From the beginning, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” is buoyant and playful in a way that legacy sequels usually aren’t allowed to be, and that was arguably missing in the more leaden second and third films in this series. Murphy is at his best when he’s allowed to bounce through a film, light on his feet, laughing and smiling in a way that fans find so comforting. Even the score here feels playful as Lorne Balfe incorporates elements of the original Harold Faltermeyer classic into something fresh while also directly using tracks from the massive 1984 soundtrack.
Is that a cheap trick? Maybe, but it’s a matter of balance. When Bronson Pinchot’s Serge shows up in a lame scene, one is reminded of the potential version of this film that’s all callbacks and familiar bits. However, director Mark Molloy uses familiarity as seasoning instead of the whole meal. It may seem like faint praise, but there are so many iterations of this reboot – probably including the one almost once directed by Brett Ratner – that go for cheap jokes about cancel culture, generation gaps, and other beats that usually drag down recent films with older comedy stars. There’s refreshingly little of that here as the script keeps the plot moving in a manner that doesn’t call attention to the fact that it’s a series that skipped at least one entire generation.
It helps a great deal to have supporting performers willing to play along. Murphy often comes to life when he’s given fun sparring partners, such as acting opposite Wesley Snipes and Da’Vine Joy Randolph in “Dolemite is My Name.” Paige, JGL, and Bacon aren’t quite that good, but they all understood the assignment here, not phoning it in like so many Netflix original supporting players. Bacon leans into his self-righteous villainy, and JGL grounds the film in a few moments when it really needs it. Paige is great but the writers admittedly run out of things to do with her, forcing her into the same arguments with her distant dad a few too many times. As for the returning heroes, Reinhold disappears for most of the movie, but Ashton delivers when he’s called on to do so.