I think the makers of this film ran out of ideas when they called this one as 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' That title really doesn't make the film any edgier or cooler in my opinion. I don't believe this is the final installment of the series so the extra emphasis on 'F' seems unwarranted too. What was lacking in the title is however made up by the thought that was put into character trajectories and ushering some news ones into the fold. They also make it a point to acknowledge all the three prequels while comically highlighting that the third one was a bit lackluster (fans love it when filmmakers are self-aware).
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Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop 4 < Courtesy: KAZE TV>
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So where does one start with this one, we start right in Detroit where Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is alerted by his friend Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), now a private detective, that his estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) could be in a lot of trouble with a certain cartel. Axel immediately sets out for Beverly Hills only to find that his friend is missing upon landing there. The rest of the story revolves around how Axel makes up with Jane and locates Rosewood with the help of Detective Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Jane's ex and Taggart (John Aston) who is now the Chief of Police at Beverly Hills.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Detective Abbott
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There's also our lead antagonist Captain Grant (played with villainous panache by
Kevin Bacon) that Axel needs to settle scores with before riding off into the sunset.
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| Kevin Bacon as Captain Grant |
You don't watch Beverly Hills Cop movies for the plot. You watch them for the camaraderie, the one-liners and the pandemonium that Axel sets off every time he cons someone. This movie also packs a punch with the stunts.
The helicopter sequence with Axel and Abbott trying to get away from a police squad is probably the best of the series. There's also a very interesting tie-in with
Happy Gilmore at the end of this scene which I am not going to reveal here.
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| Helicopter mayhem in Beverly Hills |
Throughout the series Axel wriggles out of every situation with his razor sharp wit but in this movie he's tongue-tied before his daughter's arguments. His inability to either apologize or express his own guilt for abandoning her provide insights into Axel's character which we really don't get to see in the other parts.
Another fascinating aspect of this movie is how Axel and Grant's characters are juxtaposed at every turn. Both are driven by single minded focus, both don't give up and both are always used to getting what they want. In terms of the antagonists in this series, Bacon's Grant should feature right at the top.
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| Taylour Paige as Axel's daughter, Jane < Courtesy: KAZE TV> |
Then there is the nostalgia I hinted at earlier with several callbacks to earlier instalments including Rosewood and Taggart staking it out for Axel and Axel trying to break into an exclusive club to get hold of the ones he's tailing. The humor, the pacing and the aforementioned nostalgia callbacks paper over the logical flaws (who orders a hit on a Detroit cup and his defense attorney daughter in broad daylight and that too in the midst of a busy traffic junction). But, if you are just here for the ride and can put aside rationale then there's some good old fashioned fun in store with this one.
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| Axel in the car with Rosewood and Taggart < Courtesy: KAZE TV> |
Rated: Time Pass
Until Next Time,
Your Avid Movie Watcher
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