Hal Wright

It's great to see Eddie Murphy in the role of Axel Foley again. The film does solid justice to the original classic, with Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot all reprising their roles. Taylour Paige is a delight as his estranged daughter Jane, who has become a defense lawyer, and Joseph-Gordon Levitt is well cast as her ex (maybe not forever) boyfriend, a Beverly Hills cop. Kevin Bacon is dependable as ever as the primary antagonist. The film hits all the beats, bringing on just the right amount of nostalgia, exciting over-the-top action, the perfect blend of humor, and fleshes out the main characters. This one deserves to have "Axel F" in the title. I can't resist saying that Eddie Murphy and Alex Foley are back! This is now my second favorite film in the franchise (you can't top the first, which created the world and characters that are still entertaining us forty years later). At one point I found myself saying that Axel might move a bit slower but his mouth and his wits work fast as ever. I've gotten used to being disappointed by sequels and reboots, but this one definitely does not disappoint.

I think this film is underrated. It looks quite good considering it's budget, and it succeeds as mild entertainment. I'd rewatch it, and would have watched a sequel. I've seen far worse films that either try too hard to be comedic or try to be intellectual and miss by a mile. Grab a drink and a snack and enjoy a lightweight, straightforward superhero movie. If you watch the English dubbed version, you will be underwhelmed by the dubs, but it didn't make or break the film for me.