Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Netflix | Release Date: July 3, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 47 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
26
Negative:
4
Watch Now
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
NMEJames MottramJul 5, 2024
Murphy’s youthful cheekiness has long gone, stripping this sequel of some of its verve. But this is still an enjoyable, affable reunion: the heat is just about back on. Read full review
60
CNNBrian LowryJul 3, 2024
“Axel F” only turns up the heat to a low simmer, but as breezy escapism goes, those armed with the proper attitude might find themselves doing the neutron dance, or a version of it, all over again. Read full review
60
ScreenCrushMatt SingerJul 3, 2024
Murphy is really on his game; way more than I expected after 30 years. This is not Eddie Murphy in a Detroit Lions jacket sleepwalking his way through a big Netflix paycheck; it’s Axel Foley improvising his way through one crisis after another. And that’s fun. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesGlenn WhippJul 2, 2024
While it’s easy to view “Axel F” as a calculated cash grab, it’s clear that Murphy possesses an affection for the title character. From the get-go, Murphy’s portrayal hinged on Axel’s ability to warmly connect with everyone he meets. Read full review
60
Screen RantFerdosa AbdiJul 2, 2024
The return of Axel will satisfy fans of the franchise, and it might encourage those who are just tuning in to watch the original trilogy, if only to watch one of Murphy’s most significant roles from the 80s, a true golden era for the multi-hyphenate entertainer. Read full review
60
EmpireOlly RichardsJul 2, 2024
All involved have done a solid job in executing what most fans likely want from a very belated Beverly Hills Cop sequel. This is not an action movie with the slickness or invention to take on any current blockbuster franchise. It’s cheerfully old-fashioned and easy. It feels like you should be popping open a VHS case to watch it. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeJul 2, 2024
Murphy reminds us, albeit at a lower temperature, what caused so many heads to laugh themselves off shoulders during his pomp. Read full review
60
Total FilmJamie GrahamJul 2, 2024
Much more fun than Coming 2 America. Don’t be surprised to see a fifth film greenlit. Read full review
58
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJul 2, 2024
It doesn’t stop “Axel F” from getting the job done, but that’s little consolation in a movie so concerned with the long-term consequences of not caring about anything else. If only “Axel F” didn’t make it so damn easy to forgive it for that. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubJarrod JonesJul 2, 2024
What this film provides is easy charms; luckily, those come plenty. Read full review
50
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJul 3, 2024
Everything uniquely special and hilarious about the 1984 fish-out-of-water hit is gone, replaced by commodity streaming mush that looks like every other ho-hum action-comedy right now. Read full review
50
ABC NewsPeter TraversJul 3, 2024
Eddie Murphy is 63 now and sometimes the jokes seem just as retirement ready, but seeing the this comic legend return to the cop role he created four decades ago—along with many of the old gang— at least squeaks by as primo fan service. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonJul 2, 2024
“Axel F” is a joyless affair, a mediocre simulacrum that made me long for the original. Read full review
50
We Got This CoveredMarco Vito OddoJul 2, 2024
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F struggles to balance nostalgia and reinvention, with Eddie Murphy's charm unable to save it from a muddled script. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonJul 2, 2024
Despite Mr. Molloy’s tapping into his inner Michael Mann and turning Wilshire Boulevard into a scene from “Heat,” there are scattered human moments in “Alex F,” thanks largely to Mr. Murphy, who has always been a provocateur capable of tenderness. Read full review
50
The Associated PressMark KennedyJul 2, 2024
“Axel F” is not exactly Murphy’s finest hour, either. But Murphy just saying “Jesus!” is funny. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 30 years for our next Axel Foley fix. God, we’ve missed him. Read full review
50
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiJul 2, 2024
If all you want is another Beverly Hills Cop, here it is. If you want a great new Beverly Hills Cop, keep waiting. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyJordan HoffmanJul 2, 2024
While Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F isn’t terrible, and it does have a few funny zings plus one decent chase scene, there’s not a molecule of originality on display. One can’t help but call it a missed opportunity. Read full review
50
SlashfilmChris EvangelistaJul 2, 2024
If you're simply looking to see Murphy slip back into a familiar role and have a little fun, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" might do the trick. Even though this film is lackluster, it's still fun to watch Eddie Murphy do his thing, and there are moments here where he genuinely seems to be having a good time, and that can be contagious. So maybe that's enough to satisfy. Or, when you sit down and fire up Netflix to watch this film, you can make a wiser choice and just watch "Dolemite is My Name" instead. It'll be a much better use of your time, I promise. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJul 2, 2024
While Murphy coasts along on charm, his material is just not sharp enough to generate big laughs. Read full review
40
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeJul 11, 2024
Now in his 60s – not quite old enough to be a US presidential candidate but not far off – the actor lacks some of the hunger and aggression that ignited his career in the 80s, but he remains a uniquely magnetic performer. And somehow he manages to bring a degree of freshness to material that was stale several decades ago. Read full review
40
Rolling StoneDavid FearJul 3, 2024
This is a movie that doesn’t just heart the Eighties. It actually wishes it still were the Eighties, casting a fond glance to a simpler, more star-driven blockbuster era. Two hours later, however, and the thrill of getting this particular banana in your tailpipe feels like the most distant of memories. Read full review
40
The New York TimesRobert DanielsJul 2, 2024
While this installment isn’t nearly as woeful as Beverly Hills Cop III, it doesn’t have the charm or energy of the first two films either. It’s a limp, desperate action comedy with few memorable moments. Read full review
40
VarietyOwen GleibermanJul 2, 2024
With “Axel F.,” a parade of watchable clichés (not just retro-cop-thriller clichés but Eddie Murphy clichés) staged by director Mark Molloy in a slovenly utilitarian style, the series comes full circle: the product/schlock of the ’80s meets the product/schlock of Netflix. Welcome to nostalgia minus the soul! Read full review
40
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyJul 2, 2024
While the newer Bad Boys films have delicately sidestepped the contemporary conversations around law enforcement, Axel F seems happy to offer up its protagonist as a figurehead for the active endorsement of police misconduct. I’d argue you could just let Harold Faltermeyer’s earworm of a theme song drown out that noise – but, alas, for a certain generation, that’s also been ruined by the crazy frog on the invisible motorcycle. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawJul 2, 2024
Murphy’s maverick cop – and his theme music – are back to fight corruption, but four decades on there’s little energy to enliven their formulaic reunion. Read full review
More From This Movie

53 Critic Reviews

tbd User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL