Beverly Hills Axel F
Director: Mark Malloy
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige
Runtime: 1 hour 58 mins
Genre: Action comedy
It is exactly 30 years since Beverly Hills Cop III was released, and 40 years since the original.
This time round, Murphy who serves as producer as well as returning as the main star has partnered with Netflix to bring us this latest entry in the long running franchise. Originally penned to be a TV series, this movie is the directorial debut for Mark Malloy. So was it worth the wait?
Let's break it down..
Story and Plot
When Axel Foley's daughter Jane (Paige) is threatened after she represents a suspected cop killer, the wisecracking former LA detective partners up with Detective Bobby Abbott (Levitt) and some old friends to break open a city wide conspiracy and help his daughter.
My overall thoughts...
The Beverly Hills Cop franchise has never been one that I really followed when I was growing up in the 80s & 90's. Whilst I saw the original and it's sequels (the less said about part III the better), the franchise is not one that I adored, like so many other people have. So I came to Axel F more a casual fan with an open mind whilst not being hugely hung up on the franchise.
I enjoyed Axel F, Murphy seamlessly slips back into his most iconic role. The movie is at its best (like previous entries) when Foley is wisecracking and speed talking his way into or out of situations. Murphy does a good job at recapturing the magic.
Axel F could go down as probably the second best entry in the franchise. It definitely beats Part III of which this is not lost on the makers of this movie with a nice meta reference when Foley's case file is being reviewed a character says "94 - not your finest hour".
The movie is however let down by its over convoluted plot points that make what is at heart a simple story (veteran cop protecting his daughter after she represents an potentially innocent man) into something that takes on too many twists & turns involving corrupt cops and drug lords. Also you can spot the main villain a mile off from the first look the character gave.
The cast is good though with a nice integration of old returning characters and new alike.
Cast
Eddie Murphy is on top form, it was great to see he didn't just phone in his performance. He is effortlessly charismatic and funny together with that million dollar smile. He looks good for his age and is adorned (for the most part) in his iconic jeans & jacket. As he aged by far the best of the returning cast there are no "too old for this shit" gags, which would have been good considering an on foot chase sequence (barring a brief one at the start) is no where to be seen.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a nice addition (he's a fantastic actor) but I thought he was strangely miscast and didn't really have that much chemistry with Murphy.
Taylour Paige as Foley's daughter Jane was excellent. Proving to be a force to be reckoned with and to be more than a match for her wayward father.
Veteran actor Kevin Bacon makes a nice addition to the cast as Captain Grant the BHPD new captain.
As for the returning cast, Judge Reinhold's Billy Rosewood is back (resembling Mickey Rourke sorry to say), who subsequently quit the force since part III. John Ashton as John Taggart former detective now outgoing captain of the BHPD returns and heavily plays the "I'm too old for this shit" card. Paul Reisner briefly returns as Jeffery Friedmen, Foley's Detroit PD Captain and finally Bronson Pinchot as Serge returns in a brief but fun cameo.
Cinematography
DP Eduard Grau makes the movie look good and works hard to re-create the iconic look and feel of LA as depicted in the iconic 1984 original.
The movie also makes a great use of practical effects to again make it feel part of the original trilogy.
On screen Action
A few months back Eddie Murphy said "It felt old man, I did Beverly Hills Cop when I was 21 and I'm 63 now" You can see this from the action which is with the exception of a very brief on-foot chase sequence almost exclusively limited to vehicle chases. The action set pieces are well done though, especially the helicopter chase.
Music, Score & Sound
Seasoned composer Lorne Balfe provides the score, it's good and nicely integrates Harold Faltermeyer's iconic theme. The movie also features some well chosen needle drops during the chase sequences.
Whilst the movie never lives up to the performance of it's main star, it's fun to spend time with Axel Foley once again. The movie has an old school feel and a good cast. The villain you however will spot a mile off.
Verdict - Good not Great
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