It may be two years since Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F landed on Netflix, but I finally got around to watching it. And by “finally”, I mean I enjoyed it so much that I watched it twice (just not back-to-back). Released in 2024, Axel F marked 40 years since the original Beverly Hills Cop introduced the world to Detroit detective Axel Foley and helped launch Eddie Murphy from comedy superstar to Hollywood icon.
The story picks up with Axel returning to Beverly Hills after learning his estranged daughter, defense attorney Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige), is in danger while representing a client tied to a much larger conspiracy. Teaming up with Jane, Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and eventually reuniting with Billy Rosewood, John Taggart, and Serge, Axel once again finds himself chasing bad guys, exposing corruption, wrecking expensive cars, and delivering the perfectly timed one-liners that made the franchise legendary. Kevin Bacon slides into the role of Captain Cade Grant, adding another familiar face to a story that never loses sight of what made the original trilogy work in the first place.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Delivers the Nostalgia Without Feeling Stuck in the Past
I was 10 years old when the original Beverly Hills Cop hit theaters, 13 when Beverly Hills Cop II came out, 20 when Beverly Hills Cop III was released, and 50 when Axel F arrived on Netflix.
What I appreciated most is that the filmmakers never tried to reinvent Beverly Hills Cop. Instead, it respected it. The writing, pacing, music, callbacks, action, and comedy all felt true to the previous three films. Hearing Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On” and the Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance” instantly put a smile on my face. Those songs are just as much a part of the Beverly Hills Cop experience as Axel Foley himself. Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic “Axel F” theme has always been synonymous with the franchise, so I loved that this installment introduced a modern update with the “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F – Curnow Harding Remix” by Lorne Balfe and Tim Cappello. It felt fresh without abandoning the musical DNA that made the originals trilogy so memorable.
Eddie Murphy brings has Axel Foley’s effortless charm, the chemistry between the returning cast never misses a beat, and Bronson Pinchot somehow steals every scene he’s in just like he always has. Knowing John Ashton, who played Taggart, passed away just two months after the film’s release made seeing him back on screen feel even more special. As a Gen Xer who grew up with this franchise, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F felt less like another sequel and more like catching up with old friends.
Before rewatching Axel F, I started where every proper Dayclub SEAZN movie marathon should: at the beginning. I spent Fourth of July weekend in full desert isolation with the AC blasting, the outside world doing whatever it does on America’s 250th birthday. Meanwhile, I happily binged Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop II, and Beverly Hills Cop III for free on Pluto TV before pressing play on Axel F. Zero crowds. Zero traffic. Zero FOMO. Just me, A cocktail in-hand, Axel Foley, and four decades of nostalgia. Turns out, slowing life down enough to revisit the movies that grew up with you is a pretty damn good way to spend a holiday weekend. That’s Dayclub SEAZN, babes.
Watch The Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Trailer
Ready for your next slow-day movie marathon? Stream Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix.
