Netflix has recently released Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the fourth installment of Eddie Murphy’s famous film franchise, and the new movie deals with problems that the lead actor has voiced about Beverly Hills Cop III. The first Beverly Hills Cop of 1984 lives on as a beloved box office success that helped Eddie Murphy reach his current fame. However, the following films about the police officer were met with mixed reviews, with Murphy himself explaining the Beverly Hills Cop III criticism.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’s cast features many characters, but the story continues to focus on Alex Foley (Eddie Murphy), a Detroit detective who leaves his jurisdiction to investigate crime in the wild culture of Beverly Hills. Each installment in the series shows the street-smart cop taking on chaotic cases with his even more chaotic personality on full display. A movie anticipated for decades, the brand new Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F features the investigator 40 years later and thankfully fixes many of the problems with Beverly Hills Cop III.

Beverly Hills Cop 4 Addresses Why Eddie Murphy Hated The Last Movie

The Actor Considers The Third Movie The Weakest Of Them All

Axel Foley is among Eddie Murphy’s most iconic characters. Still, the star expressed contempt for Beverly Hills Cop III in the past, which makes sense considering how disappointing the third installment was. Calling it “atrocious” during a 2006 Inside The Actor’s Studio interview, Murphy has named money as his main motivator for signing onto the project.

Axel F brings the franchise back to basics while doing some new things with Murphy’s beloved character.

Axel F even jabs at Beverly Hills Cops III, such as when Abbott refers to a moment from the third film as a bad time in Axel’s life. Acknowledging the shortcomings of the last movie, Axel F atones for the franchise’s past failure by returning to the charm of the first film and pulling in more of the classic action-comedy humor that taps into the fans’ shared nostalgia. Axel F brings the franchise back to basics while doing some new things with Murphy’s beloved character.

Why Beverly Hills Cop 3 Was So Poorly Received

The Third Film Failed to Honor The Franchise

While explaining his distaste for Beverly Hills Cop III, Murphy has cited flaws like a weak villain, production problems, script issues, and more as contributors to the third movie’s poor critical and public perception. During development, the project’s strained budget and leadership changes only worsened the movie’s tonal inconsistencies, with the absence of Axel’s witty spirit cheapening the franchise. Suddenly, the series strayed from the strengths of its characters and the excited energy of its crime antics.

The poor performance of Beverly Hills Cop III caused delays for the fourth installment, but thankfully, Eddie Murphy’s appreciation for his initial performance led him to revisit the character and the story that sparked the saga through Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Netflix’s choice to revisit the case that introduced viewers to Axel reveals how nostalgia can restore compelling narratives, even after being sidetracked. Considering that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has already held the number one spot on Netflix’s list of top ten movies in the U.S., Axel Foley’s return worked after all.