I remember seeing the first movie well before I was old enough to and loving the inappropriate Eddie Murphy comedy mixed with 80s-90s violence. The uninspiring sequels (although II is far better than III) left me feeling like we had seen the best of Axel Foley, and he could easily retire without being resurrected in another sequel. When I heard they were making a 4th film, I wasn’t looking forward to it. However, I was pleased to see how director Mark Molloy was able to make a nostalgic 90s action comedy for the modern era.
Despite an extremely bland corrupt police case, AXEL F is a delight, thanks to its cast, comedy, and synthesizer-induced soundtrack. Yes, there are too many cameos from the original films to name (and spoil), but the new cast also shines, especially Taylour Paige as Axel’s daughter and the always amazing Joseph Gordon Levitt as a cop with ties to Foley’s family.
“The heat is on” in this action-packed sequel. Audiences will want to “stir it up” for one last “shakedown” with Eddie Murphy and the rest of the BEVERLY HILLS COP gang.
It’s available to stream on Netflix.