The very first installment in this trilogy came out all the way back in 1984. Who would have ever thought that we would be watching another installment, technically part four, a whole four decades later? Now entitled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, this latest shoot em’ up movie was truly made for fan service and just for fan service.
I don’t blame Eddie Murphy for revisiting this character at all. I am certain he made quite the payday, and upon release it was Netflix’s number one most watched movie with over 41 million views. Those numbers are almost unheard of for the streaming giant.
No surprise, this one opened up with a police chase scene, and four more to follow, so no need to hold your breath if you happened to blink once or twice. Upon watching this action/comedy, I was confused if I was indeed watching a Beverly Hills Cop movie or a Big Momma’s house sequel!
Beverly Hills Cop 4 was schlocky, unnecessary, and uninspired. The only part of this film that felt at all pleasant was being reunited with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) playing fellow detective Bobby Abbott. The characters in this one were the typical “paint by numbers suspects.” Especially the cliche gay character that has to be so over the top in mannerisms. I feel it is almost an insult to the LGBTQ+ community at this point.
It’s been decades since I last saw one of these Beverly Hills Cop films, and quite honestly after this snoozer, let’s keep it that way. Hands down, one of the year’s worst!
“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” starring: Eddie Murphy, Paul Reiser, Kevin Bacon
Christopher’s “Meow” Score: “2” paws out of 10.