There is one heinous, damn near criminal omission in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the unexpected new instalment of Eddie Murphy’s action-comedy movie franchise released on Netflix this week.
In every other regard bar this one, the film goes out of its way to tickle the nostalgiaof all those who loved the breezy, f-bomb-filled charm of the classic 1984 original.
There’s Murphy back as Axel Foley, cracking wise and confusing baddies, goodies and ordinary civilians with his fast-talkin’, firecracker improv.
There are inventive and explosive action scenes paired with smaller, more comedically-powered action scenes.
And there’s a soundtrack that occasionally nods to the now but is more committed to pumping out the timeless 80s hits of the franchise’s previous instalments like Glen Frey’s The Heat is On, Bob Seger’s Shakedown and, of course, synth wizard Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic instrumental theme tune Axel F.
But what really impresses, and makes the movie such an enjoyable, popcorn-munching movie - and yes, I did pause about 15 minutes in to go and make a big bowl of popcorn because the movie pretty much demands you to - is that four decades on, they totally nailed the Beverly Hills Cop vibe.
Something 1994′s miserable Beverly Hills Cop III completely failed to do.
A lot of work has clearly gone into making BHC:AF feel like Beverly Hills Cop.
They even have Murphy cruising around Detroit in the same junker from back in the day and decked out in Axel Foley’s standard detective uniform of a college sports jacket and jeans, suggesting the character hasn’t updated his ride or his wardrobe in the past 40 years.
John Ashton as Chief John Taggart, Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley and Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Photo / Netflix
The 80s styling even extends to the case at the film’s heart, as Foley investigates a crime involving crooked cops and literal truckloads of cocaine.
Despite that sounding like a severe case of arrested development, the movie acknowledges the passing of time and works in themes of parenting, aging and the cold reality of living in a world that’s changed from the one you once thrived in.
After a typically destructive high-speed chase through the mean streets of Detroit early in the film, Foley is dressed down by his boss, and former police partner, Jeffery Friedman (played by a returning Paul Reiser) who warns him: “They don’t want swashbucklers out on the streets anymore. They want social workers”.
This prompts Foley to shoot back, “I’m incredibly social!” with faux indignance while determinedly missing the point.
A big part of the original movie’s charm was seeing Murphy’s streetsmart Detroit cop clashing with the snobbish elites of Beverly Hills. That fish-out-of-water quality only works once, so we now see Foley frequently bumping up against the modern world.
It’s an odd choice. One that suggests the renegade cop has been living in stasis for the last 40 years. We all cling to our youth in various ways, but not many of us are still rocking the same jacket we wore four decades ago.
So having Foley shake his head with bemusement at selfie sticks or make jokes about how small smart cars are “embarrassing” makes it feel like he’s arrived back in Beverly Hills via time-warp rather than an airline.
Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop, 1984.
So, with all that said, you can begin to understand how determined Murphy and co were to avoid the mistakes of his other long-time-coming sequel, 2021′s middling Coming 2 America. Great pains have been taken to recreate the look, feel, and magic of Beverly Hills Cop.
So why, oh why, is Axel Foley’s most distinctive characteristic missing from the film?
Whenever Foley laughed in 1984, ‘87 or ‘94, he honked loudly like a goose being tickled. Throughout the film, Murphy is given ample chances to let rip and go full foghorn but puzzlingly, shamefully, does not capitalise on any of them.
This is like a Bugs Bunny cartoon where he doesn’t ask “What’s up Doc?” or a Terminator film where Arnie doesn’t declare that he’ll be back. It’s wrong, is what it is.
It may sound like I’ve harped on about this one minor thing too much. But it highlights how superficially the elements are all there, but a true understanding of what made Foley so beloved is just, kinda, not.
It was that jubilant trombone squawk of a laugh that was joyous and infectious and accompanied by Murphy’s super wide grin that made Foley such a beloved character.
Nevertheless, while it’s distracting and disappointing that Foley no longer laughs like a wheezy machinegun, it doesn’t detract from the movie’s qualities too much.
While the improv may be a little flabby compared to the razor sharp original, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable ride that can only be considered a successful return for both Murphy and the series.
