Tag: Paul Reiser

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Review

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is frequently an amusing ride of overt nostalgia mining. It works better than the other two sequels to the 1984 original, especially 1994’s embarrassing III set at an amusement park. Is it good? That might hinge on your generosity level any given moment or reverence for what happened four decades ago. Eddie Murphy is certainly trying harder than he did 30 years ago (and in several mediocre titles between now and then). This is also a notch above Coming 2 America, his other recent long gestating legacy follow-up. Having this premiere on Netflix kinda makes sense. You can check out from time to time and it might not disrupt your overall experience. Does it try too hard to capture a 40-year-old vibe? I guess. Was I still watching? Yes and with more attentiveness than when Axel Foley donned an elephant costume in BHC III (never forget).

The role of renegade Detroit cop Axel Foley is the one that turned Murphy from a movie star to iconic superstar. Part one additionally blended action and comedy in ways that many copied and still do. Beverly Hills Cop II, despite some guilty pleasure high gloss moments courtesy of Tony Scott, couldn’t think of much more to do with the concept. III, despite reuniting its star and Trading Places and Coming to America director John Landis… well we’ve covered that already. Seeing him slide on his Detroit Lions jacket again could’ve been yet another big-budget letdown. Yet just as that team has recently shown signs of life, this series does in part IV.

Foley returns to the West Coast for family business after a cool Motor City prologue set at a Red Wings game (this allows for Paul Reiser to reprise his role as our protagonist’s former partner). His estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) is an attorney representing an innocent man for killing a cop. The dirty police captain (Kevin Bacon) responsible for the murder may need to off the Foley offspring to cover his tracks. So Axel’s ole pal Billy (Judge Reinhold) sends up the 90210 signal before he gets kidnapped himself. His old partner Taggart (John Ashton) is now the Chief. Side note – he was nowhere to be found in III because he probably read the screenplay.

Some of the script allows time for Axel to attempt rekindling a strained relationship with Jane. He also acquaints himself with Detective Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his main partner in property destruction and Jane’s ex-flame. Both Gordon-Levitt and Paige are serviceable additions to the proceedings.

I can’t say the same for everyone else. Bronson Pinchot is back as the flamboyant Serge. An art gallery employee in Beverly Hills Cop, he stole two hilarious minutes from Murphy 40 years back. By III (I’m sorry to keep returning to that disaster), he was inexplicably a weapons dealer whose cameo was as unfunny as everything else in the runtime. Now he’s a bleach blonde real estate agent whose appearance feels tacked on. Same goes for Luis Guzman’s eccentric gang leader. Their parts could’ve been eliminated and we would’ve been better off without their 80s vibes.

Perhaps the shameless callbacks to the best franchise moments will leave you cold. I must admit the Pointer Sisters and Harold Faltermeyer and Bob Seger and Glenn Frey needle drops provided joy. Additionally the scaled down nature of the action sequences felt retro positive. Director Mark Molloy often succeeds in making this feel like it could’ve been produced in the era it celebrates. Never mind that everyone looks older and sorer with the notable exception of the seemingly ageless Murphy. This is not an action comedy for the ages. Despite Kevin Bacon as the chief baddie, all four Cop‘s share forgettable villains.

The series that made “Shakedown” an Oscar nominated track doesn’t attempt anything close to a shakeup. Thankfully its megawatt star is in his groove enough that it warrants going back to Cali.

*** (out of four)

Oscar Predictions – Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

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…

Whiplash Movie Review

The road to greatness for Andrew (Miles Teller) is filled with unexpected turns, bloody hands, and plenty of insults in Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash. And I do mean lots and lots of insults. Creative, brutal and often hilarious insults that would make R. Lee Ermey’s Full Metal Jacket drill sergeant very proud.

Andrew is a freshman at New York’s storied Shaffer Conservatory music school where he’s following his dream of being a drummer. He aspires to be Buddy Rich and his raw talent is undeniable. Another legendary musical icon mentioned often is Charlie Parker and the alleged tale of him achieving greatness when Jo Jones hurled a cymbal at his head to make him try harder. Andrew’s Jo Jones is Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), his teacher and conductor who consistently berates his pupils in the aforementioned imaginative ways. He’s not adverse to throwing whatever is lying around either. Fletcher uses any information at his disposal to hurl his verbal abuse, including the fact that Andrew’s mother abandoned him as a child. There are no off limits for Fletcher, yet he believes his actions are warranted for his kids to reach their full potential.

Perhaps they are. Whiplash does a remarkable job at not making its two main characters anything resembling caricatures. Just when we want to despise everything about Fletcher, he does something to give you pause. Andrew is far from perfect as well and we see that in his half hearted efforts at a relationship with a young Fordham student (Melissa Benoist). He is on a self appointed track to become the next Buddy Rich and any extracurricular activity is not needed in his mind.

Whiplash has gained most of its publicity from the work of J.K. Simmons and there’s reason for it. His performance will stay with you. It’s a triumph of acting that will and should earn this fine character actor a gold statue. That said, the performance of Teller is key and as he’s already proven in The Spectacular Now – his young John Cusack quality fits in well here. Paul Reiser has some good moments as Andrew’s supportive father.

Chazelle’s effort is a master class in editing and sound work. The musical performances (the pic gets its title from one of their pieces) are something to behold. Whiplash follows the storyline of many teacher/pupil relationship movies, but adds a whole lot of original spin. You’ll leave with the music in your head and most of all – Fletcher’s quick tongue. The screenplay is smart enough to leave it to us to decide whether Andrew’s journey to perceived perfection is worth it. For us it’s definitely a journey worth taking.

***1/2 (out of four)