The Return of Axel Foley: Beverly Hills Cop Hits Netflix
After a 30-year hiatus, the fourth installment of the beloved “Beverly Hills Cop” series has finally made its way back to the screen, landing on Netflix with a nostalgic punch.
Eddie Murphy reprises his role as Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” reuniting with familiar faces and introducing new talent to the mix. The film follows Axel Foley as he returns to Beverly Hills to protect his daughter from a looming threat, diving headfirst into a high-octane, humor-filled adventure alongside old friends John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a sinister conspiracy.
Reflecting on their reunion, John Ashton, who plays now-police chief John Taggart, shared, “It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Eddie because all three of us live in different parts of the country … but we developed a good friendship in the earlier ones. And friendships don’t die.”
Meanwhile, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a newcomer to the franchise, marveled at working with Murphy, emphasizing, “One of the things that I think is often underappreciated about Eddie is even though he’s so funny, he’s also a very honest and real actor.”
The emotional depth of the film shines through in moments that explore Axel Foley’s complex relationship with his estranged daughter, Jane, portrayed by Taylour Paige.
While the film delves into heartfelt moments, it also delivers adrenaline-pumping action, opting for practical effects over CGI. A standout sequence involves a thrilling helicopter stunt that injects a sense of real danger back into the franchise.
“That helicopter was being flown by this stunt pilot who really did all that. He dropped the helicopter off the building, came that close to the street, barely missed the bus. That was all real and they just photographed it,” Gordon-Levitt revealed.
Director Mark Molloy, in his feature film debut, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to helm such an iconic franchise, noting, “To be trusted with the keys to such an iconic franchise like this and get (franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer) to give me that trust was really humbling. Of course I felt a lot of pressure, but I just tried to be as prepared as possible.”