What’s It About
Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter life is threatened for a family reunion that includes old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a conspiracy.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
I really miss the days of the young, energetic, fast-talking, foul-mouthed Eddie Murphy. I understand that he’s aged (currently 63 as of April 3, 2024), but since he transitioned to family-friendly comedy, it’s just not the same. The closest he came to his old comedic self was in 2019 with Dolemite Is My Name. Since then, he’s tried to make a comeback but has stuck doing PG-rated movies. Now, he’s revisiting characters from his previous films. He’s appeared in Coming 2 America, there are rumors about him reprising his role in Shrek, and there’s talk about him taking over the leading role as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther (apparently, Steve Martin declined). Now, let’s talk about his latest – Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Despite its R rating, it feels like a tame version of his wild and untamed self. The film has confidence; it pokes fun at the franchise’s infamous bad third entry but lacks the glory and energy that made Murphy’s characters so memorable. The plot is pretty simple: Murphy’s character, Foley, lives his best cop life in Detroit and gets called to Beverly Hills to help his estranged daughter in an urgent situation. He then gets entangled in a murder case involving dirty cops and finds himself making fun of snooty Beverly Hills. The appearance of familiar faces like Judge Reinhold and John Ashton brings a sense of nostalgia. Though they might have gained some weight since the old days, their comic timing remains on point. Adding new faces like Taylour Paige, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Kevin Bacon adds some appeal to the movie. While the original Murphy grin and infectious laugh have been somewhat domesticated into a safety zone, his earlier characters’ old ferocity and fun are sorely missed. It feels like a memory trying to masquerade as the original, and sadly, it doesn’t quite make the mark.
OUR RATING – A MEMORY LAME 4