They say you can’t capture light in a bottle twice or that you can’t capture the same old magic and that’s never been truer when it comes to movies. However, I think you can come close with just the right amount of nostalgia to make a sequel almost as good as its original. So, after 40 years since the original, we have Beverly Hills Cop 4! I didn’t think it was a good idea to make this movie, especially since the third one that came out in 1994 wasn’t that good, but I have to say I’m completely shocked by how good the fourth movie really is. It’s certainly not perfect, and at times, relies too much on nostalgia, but in the end, everything works to make a really fun movie. Plus, the filmmakers did one important thing to make this movie good…they let Eddie Murphy be Eddie Murphy! When you let Eddie Murphy be the comic genius that pretty much made him a legend over 40 years ago then you’re going to have a good movie and let’s face it, Eddie Murphy has not always made good movies.
Axel Foley is back in another adventure that takes him to Beverly Hills. This time it’s to save his daughter with whom he has a strained relationship. And none other than his old buddy, Detective Rosewood will bring him to Beverly Hills to help with a case he’s been working on with his daughter who is a defense attorney. Now I won’t ruin the plot, you’re just going to have to watch this movie on Netflix to find out everything that’s going on, but I promise, it will be worth it.
In typical fashion, Axel Foley immediately gets into trouble in Beverly Hills, even getting himself arrested to which his daughter has to get him out. The best part of the overall story is Eddie Murphy up to his old tricks which we have seen in previous Beverly Hills Cops movies. He plays different characters, cons his way into situations, and hilariously gets himself out of trouble. Most importantly, this movie feels like the first two Beverly Hills Cops movies, even with the right use of music. I always say it’s not a real Beverly Hills cop movie unless she has some good old Detroit rock and roll to start the movie. Did they borrow the same music from previous movies, yes, so what! Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On” is to Beverly Hills Cop what the Star Wars theme song is to all the Star Wars movies. What works in this movie is the comedy and great action scenes just like in the first two movies. You get to the heart of a conspiracy within the LAPD and Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley hilariously takes down the bad guys… I’m not saying this movie is as good as the first two, but it feels like a Beverly Hills Cop movie, and I can’t say that about the third movie that came out in 1994. Also, Kevin Bacon plays a great villain who offers a lot of laughs and this is another reason to watch the 4th film.
I don’t have too much criticism, but like I said it’s not a perfect movie. To me, the weak part of the movie is Taylour Paige Who plays Foley’s daughter… She’s a fine actress and I’ve loved her in previous movies like White Boy Rick, but she seems so stale in this movie and it’s hard for her to keep up with the comedic genius of Eddie Murphy. This is one of those times that the casting should have been better. But the rest of the movie is so funny and nostalgic that it overshadows her shortcomings. Now the biggest problem with Beverly Hills Cop 4 is it does rely too much on the nostalgia that we have for the first two movies. Much like The Force Awakens for Star Wars, they reinvent some of the same scenes from the original film to make it seem like new. It doesn’t necessarily make the movie bad, but it certainly plays on the nostalgia factor a little too much. John Ashton who plays, now, Chief Taggart is a good actor, but certainly passed his prime in this role and it definitely shows, however, playing up the nostalgia factor within the banter he has with Judge Reinhold as Rosewood covers up some of his deficiencies. Overall, this movie does work as a good sequel in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise and certainly makes us forget how awful the third movie was. Having Axel Foley as an aging police officer up to his old tricks is good for the overall plot. The movie is filled with just the right amount of cameos and references to the original movies that make the 4th film worth watching. But as I said before there is one thing that makes this movie better than it probably should be…. Eddie Murphy! When you let Eddie Murphy be Eddie Murphy with a good script even if it relies too much on nostalgia, you still have a good movie. And make no mistake, despite all the cameos and newcomers to the franchise, this is still very much Eddie Murphy’s movie. He makes it a great one that’s worth watching! We probably don’t need a fifth Beverly Hills Cop movie so if this is Axel Foley’s swan song… The filmmakers nailed it!
