It's serviceable, doesn't hold a candle to first two

It was a given that Eddie Murphy’s career resurgence for “Dolemite is my Name” a couple years ago would have him return to some of his classic roles. And none needed a reboot like Axel Foley, the wisecracking cop he brought to life in 1984, 87, and 1994, and if nothing else, Movie #4 is further proof that Murphy does have his swagger back.


Here Axel hasn’t slowed down much but he also doesn’t have much in his life either. His estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) is a lawyer in L.A. and we find out her life is being threatened due to her latest case involving an accused cop killer and drugs. It’s as good a reason as any for Axel to hop into his beater and head to Beverly Hills again.


And just in the big grin he has on his face as he cruises the “other planet” that is the sunset strip again, Murphy’s energy is infectious. The charisma is back- he riffs, wisecracks, and still has a great confidence in his ability to bullshit people, even if he is older and also lets that fact slip into the performance as well now.


He’s also very good in action sequences- which feature car chases with Snowplows, commandeered meter maid vans, and a helicopter. That’s interspersed with shoot-outs that usually have a decent amount of suspense to them. This was directed by Matt Molloy, making his debut, and while he doesn’t have Martin Brest’s ability to combine action and comedy or Tony Scott’s sunbaked style, he at least knows his way around a big set piece.


He also knows that movie’s like this run on nostalgia, nods and needle drops and right from the opening, which uses Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On”, all the way through to Harold Faltmeyer’s “Axel F”, to Bob Seger’s “Shakedown”, to the Pointer Sister’s “Neutron Dance”, the action is exciting and like a greatest hit list at the same time.


But Paul Reiser stops by for a couple scenes, of course the Detroit Lions jacket is still there, as are the people in the precinct who either applaud or blow a gasket at Foley’s disobeying of orders. Oh, and there’s a great joke here at the expense of the third movie.


I’m not totally on board with some of the newer stuff- especially with the daughter. The reconciliation of father and daughter seems to be becoming a staple of resurrecting old movies but it also doesn’t really lead to anything funny and just kinda goes through the motions without ever getting to anything worth describing as affecting.


Joseph Gordon Levitt also plays a Detective named Bobby Abbot, someone who has had a relationship with Jane and kinda becomes Axel’s partner in the second half of the movie. But there’s nothing really distinctive about him, nothing for Murphy to really play off of other than to have them continually bring up the plot.


And no one has ever wanted a “Beverly Hills Cop” movie to be about plot. Kevin Bacon is on hand here in a pivotal role, and he’s about the only good thing in a plot that’s as cut and paste as they get. The laughs that should be distracting us from this come periodically, but not nearly enough for any real momentum.


Mostly Eddie is on his own here and what I really missed were the moments where he razzes Taggert (John Ashton) and Rosewood (Judge Reinhold). Reinhold is absent most of the movie, Ashton comes in and out, we don’t really see the guys together til the end shootout. Instead, Eddie spends more time with Paige and Levitt.


So there are things about this one that still pale in comparison to the first two. In the end it’s more serviceable than good and it still feels like the best years of the series are behind it. But Eddie looks spry and ready to make people laugh, which is welcome enough. If he’s gonna continue with this though, they’re gonna need to develop the new stuff a bit more.