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Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop Revival: A Burst of Nostalgia or Just Hollow Hype?

EntertainmentEddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop Revival: A Burst of Nostalgia or Just Hollow Hype?

Back in Business: Murphy’s Return to the Beverly Hills Cop Franchise

Eddie Murphy is once again playing the role of Axel Foley in the fourth iteration of the “Beverly Hills Cop” series. Arriving four decades after he first donned the cop’s badge, this sequel, named “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”, landed on Netflix on Wednesday. Despite holding the top spot for the streaming platform’s U.S. movie chart, critics have not entirely embraced Axel Foley’s big comeback.

Critics’ Verdict: Riding on Nostalgia or a Genuine Treat?

Critics, as gauged by their reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, believe the film mainly capitalizes on nostalgia. Though expressing relief at seeing Murphy back in action as Foley, many feel the movie merely replicates rather than innovates. However, it’s not all negative; some praise it as “a welcome return for [Murphy’s] Axel Foley.”

Mixed Reviews Across the Board

Among the reviewers, CNN viewed the film as light-hearted escapism while Rolling Stone and ABC News thought the humor felt tired and rehashed. Meanwhile, the Observer criticized Netflix for a “risk-averse” strategy of leaning on existing IPs for a safe return on investment.

While IndieWire and AV Club offered up moderately positive scores (a C+ each), The New York Times delivered a harsh evaluation, condemning it as a “painfully lackluster retread” that’s struggling to justify its very existence.

The Journey of Beverly Hills Cop Franchise

Let’s rewind a bit. The original “Beverly Hills Cop” was a massive success back in 1984, reeling in almost $235,000,000 domestically and garnering a solid 83% approval on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, its sequels didn’t fare as well among critics.

Coming out in 1987, “Beverly Hills Cop II” only managed a meager 48% rating. Fast forward to 1994 and “Beverly Hills Cop III” plummeted further, netting a dismal 11% approval.

Audience vs Critics: Battle of Opinions

In contrast to the sequels, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” has done better, currently displaying a 65% approval rating and a more convincing 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It appears there’s a divide between the critics and the audience. While the professionals might be critical, it seems that for many film lovers, enjoying Eddie Murphy back in his iconic role is enough.

The Future of Beverly Hills Cop

Murphy, back in 2019, announced his plans for this fourth “Beverly Hills Cop” installment. “That’s what we’re doing after ‘Coming to America 2’,” he stated in an interview with Collider. He also expressed his intention to return to the stand-up stage after wrapping up this film.

In this latest Beverly Hills Cop adventure, Murphy is joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Taylour Paige. It also marks the return of Judge Reinhold and Paul Reiser from the original movie.

All said and done, the fourth installment to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise seems to be a divisive one. Whether it relies too heavily on nostalgia or provides a fun, breezy escapade might depend largely on your perspective. One thing is for certain – with its debut on Netflix, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” has opened a fresh chapter for this iconic series. Fans and critics alike will be watching to see how its story unfolds.

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