Parents' Guide to

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

By Jennifer Green, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

1980s franchise reboot has violence, language, drugs.

Movie R 2024 117 minutes
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F movie poster: Eddie Murphy on a motorcycle.

A Lot or a Little?

What you willā€”and won'tā€”find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 12+

I loved it great for kids and adults. 12+

ItĀ“s a nice movie and great for adults and kids. I loved the movie and they are just like the others. bad things: they do drugs not that much btw and swearing is like: ĀØFuck offĀØ ĀØshut upĀØ nice movie.
age 18+

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This fourth film in the popular '80s franchise, which fizzled out 30 years ago, brings memorable characters and elements into the present while attempting to iron out some now-obsolete attitudes. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F does what a sequel should do, incorporating what worked in the originals (and what fans of a certain age will be looking for) and updating aspects to better, though not perfectly, fit the times. This combo potentially sets the franchise on a course for a future. You see it in the renewal of older characters and the addition of new, younger ones, like Gordon-Levitt's Abbott and Paige's Jane. You hear it in the soundtrack, which runs from the Glenn Frey-Bob Seger sounds of the originals to Mary J. Blige and a Lil Nas X remix of the theme song. And, most essentially, you see the old-new blend in ideas, dialogues, and storylines.

It's not the '80s anymore, and even macho cops now can't let their manhood feel easily threatened. They try to respect women and recognize when therapy, an apology, or some tenderness might help their relationships. The fish-out-of-water concept of plopping Black Detroit cop Murphy into majority-White, upscale Beverly Hills still works, although even Beverly Hills has diversified some in the last 30 years. Be prepared for old-guy humor, unavoidable when you've got 60-plus-year-olds playing the leads of an action film, including some grumpy responses to changing social norms. The storyline gives the older characters, like Reiser's retiring Friedman and Ashton's ailing Taggart, reprised roles but also a believable out on potential future entries. The film also revisits the originals' mix of cameos, humor, and suspense (still requiring suspension of disbelief), though these aspects would earn bigger responses on the big screen.

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