'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' is more of the same, but not enough of it

In Detroit, Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is still on duty and still working the streets. Over in Beverly Hills, Foley's estranged daughter Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige) is targeted by a violent, unknown criminal group as she investigates a wide-ranging conspiracy as a criminal defense attorney. With his daughter in danger, Foley returns to the West Coast and teams up with old friends Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), Taggart (John Ashton), and Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a zealous LAPD detective who has a history with Foley's daughter...

For anyone who grew up on grainy VHS and late-night terrestrial screenings of movies that they should absolutely not be watching, Eddie Murphy was a familiar presence. 'Trading Places', '48 Hrs.', 'Boomerang', and of course, 'Beverly Hills Cop' were all firm, familiar favourites. What made Murphy so arresting compared to other comedic talents of the era was that his energy was infectious. He didn't rely on rubbery expressions like Jim Carrey or burly sarcasm like Bill Murray. He was a lightning bolt, finger-snapping, jabber-jawing. Hell, the opening setpieces of 'Beverly Hills Cop' and its sequels had him improving undercover as a fast-talking criminal. It was electric stuff. That was almost four decades ago.

Eddie Murphy is now 63, and though he's slowed down professionally and personally, there are still flashes of the old magic. He commandeers a snow-plough and drives it through Detroit following an ice-hockey game in the opening setpiece. Later, he and Joseph Gordon-Levitt take part in a wild helicopter chase through 90210 that sees him trying to motivate his sidekick into action. Yet, between these moments of high action comedy, Murphy doesn't have the same spark and zest. Comedy is like any skill or muscle, and atrophy can and does set in if it's not utilised. It's not so much that Murphy's comedic timing and talent have abandoned him, but rather that it's never as sharp and never as bright as before.

The nearest parallel to 'Axel F' is 'Top Gun: Maverick'. It's a vibrant, well-meaning, well-crafted reheat of what made everyone love the original. For both actors, the original was a star-making turn. The Cruiser went on to become The Cruiser, and Eddie Murphy lit up screens and laughter in the wake of 'Beverly Hills Cop'. Yet, where Tom Cruise refused to slow down and kept going, Murphy - for perfectly valid reasons - decided to step back and ease off on his career. Coming back around, he's still decidedly gifted in comedy, but it's just not as punchy as before.

For one, the talent placed alongside him is non-committal at best. Kevin Bacon, always a solid choice as a slick villain, is little help in finding the funny. When compared with someone like the great Steven Berkoff or Brigitte Nielsen, Murphy has nothing. Gordon-Levitt may be the straight man to Murphy, but it doesn't connect nearly as often as you'd hope. Even wheeling in the likes of Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot, there are moments and some big pops, but again, it's always somewhat tempered. 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' could have been better served with a stronger director in place instead of a director - Mark Molloy - making his feature-length debut. After the first movie, Martin Brest would follow up with 'Midnight Run', easily the greatest action-comedy of all time. In the second movie, the late great Tony Scott was flying high off of 'Top Gun' and on his way to 'Days of Thunder'. The less said about the third one, the better.

Even with a stronger director, the fundamental issue with 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' is perhaps best summed up in a scene where Foley arrives at a plush hotel. In the first movie, Murphy riffs an entire scene that's wildly funny, relevant (for its time anyway), and caps off a big plot development with a fun moment. Here, Foley's about to run the same gag when he pauses, and says straight-faced to the concierge that he's tired, and he wants a room. Sure, comedy often comes from subverting expectations, but in this, it's less about the funny and more about Murphy working the scene to get to the next one. It's not that he doesn't care, but rather he's just not interested in searching out the funny any more.