★★★ | Mark Molloy
Eventually, we all start to make dad noises. Those grunts and huffs that just slip out when we get up, sit, or simply exist. They’re harmless and can even become charming in the right hands. They’re also universally accepted a sign that, once again, time has won. We are no longer the young people who thought they’d live forever.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is a cinematic dad noise, which sounds more damning than it is. Especially as Eddie Murphy’s return to the film that made him a colossal action star is generally a fun, breezy affair that should have been a theatrical release. At the very least, it’s a whole hell of a lot better than Beverly Hills Cop 3, which the film even takes some potshots at.
But it is slower, clunkier, and stiffer than you’d expect; and that stiffness isn’t always intentional. Some moments, like Axel giving up his motormouth show to admit that he’s actually kind of winded, are supremely charming precisely because they acknowledge the passage of time. There’s nothing wrong with it, and slowing down humanizes Axel in ways we haven’t seen before. His genuine love for Jeffrey, now his boss, is equally effective. Murphy and Reiser play off an imagined shared history beautifully, giving the film a surprisingly tender opening that I didn’t expect.
It’s when the film tries to still exist in the same realm as other action movies, complete with helicopter chases and shoot-outs, that the stiffness really kicks in. Murphy isn’t as spry as he once was, and neither are John Ashton and Judge Reinhold. Watching them run around with guns, trying to clamber over obstacles while trading barbs with each other is more quaint than it is exciting. It’s nice to see the trio back together, it really is. But at the same time, the film leans so heavily into nostalgia, it forgets to let our heroes act their age. Even when it jokes about Ashton being the oldest of the bunch.
The plot doesn’t matter, and it feels like everyone knows it. Foley once again returns to Beverly Hills to solve a case of crooked cops working within an oblivious system. Only this time, he’s got his headstrong daughter (a fantastic Taylour Page) to protect as well. Rosewood and Taggart return — since the film mostly pretends like the third one didn’t happen — yet they’re just window dressing. Rosewood in particular has about as much screen time as he does in the trailer. Everyone is here to play, yet the film rarely finds time to for them. Which is odd, since the first Beverly Hills Cop is about as long and is tighter and better paced in every regard.
Elsewhere, the ever-reliable Kevin Bacon shows up in a thankless role as a villain you forget is even in the film, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt does his level best at bringing rugged charm to the younger generation of cop. Obligatory cameos from Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot are charming and elicit some of the best laughs in the film, but it all feels very, very safe. Like playing the greatest hits as designated by a committee.
There’s none of the danger or spontaneity that made the first Beverly Hills Cop such a treat. Instead, in repeating the same beats, the fourth installment only highlights how irreplaceable they were in the first place. Some bits clearly reach for the “things just aren’t the same” tone that other returning franchises have coasted on, yet they never truly land. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F isn’t melancholy enough to introspective, nor is it funny enough to be irreverent.
It’s also oddly out of sync with itself at times. Pinchot, as Serge, is once again standout, delivering pathos and the same demented humor the character is known for, yet he feels like a character that has actually moved on. He’s a malleable presence that knows what direction they’re punching in. The same can’t be said for a baffling cameo by Luis Guzmán, which leans heavily on ugly homophobic and anti-queer comedy that was already dated in the 80s.
Despite the odd misstep, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is genuinely charming and for the most part quite entertaining. An early chase sequence in Detroit is particularly promising, showcasing the same magic that courses through the original. Murphy and Gordon-Levitt have an easy-going chemistry that makes their bickering a joy. It’s a shame we don’t get enough of it.
At this point, even minor victories are about as much as you can hope for. After all, it’s been 40 years since Murphy first donned the iconic varsity jacket and grin. Things won’t be like that again, and sometimes that’s a good thing. Axel F is here to test the waters and see if he can still play in the same pool. Based on this, it’s a wholehearted yes.
There are still plenty of things to love about Axel Foley, and Murphy proves the Detroit cop has aged with more grace than cringe. The rest of the film might not be as effortlessly cool, but it’s getting there, and sometimes that’s half the battle.