Beverly Hills Cop 4 Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed, Was Netflix Sequel Worth 30-Year Wait?

It has now been 30 years since last we joined Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley in a Beverly Hills Cop adventure, and the reactions for the long-awaited Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F are now in. So, has the wait been worth it? Or does the fourth installment in the beloved action-comedy franchise fail to live up to its (first two) predecessors? At present, it’s looking like Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F could fall somewhere in between, as reflected by its Rotten Tomatoes rating of 69%.

We turn now to the reactions, and in true Axel Foley style, who so often manages to remain upbeat even when the odds are against him and he’s being shot at, we shall begin with the positives. Nate Richard of Collider awards Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F a solid 8/10 and commends the sequel for being the kind of blockbuster audiences want to see.

“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is exactly the kind of entertaining summer blockbuster that we need more of.”

Another 8/10 comes courtesy of Luke Reilly of IGN Movies, who declares that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is a “highly watchable” cinematic endeavor.

“A highly watchable return to form for Eddie Murphy. The heat is definitely back on.”

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

2/5

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.

Release Date

July 3, 2024

Director

Mark Molloy

Runtime

1h 55m

Studio

Eddie Murphy Productions, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Netflix

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures , Jerry Bruckheimer Films , Eddie Murphy Productions

Distributor(s)

Netflix

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Screen Rant’s Ferdosa Abdi also found much to enjoy in Eddie Murphy’s return, though does warn fans that it’s not quite a “slam dunk.”

“Beverly Hills Cops: Axel F is a good time, not a slam dunk good time, but entertaining enough to satisfy the need for Eddie Murphy.”

These sentiments are echoed by Jamie Graham of Total Film, who assured audiences that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F offers a lot to smile about.

“You might not be giving it the full Axel-like heh-heh-heh, but you’ll be smiling and chuckling throughout.”

Critics Chastise Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F for Leaning Too Heavily on Nostalgia

With the good must come the bad, and MovieWeb’s own Julian Roman found a lot of it in the action sequel. While it was great to see the cast, Julian wishes that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F could have avoided “stale nostalgia.”

“Eddie Murphy and the original cast return to the classic action-comedy franchise that made him a household name. If only Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F could have avoided stale nostalgia and a weak script to capture the magic of the first two blockbuster films.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Jordan Hoffman felt similarly, criticizing the movie for not trying anything new.

“Not just a refusal to try anything new, but a commitment to the remember-this-ification of branded entertainment.”

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New Beverly Hills Cop 4 Theme Released by Lil Nas X & Netflix

Grammy Award winner Lil Nas X has now released the new theme for this month’s Netflix sequel, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety, meanwhile, also felt that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F leans far too heavily on what has come before.

“In each case, the simple reminder of a situation, a character, a flavor from Beverly Hills Cop is supposed to leave us clapping our hands like seals.”

Finally, David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter takes aim at the filmmaker, who do nothing to change up the formula from previous installments which renders Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F beyond its “expiration date.”

“The shortage of fresh perspective, the absence of excitement and the slavishness with which the filmmakers stick to the original formula in one unimaginative action sequence after another makes the sequel seem past its expiration date.”

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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Reported Budget Sets a Ludicrous Record for the Eddie Murphy Franchise

Eddie Murphy’s return as Axel Foley is reportedly a very expensive affair compared to the rest of the movies in the franchise.

Directed by Mark Molloy, written by Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F sees Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Bronson Pinchot, and Paul Reiser return to reprise their roles. The rest of the cast includes Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper, The Dark Knight Rises) Mark Pellegrino (Mulholland Drive, Supernatural), and Kevin Bacon (Footloose, Tremors).

You can check out the official synopsis below.

“Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.”