Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F left audiences and critics underwhelmed.
Following the film’s release on Wednesday, viewers were quick to rip apart the latest installment of the long-running action comedy franchise, which some referred to as a ‘pointless sequel.’
In the New York Post’s scathing review of Murphy’s latest project, the publication’s entertainment critic, Johnny Oleksinski wrote that ‘everything uniquely special and hilarious about the 1984 fish-out-of-water hit is gone.’
He went on to describe the action-comedy as a ‘mediocre nostalgia grab’ and pointed out the disappointing lack of growth in Murphy’s character, Axel Foley.
Variety’s review also slammed the film, with American film critic, Owen Gleiberman, writing that the script sounded ‘like it was pasted together out of old drafts.’
Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F left audiences and critics underwhelmed; seen last month
Still, Gleiberman said there were a ‘few funny moments’ and suggested that it might be nostalgic for some viewers.
The Hollywood Reporter’s review shared similar criticism of the flick.
‘Legacy can only take you so far,’ David Rooney wrote in his review for the outlet. ‘The closest thing to innovation that screenwriters Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten have come up with is the introduction of a sentimental strain of family friction, with estrangement predictably leading to accountability and warm reconciliation.’
He continued: ‘The rest is a strictly routine pileup of car crashes, shoot-outs and wisecracks.’
Rooney goes on to write that while ‘Murphy coasts along on charm,’ ultimately the ‘material is just not sharp enough to generate big laughs.’
Still, he credits Murphy’s ‘big personality’ for making ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F better than a lot of Netflix features.’
‘The movie also has real L.A. location shooting on its side. But that doesn’t stop it from feeling like something recycled out of 40-year-old ideas. If you’re fine with that, enjoy,’ he concludes.
Despite some harsh reviews, the movie earned a 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and a 78 percent score from the audience.
Following the film’s release on Wednesday, viewers were quick to rip apart the latest installment in the action comedy franchise, which some referred to as a ‘pointless sequel’ (Murphy seen in the movie as Axel Foley)
In the New York Post’s scathing review of Murphy’s latest project, the publication’s entertainment critic, Johnny Oleksinski wrote that ‘everything uniquely special and hilarious about the 1984 fish-out-of-water hit is gone’
Still, some satisfied viewers took to X to share how much they enjoyed the flick.
‘Beverly Hills Cop 4 was so f**king great. I want number 5 now,’ one wrote.
Another tweeted: ‘I was worried when they announced the sequels to Bad Boys 4 and Beverly Hills Cop 4 this year, but they’re actually great.’
‘Beverly Hills Cop 4 is cinema. One out of a very few projects that Netflix got right,’ a third raved.
The Beverly Hills franchise has been dormant since the third installment hit theaters 30 years ago in 1994.
The original Beverly Hills Cop (1984) was a bona fide hit in the US, grossing more than $234 million dollars against a $13 million budget, making it the highest grossing movie of that year.
Three years later, Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) turned into another smash at the box, earning $299.97 million while working with a bigger budget of $27 million.
It would be six years until the third installment, Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), hit theaters but it take a big dive down in the moneymaking department, bringing in $119.2 million with a $70 million budget.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F premiered on Netflix on July 3.
