Anyone judging Eddie Murphy’s weary expression on the “Axel Foley” poster might get the wrong idea. Three minutes into the film, that illusion vanishes: forty years after debuting as the most irreverent cop in American cinema, Murphy still radiates the same improbable mix of sarcasm and vulnerability. What could be mistaken for a disguised rerun is, in truth, a comedic and self-aware reinterpretation of a character who never fully belonged to the system.
It’s remarkable how a project delayed for over a decade arrives on screen so seamlessly. Written by Danilo Bach, Will Beall, and Daniel Petrie Jr., “Axel Foley” doesn’t just rehash the old punchlines: it redefines the franchise’s codes by allowing its protagonist to age with dignity, without giving up the chaos or the blows. First-time feature director Mark Molloy shows rare insight into both the comedic tempo and the mythology of the series. The film works as a funhouse ride, but also as a nostalgic reflection on the passage of time.
This time, the plot revolves around Axel’s relationship with his daughter, attorney Jane Saunders, played convincingly by Taylour Paige. Their forced reunion happens when Jane becomes entangled in a case that exposes a criminal ring operating within the LAPD. Alongside her and Bobby Abbott (a restrained yet effective Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Foley returns to the absurdity of California, where laws bend, suits gleam, and justice flickers. Few characters embody Beverly Hills like Cade Grant (Kevin Bacon), whose sleek sophistication only highlights his deep-rooted corruption.
What makes the film resonate is its ability to evolve without betrayal. The humor is still biting, but now drier; the action scenes forgo CGI in favor of raw physicality, a tribute to the style of 1980s cinema. The story moves between Detroit and Los Angeles, preserving the sociological layer of the character: Foley remains the outsider, the rule-breaker who knows the system inside out and chooses to subvert it. He’s also a flawed father, a relic of a fading breed of cops, a man searching for purpose beyond the lore that made him a legend.
The generational blend — Paige, Gordon-Levitt, and Murphy — doesn’t serve as marketing gimmickry, but as the film’s dramatic engine. Jane, distrustful of both her father and the institutions around her, represents a contemporary skepticism that clashes with the naïve idealism of earlier installments. Rather than recycle hero tropes, the film sets contrasting visions of justice against each other, revealing the obsolescence of old convictions and the urgent need for unlikely coalitions.
From the opening sax riffs of Glenn Frey’s classic “The Heat Is On,” the film declares its mission: not mere homage, but emotional reactivation. The kid who once watched Axel on afternoon TV now has wrinkles and bills, but still grins when that goofy mustache reappears doing what he does best. Against all odds, this sequel doesn’t just honor the franchise’s legacy — it reclaims it on new terms. Axel Foley finally earns the right to be more than a myth: a flawed, absurd, principled man who never takes himself too seriously, but never backs down from what feels right.
Film: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley
Director: Mark Molloy
Year: 2024
Genres: Comedy/Action
Rating: 9/10