Summary
After watchingBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fon Netflix, there are ten titles to watch that can recapture the tone of the new movie.Axel Fis a legacy sequel to theBeverly Hills Copaction-comedy franchise, which stars Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley. The franchise originated with the 1984 movie of the same name, which was followed by a pair of sequels in 1987 and 1994. Although a television spinoff was explored with an aborted pilot in 2013, the franchise remained dormant for thirty years until the release of the new installment.
TheBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fcastfeatures the return of several characters from the original trilogy, including Murphy as Axel, Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood, John Ashton as John Taggart, Paul Reiser as Jeffrey Friedman, and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. However, it introduces a variety of fresh characters to the franchise as well, including Taylour Paige as Axel’s daughter Jane Saunders, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as her ex, Detective Bobby Abbott, and Kevin Bacon as Beverly Hills Police Department Captain Cade Grant. Despite the influx of new stars, the movie stillevokes the same buddy-cop tone as the original trilogy.
How Old Is Axel Foley In Beverly Hills Cop 4?
Eddie Murphy has returned to the role of Axel Foley after 30 years for Beverly Hills Cop 4. But how old is Axel in the new Netflix sequel?
10Rush Hour (1994)
The Beginning Of A Classic Buddy-Cop Franchise
The buddy cop antics ofRush Hourlikely wouldn’t exist without the success of theBeverly Hills Copmovies. However, it eclipsed the earlier franchise in 1994 when it handily outgrossedBeverly Hills Cop III’s gross of $119.2 million by raking in $244.4 million against a budget of roughly $35 million, launching a franchise that saw stars Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan return for a pair of sequels in 2001 and 2007. The movie was well-received as well, and currently holds a Tomatometer score of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes alongside an audience score of 78%.
Rush Houris a solid pairing withBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fbecause it is a sterling example of the buddy-cop boom of the 1980s and 1990s, to which the new movie frequently hearkens back. It also features a similar fish-out-of-water premise to the originalBeverly Hills Cop, as it places Chan’s Royal Hong Kong Police Force detective inspector character on an adventure throughout Los Angeles.
9Charlie’s Angels (2019)
A New Reboot Of A Classic Television Property
While critics were lukewarm on 2019’s Elizabeth Banks-directedCharlie’s Angels, giving it a 52% Tomatometer score, the female-led action movie performed much better with viewers. Its Rotten Tomatoes audience score is a considerably superior 78%, exactly matching the general response to the tried and true classic action-comedyRush Hour. While this did not translate to box office success, it speaks to a growing fanbase for the movie that didn’t materialize when it was in theaters.
In addition to being an action-comedy,Charlie’s Angelsis a solid pairing withBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fdue to its connection with an iconic franchise of yesteryear. In addition to serving as a reboot set in the same world as the iconic 1970s television series of the same name, it also hearkens back to the pair of movies that previously rebooted the property in 2000 and 2003.
8Central Intelligence (2016)
The First Teamup For Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart
Central Intelligenceis another buddy-cop movie that found major success at the box office. The movie, which was directed byRed Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber, earned a whopping $217 million against a $50 million budget, outgrossing franchise action movies from the same year includingLondon Has Fallen,The Huntsman: Winter’s War, andJack Reacher: Never Go Back. It was also well received on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 71% score from critics and 62% from audiences.
The movie is a perfect pairing withBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fbecause of the chemistry between its two leads, who perfectly embodied the buddy movie ethos with their performances as well as the massive difference in their heights, which was played for laughs. In fact, their dynamic was so solid thatCentral Intelligencekicked off a run ofDwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart moviesincludingJumanji: Welcome to the JungleandDC League of Super-Pets.
7Shaft (2019)
A Legacy Sequel Featuring Action Movie Icons
Just likeCharlie’s Angels(2019), the same year’sShaftunderperformed at the box office and was poorly received by critics. It may seem easy to write off the project, which grossed $21.4 million against a roughly $35 million budget and has a 34% Tomatometer score. However, it has a near-perfect 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showcasing how it has still been able to strike a chord with audiences.
Another similarity toCharlie’s Angelsis the fact thatShaftplays on decades worth of legacy. It does so by combining three generations of action stars. Franchise newcomer Jessie T. Usher plays the grandson of original legend John Shaft Sr. (Richard Roundtree), with Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as John Shaft II from the 2000 movie of the same name. The stacked cast of the movie mirrors the way thatBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fwas able to bring so many legacy characters back to the screen.
6The Nice Guys (2016)
A Sharp Modern Buddy Movie
The Nice Guysis yet another buddy movie that was a financial disappointment. It barely made its budget back in theaters, earning $62.8 million worldwide against its $50 million price tag, which likely necessitated a gross of at least $100 million to break even. However, Rotten Tomatoes shows how much the movie is beloved by critics and viewers alike, as it boasts a Certified Fresh Tomatometer score of 91% and an audience score of 79%.
The Nice Guysplays well withBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fbecause of its buddy movie pedigree. It was written and directed by Shane Black, who is an icon of the 1980s and 1990s boom of the genre, having penned the screenplays for entries including the first twoLethal Weaponmovies andThe Long Kiss Goodnight. Before teaming with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling forThe Nice Guys, he previously paid homage to the genre in 2005 with his directorial debutKiss Kiss Bang Bang.
5Looper (2012)
An Iconic Action Teamup
Looperis both a critical and commercial darling. The Rian Johnson outing grossed $176.5 million against a relatively slim budget of $30 million, outgrossing other prominent 2012 movies includingMagic Mike,Paranormal Activity 4, andThink Like a Man, all of which earned sequels. It also had a glowing reception on Rotten Tomatoes with a Certified Fresh 92% Tomatometer score and a similarly solid 82% audience score.
WhileLooperis a teamup movie that is more science fiction tinged and action-forward than comedic, it features a major connection toBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who stars opposite Bruce Willis as a younger version of the same character, plays a similar role as a partner to a more established star when hisAxel Fcharacter is teamed up with Murphy’s Foley after his return to Beverly Hills.
421 Jump Street (2012)
A Comedic Homage To A 1980s Classic
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s21 Jump Streetis another outing with a solid record both critically and commercially. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has near identical scores between the frequently divided review groups, with critics giving it a Certified Fresh 85% and audiences giving it 83%. It also grossed $201.6 million at the box office against a roughly $50 million budget, landing seven slots aboveLooperon the chart of the highest-grossing movies of 2012.
21 Jump Streetfeatures a similar character dynamic and tone toBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fin addition to being a legacy sequel in its own right. While the Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill-led movie essentially acts as a comedic reboot of the 1980s undercover cop television drama of the same name, it does feature cameos from original stars Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise.
348 Hours (1982)
An Earlier Eddie Murphy Buddy Cop Movie
48 Hrs.is another iconic buddy cop movie that launched its own franchise, as it was followed in 1990 by the sequelAnother 48 Hrs. This was likely the case because of its return on investment, as it only cost $12 million yet earned $78.9 million by the end of its theatrical run. The movie also won over critics on Rotten Tomatoes, as it has since earned a Certified Fresh Tomatometer score of 92%.
Just likeRush Hour,48 Hrs.is another classic example of the buddy-cop genre to whichAxel Fis a throwback. However, this particular entry is also notable because it co-stars Eddie Murphy two years before his lead performance in the originalBeverly Hills Cop. Although he starred opposite Nick Nolte rather than any of theBeverly Hillsensemble, the movie set the blueprint for what was to come for the performer.
Another New Buddy Cop Legacy Sequel
The buddy cop movieBad Boys: Ride or Dieis the fourth installment in the long-running franchise, which began with the 1995 Michael Bay classicBad Boys. At the time of writing, it is the sixth highest-grossing release of 2024 worldwide, having earned $336.5 million against its $100 million budget. It also won over audiences, who gave it a huge 97% Rotten Tomatoes score on top of its already decent 64% Tomatometer score.
Just like Eddie Murphy with Axel Foley, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have reprised their original roles in all fourBad Boysmovies. While there was a longer gap between the previous installment, 2020’sBad Boys for Life, and its immediate predecessor, 2003’sBad Boys II,Ride or Diefeatures an important connection toBeverly Hills Cop. It was co-written by Will Beall, who collaborated with Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten onAxel F.
1Coming 2 America (2021)
Eddie Murphy’s Previous Long-Awaited Legacy Sequel
The $60 million comedy sequelComing 2 America, which was helmed byHustle & Flowdirector Craig Brewer, has no box office results to report. This is the case because it was released directly to Prime Video after its initial theatrical release was scrapped amid worldwide shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. However, the movie raked in 1.4 billion viewing minutes during its first week and earned Prime Video’s best opening weekend of the previous 12 months.
While it does not boast major action elements, the comedy movie has a direct connection toBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Just like the new Netflix movie, the Prime Video hit was a belated sequel to an Eddie Murphy classic. It featured the star reprising his original role from 1988’sComing to America, thus boasting an even longer gap between installments than the hiatus betweenBeverly Hills Cop IIIandAxel F.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
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.
