was given his first solo leading role all for Beverly Hills Cop.
A big opportunity, Murphy shined bright with a distinctive portrayal of inner city Detroit street cop Axel Foley who finds himself out of his element in a hotty toddy Beverly Hills. Underestimated, Axel Foley proves to be one heck of a cop, becoming a beloved character which helped make Beverly Hills Cop one of the biggest films of that year. An Action Comedy with a strike of seriousness involved, the success was so big that Beverly Hills Cop would be followed by two sequels; first with Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987, followed by Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994. Each offering new tales of Axel Foley, 2024 proves to be a big year for the beloved series.
First and foremost, the original classic is celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout 2024. A chance to reflect, there are various screenings popping up here and there, but you may also want to look into picking up the pristine 4K format release which was put out there back in 2020 by Paramount Pictures. Beyond this, perhaps the biggest news swirling around in recent years was that there would indeed be a Beverly Hills Cop 4.
A concept which had been talked about for decades, but never grew legs, you could look at the buzz surrounding 2021’s Coming 2 America sequel that perhaps got the ball rolling for a new Beverly Hills Cop. This in mind, Paramount Pictures made a one-time license deal with Netflix, giving them a chance to create a new film. Doing just this, the cast and crew were put into place, but perhaps the boldest names involved included Eddie Murphy back as Axel Foley, Paul Rieser back to portray Detective Jeffrey Friedman, John Ashton returning as Sargent John Taggart, Judge Reinhold signing on as the loveable Detective William “Billy” Rosewood, and Bronson Pinchot on board as the unforgettable Serge. Fantastic to see the ensemble cast back together, joining them are the wonderful additions of Kevin Bacon as Captain Cade Grant, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Detective Bobby Abbott, and Taylour Paige as Jane Saunders (Axel’s estranged daughter). On top of all of this, joining Murphy as co-producer is Jerry Bruckheimer; a vital part of the first two films.
These pieces in place, the new film entitled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F arrives on Netflix on July 3, 2024 with a ton of anticipation. Something that can lead to major letdowns, surprisingly, everything with the fourth Beverly Hills Cop film seems to work exceptionally well. The pace is solid, the feeling is authentic to the original films, and the humor is right on. Refreshing, there is plenty of action to go around as well, and this makes Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F feel more like a throwback to Hollywood films of yesteryear. In enough words, the story is solid, the character portrayals are spot on, with Murphy absolutely delivering on many levels, and for the first time in a long time you can sit back and enjoy a movie without feeling anything is forced. What this means is it actually a fun flick that does not tarnish the series’ legacy, but actually adds to it.
In all, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is something fans of the original films will likely be extremely pleased with. Too often than not fan-favorite series such as Beverly Hills Cop are modernized to the point they are sanitized, unrecognizable and feel more like a cash-in than anything else. Fortunately not the case here, grab your popcorn and forget about life for a while, because the heat is definitely back on with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. The only negative being this film absolutely should have a wide theatrical release, Cryptic Rock highly recommends it with 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment