Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is out on Netflix today with Eddie Murphy reprising his iconic role as the wisecracking policeman. It arrives 40 years after the original and 30 years behind the unfortunate Beverly Hills Cop III (even its lead has trashed that one). Judge Reinhold, Josh Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot return to the franchise with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon joining the fourth entry. Mary Malloy directs.
This might seem like a pointless Oscar Predictions posts until you realize there’s awards history with the first two Cop‘s. Part 1 was up for Best Original Screenplay (losing to Places in the Heart). At the Golden Globes, the original competed for Best Musical/Comedy (falling short to Romancing the Stone) and Murphy up for Actor in that category with Dudley Moore (Micki & Maude) emerging victorious. Three years later, Bob Seger’s track “Shakedown” from the first sequel was up for Original Song at the Oscars and Globes. “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing defeated it at both shows. Unsurprisingly, part III failed to generate any nods except the Razzies where John Landis was up for Worst Director (“losing” to Steven Seagal for On Deadly Ground). Wyatt Earp prevented it from taking Worst Remake or Sequel.
Now that we’ve dispensed with that fun trip down memory lane, Axel F is getting mixed reviews with 67% on RT. That’s behind part 1 (83%) but ahead of II (46%) and III (11%). I wouldn’t count on Lil Nas X’s musical contribution “Here We Go!” competing like Seger’s song did. Same goes for any other category. On the bright side, it probably won’t factor into the Razzie conversation either. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
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