All 4 Beverly Hills Cop Movies Ranked From Worst To Best

Summary

  • Eddie Murphy returns as Axel Foley in Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, a legacy sequel that combines nostalgia and new elements.
  • The original version of Beverly Hills Cop remains a classic action comedy, which announced Murphy’s star to the world.
  • The first two sequels met with diminishing returns and a mixed reception.

Eddie Murphy has now made Beverly Hills Police movies for 4 decades, with the fourth installment, Netflix Beverly Hills Police: Axel F. It took him 30 of those years to make it to the screen. By now, Murphy is much less prolific, having made only a handful of films since then. Dolemite is my name It brought him back to fame, but by the 1980s, he was as big a star as you could possibly imagine.

Fresh off his incredibly popular run on Saturday Night LiveMurphy had already done 48 hours and Exchange placeswhich quietly adapted to Hollywood with the same swagger that would make Axel Foley so instantly popular. The original film was energetic, charming and funny, and it made enough money that the industry wanted more.

Diminishing returns inevitably followed, with two increasingly inferior sequels, but the franchise eventually got back on track. Beverly Hills Police: Axel F. Compared to the original trilogy, has Netflix really recaptured the magic?

Eddie Murphy also returned for a Beverly Hills Cop TV pilot, which was intended to be a legacy spin-off centered on his son Aaron (Brandon T. Jackson). Sadly, CBS did not acquire the rights to the show.

Eddie Murphy action movie rated worst or best Every Eddie Murphy Action Movie, Ranked Worst To Best

Eddie Murphy has a lot of action movies in his filmography, but how do they compare to each other, including the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy?

4 Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)

The first sequel, late, lacks energy or real spark

Beverly Hills Cop III poster Police in Beverly Hills 3 R ScreenRant logo

Beverly Hills Cop 3 is the third installment in the action-comedy series starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley. Directed by John Landis, the film follows Foley as he heads to Southern California to investigate the murder of his boss while uncovering a counterfeit money scheme connected to an amusement park. Judge Reinhold returns as Detective Billy Rosewood, providing comedic support throughout the investigation.

Director John Landis Release date May 25, 1994 Screenwriters Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr., Steven E. de Souza Cast Eddie Murphy, Jon Tenney, Joey Travolta, Eugene Collier, Jimmy Ortega, Ousaun Elam Duration 104 minutes

If Eddie Murphy had his way, Police in Beverly Hills 3 In reality, it would never have happened. Five years before the sequel hit theaters to apathetic audiences who did not turn out to see it, Murphy had said it should not be made:

“There’s no reason to do it. I don’t need the money and it’s not going to break any new ground. How often do you get Axel Foley to talk fast and stick his neck out in a place where he doesn’t belong? But these fuckers are developing scripts for it.

Sadly, what convinced him to do the film wasn’t enough to get him excited about his performance. Director John Landis tends to take the heat for the film’s failure, and there are certainly serious problems with the script and story, but Murphy’s listless performance is a gnawing low point.

Landis apparently went for a more serious tone for Axel Foley in his return, which put him at odds with Landis’ usual style and sapped most of the joy out of the film. This isn’t the fast-paced action comedy of the first installments: it’s a terribly boring action movie that doesn’t seem to want to take advantage of any of the franchise’s previous magic.

There are a few moments that stand out little, such as the return of Serge (Bronson Pinchot), but even that comes with the disconcerting caveat that he’s now some sort of fashionista/arms dealer to the stars. The fact that George Lucas’s equally disconcerting cameo is the most memorable thing in the film is a poor testament to it.

3 The Gifted Detective II (1987)

Axel Foley’s first comeback was too familiar, but the formula still works

Beverly Hills Cop II poster Beverly Hills Cop 2 R ScreenRant logo

Beverly Hills Cop 2 continues the story of Axel Foley, a Detroit detective played by Eddie Murphy, who returns to Beverly Hills to help his friends solve a series of heists linked to a criminal mastermind. Directed by Tony Scott, in this sequel, Foley teams up with Beverly Hills detectives Rosewood and Taggart to unravel the case while combining action and comedy.

Director Tony Scott Release date May 19, 1987 Screenwriters Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr., Eddie Murphy, Robert D. Wachs, Larry Ferguson, Warren Skaaren Cast Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Jurgen Prochnow, Ronny Cox, Brigitte Nielsen Duration 103 minutes

Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I don’t remember. A detective on the loose in Beverly Hills II It was every bit as bad as its critical reception suggests. It did almost everything that made the original film so much fun, giving Eddie Murphy the chance to crack jokes and be cool. It also came with the innate seal of approval associated with director Tony Scott, who proves to be far more capable than John Landis seven years later.

It is, however, an action sequel (something Eddie Murphy obviously felt strongly about, given his comments in 1989), but at this point, it hasn’t lost its popularity. The plot feels like an excuse to get more screen time for Axel Foley, and there’s a slightly more outrageous tone, which comes slightly at the expense of comedy.

It’s obviously not as funny, or as charming, or in any way new or exciting, but it’s entertaining enough that it’s a lot less likely to be skipped right away than its sequel.

2 Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. (2024)

After 30 years in the making, Eddie Murphy’s belated return is a worthy revival

Beverly Hills Cop movie poster Axel Foley with Eddie Murphy in a police badge A Beverly Hills Detective: Axel FR ScreenRant logo

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.

Director Mark Molloy Release Date July 3, 2024 Screenwriters Will Beall Cast Eddie Murphy, Kevin Bacon, John Ashton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paul Reiser, Judge Reinhold Running Time 115 minutes

30 years after the third installment of the series, Eddie Murphy finally returned as his most famous live-action character, and it was worth the wait. Following a similar vein to other legacy sequels such as Top Gun: Maverick and Creedbut without discarding the best of the franchise formula, Axel F It’s a strong mix of nostalgia and legacy. Murphy is in fine form, more credibly toning down Axel’s humor in contrast to A detective on the loose in Beverly Hills IIIIt’s a more forced hand.

There’s a more contemplative tone, as director Mark Molloy navigates more turbulent waters and reflects on a new era of policing. And thankfully, there are no unnecessary anti-conscience messages, which could have been very tempting given the usual “fish out of water” storyline. Instead, we get to see an older Axel in very familiar circumstances, with freshness brought by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s new partner Abbott and Foley’s daughter Jane (Taylour Paige).

The plot is hardly transformative and the villain’s twist is about as subtle as a snowplow driving through a city, but at times the familiarity is comforting. The return of veterans Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) is a draw for franchise fans and there’s plenty of hope for the future.

1 A gifted detective (1984)

A surprising and brilliant arrival for one of the best characters of the 80s

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Eddie Murphy stars in Beverly Hills Cop as Axel Foley, a seasoned Detroit cop who travels to California to solve the murder of his friend. Directed by Martin Brest, the film was a critical and commercial success, and spawned three sequels.

Director Martin Brest Release date November 30, 1984 Screenwriters Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr. Cast Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher, Ronny Cox, Steven Berkoff Duration 105 minutes

Sometimes it’s just too hard to argue with the original. Forty years after its release, Beverly Hills Police It remains one of the best 80s action comedies ever made. Delightfully capitalising on Eddie Murphy’s rising star (which earned him the useful privilege of freedom to improvise), it’s a great culture shock movie, and Axel Foley is like a hand grenade.

Beverly Hills Cop was originally written as an action vehicle for Sylvester Stallone before Eddie Murphy was cast.

The culture-clash plot, which quickly became a formula for its sequels, saw Foley “cheerfully breaking the law” while his enforced sidekicks/nannies Taggart and Rosewood provided balance. While Murphy gets the plaudits, the dynamic between the three standout characters is hugely rewarding, with still-stylish action sequences from director Martin Brest.

It’s not Murphy’s best film, that either. Dolemite is my name, Exchange placeseither Dream Girls – but it was a great advertisement for his star quality. And the fact that Axel Foley became such an iconic character without any truly great sequels is as good a testament to the original as any.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axl F is now available to stream on Netflix.

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