London Action Festival presents Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Beverly Hills Cop remains of the best-loved action cinema franchises of all time and, this year, celebrates its 40th anniversary. It made a movie star of comedy giant, Eddie Murphy, who was then fresh from his big screen debut in Walter Hill’s 48 Hours, opposite Nick Nolte. That’s another classic, right there.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F marks the fourth entry in this series and has just been released on Netflix. What’s more, I was one of the lucky few to enjoy it on the big screen. While the first film arguably remains the best and most concise, I always felt (apart from the dynamic screen presence of Eddie Murphy) this was largely down to director Martin Brest (Midnight Run, Scent of a Woman) keeping the stakes anchored through believable characters and drama, alongside the shoot-outs and car chases. In that film, Murphy’s Axel Foley ran riot as a larger-than-life, loose cannon cop who could seemingly fast-talk his way out of any situation, like a street-smart chameleon. He was hilarious, with many famously improvised one-liners, but the canvas he was working against felt believable. The first sequel, directed by the late, great Tony Scott (Top Gun, Man on Fire), ramped up the action into highly entertaining (though slightly over-the-top) 1980’s action fare, while the third entry, despite some nice moments, was disappointing for many.

In the new fourth entry, after his estranged daughter's life is threatened, Foley finds himself back in Beverly Hills, teaming up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and his old friends Taggart (John Ashton) and Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) to get to the bottom of a criminal conspiracy, possibly pointing to the upper ranks of the police.

The new film promised a return to what made the old formula work, and it undoubtedly delivers. Axel F is incredibly fun, nostalgic and lovingly pays tribute to one of Murphy’s best-loved characters. For anyone who is a genuine fan of the original trilogy, there’s a lot to enjoy here. Case in point, it’s good to see so many original cast members back; character actors John Ashton, Judge Reinhold and Paul Reiser played distinctive characters who were a joy to watch from the first film, and had hilarious and sometimes poignant exchanges with Murphy. That’s a real pleasure to see again.

While certain scenes pay homage (such as a memorable opening which mirrors the start of 1984), and the iconic soundtrack reimagined, there is enough to keep it feeling fresh. If there was ever an inclination to contemporise Beverly Hills Cop, I appreciate and admire the choice to stick with tradition. In this story, we find ourselves back in Axel Foley’s world, albeit 20 years since the last film. The current landscape, with all its quirks, is his playground. The filmmakers didn’t attempt to revise him for a modern film, which works in its favour. It wisely leans into the nostalgia value for longtime fans. Interestingly, this sequel first entered development in the mid 1990s, under Murphy's own production company. Many different directors and screenwriters had been attached over the years, but the project faced issues and hurdles. After veteran commercial director Mark Molloy was brought on board, the project found its voice and filmmaker.

While I’d been looking forward to finally seeing the new film, I had an extra special time attending a rare, one-off screening courtesy of my friends at The London Action Festival. Last year, I was involved in two great events with them, including hosting The Villains of John Wick panel (featuring martial arts movie legends, Mark Dacascos and Scott Adkins) and I also joined the 50th anniversary screening and panel of the Bruce Lee classic, Enter the Dragon (also featuring HBO’s Warrior star, Andrew Koji).

Operating under their new sub-banner of The Action Station, The London Action Festival plans to run more bespoke events and screenings, alongside their wider festival activity. This was a fantastic event and, while being a great release for Netflix, it was certainly a bonus to experience a franchise film of this production value and scale in a theatrical setting. Thank you to the team for presenting it on the big screen!

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is now showing on Netflix