The last twenty years have not been kind to Eddie Murphy. Aside from the Shrek franchise, much of his output in the 21st Century has been immediately forgettable family fodder. This week, however, he revisits one of his most iconic roles in Detective Axel Foley. The Beverly Hills Cop franchise was a monster in the 80s, grossing around $1.5billion in today’s money. It makes sense, then that Netflix would pour a reported $150million into a fourth film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. However, thirty years on from the last film, does he still have the same magic?
We rejoin Foley in his home of Detroit, where he continues to be a reckless street cop while his contemporaries are all retiring. Out of nowhere, he gets a call that his estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige), an LA lawyer, is caught up in a conspiracy involving corrupt police. Coming back to Beverly Hills, he calls on old friends and new to save the day.
The plot is far down the list of priorities in a film that feels like a time machine. Made by first time feature director Mark Malloy, everything about the movie feels ripped from the past. Of course, the iconic Axel F theme plays regularly, there are plenty of hair-raising car chases down plush boulevards, and ever-so-eighties mansions that Foley blags his way into. It is fan service of the highest order, and while it has little originality there’s a lot of fun to be had.
A lot of that enjoyment, of course, comes from Eddie Murphy, who seems delighted to be back. At 63, he isn’t the livewire he once was, but still has the comedy chops to steal most of the scenes he’s in. Paige is also a great addition as his daughter, who adds an interesting dynamic as she holds him to account for being an absent parent. It’s the closest the film has to pathos, and plays out in a satisfying way. She, along with Joseph Gordon Levitt as a fellow cop, make fun sidekicks for the star without dragging down the pace. Kevin Bacon is suitably smarmy as the none-to-subtle villain of the piece, whose job is mainly to look sinister.
Plenty of old faces have their role to play too – John Ashton and Judge Reinhold are enjoyable as Foley’s old accomplices Taggard and Rosewood, while the flamboyant Serge makes a reappearance. If none of those names mean anything, this may not be the film for you, as the slow-motion shoot outs and comedy helicopter set pieces seem tailor made to evoke nostalgia. Netflix is betting big on people wanting more Beverly Hills Cop, and if you’re in the market for two hours of retro action then this should be at the top of your watch list.
• Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is on Netflix now