10 Best Movies Like Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Summary

  • There are quite a few movies that would be perfect to watch after Netflix’s
    Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
    .
  • This includes classic buddy movies such as
    Rush Hour
    and
    48 Hrs
    .
  • Other perfect post-
    Axel F
    movies include the action legacy sequels
    Bad Boys: Ride or Die
    and
    Shaft
    .

After watching Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix, there are ten titles to watch that can recapture the tone of the new movie. Axel F is a legacy sequel to the Beverly Hills Cop action-comedy franchise, which stars Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley. The franchise originated with the 1984 movie of the same name, which was followed by a pair of sequels in 1987 and 1994. Although a television spinoff was explored with an aborted pilot in 2013, the franchise remained dormant for thirty years until the release of the new installment.

The Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F cast features the return of several characters from the original trilogy, including Murphy as Axel, Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood, John Ashton as John Taggart, Paul Reiser as Jeffrey Friedman, and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. However, it introduces a variety of fresh characters to the franchise as well, including Taylour Paige as Axel’s daughter Jane Saunders, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as her ex, Detective Bobby Abbott, and Kevin Bacon as Beverly Hills Police Department Captain Cade Grant. Despite the influx of new stars, the movie still evokes the same buddy-cop tone as the original trilogy.

(Eddie-Murphy-as-Axel-Foley)-from-Beverly-Hills-Cop-Axel-F- Related How Old Is Axel Foley In Beverly Hills Cop 4?

Eddie Murphy has returned to the role of Axel Foley after 30 years for Beverly Hills Cop 4. But how old is Axel in the new Netflix sequel?

10 Rush Hour (1994)

The Beginning Of A Classic Buddy-Cop Franchise

Chris Tucker putting his arm around Jackie Chan in Rush Hour

The buddy cop antics of Rush Hour likely wouldn’t exist without the success of the Beverly Hills Cop movies. However, it eclipsed the earlier franchise in 1994 when it handily outgrossed Beverly Hills Cop III‘s gross of $119.2 million by raking in $244.4 million against a budget of roughly $35 million, launching a franchise that saw stars Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan return for a pair of sequels in 2001 and 2007. The movie was well-received as well, and currently holds a Tomatometer score of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes alongside an audience score of 78%.

Rush Hour is a solid pairing with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F because it is a sterling example of the buddy-cop boom of the 1980s and 1990s, to which the new movie frequently hearkens back. It also features a similar fish-out-of-water premise to the original Beverly Hills Cop, as it places Chan’s Royal Hong Kong Police Force detective inspector character on an adventure throughout Los Angeles.

9 Charlie’s Angels (2019)

A New Reboot Of A Classic Television Property

Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska Ready for a Fight in Charlie's Angels 2019

While critics were lukewarm on 2019’s Elizabeth Banks-directed Charlie’s Angels, giving it a 52% Tomatometer score, the female-led action movie performed much better with viewers. Its Rotten Tomatoes audience score is a considerably superior 78%, exactly matching the general response to the tried and true classic action-comedy Rush Hour. While this did not translate to box office success, it speaks to a growing fanbase for the movie that didn’t materialize when it was in theaters.

In addition to being an action-comedy, Charlie’s Angels is a solid pairing with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F due to its connection with an iconic franchise of yesteryear. In addition to serving as a reboot set in the same world as the iconic 1970s television series of the same name, it also hearkens back to the pair of movies that previously rebooted the property in 2000 and 2003.

8 Central Intelligence (2016)

The First Teamup For Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart

Dwayne Johnson cradling Kevin Hart on a couch in Central Intelligence

Central Intelligence is another buddy-cop movie that found major success at the box office. The movie, which was directed by Red Notice‘s Rawson Marshall Thurber, earned a whopping $217 million against a $50 million budget, outgrossing franchise action movies from the same year including London Has Fallen, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. It was also well received on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 71% score from critics and 62% from audiences.

The movie is a perfect pairing with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F because of the chemistry between its two leads, who perfectly embodied the buddy movie ethos with their performances as well as the massive difference in their heights, which was played for laughs. In fact, their dynamic was so solid that Central Intelligence kicked off a run of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart movies including Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and DC League of Super-Pets.

7 Shaft (2019)

A Legacy Sequel Featuring Action Movie Icons

Samuel L Jackson with the Cast of Shaft 2019

Just like Charlie’s Angels (2019), the same year’s Shaft underperformed at the box office and was poorly received by critics. It may seem easy to write off the project, which grossed $21.4 million against a roughly $35 million budget and has a 34% Tomatometer score. However, it has a near-perfect 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showcasing how it has still been able to strike a chord with audiences.

Another similarity to Charlie’s Angels is the fact that Shaft plays on decades worth of legacy. It does so by combining three generations of action stars. Franchise newcomer Jessie T. Usher plays the grandson of original legend John Shaft Sr. (Richard Roundtree), with Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as John Shaft II from the 2000 movie of the same name. The stacked cast of the movie mirrors the way that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F was able to bring so many legacy characters back to the screen.

6 The Nice Guys (2016)

A Sharp Modern Buddy Movie

Healy, March and his daughter all laugh while looking at their destroyed house in The Nice Guys

The Nice Guys is yet another buddy movie that was a financial disappointment. It barely made its budget back in theaters, earning $62.8 million worldwide against its $50 million price tag, which likely necessitated a gross of at least $100 million in order to break even. However, Rotten Tomatoes shows how much the movie is beloved by critics and viewers alike, as it boasts a Certified Fresh Tomatometer score of 91% and an audience score of 79%.

The Nice Guys plays well with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F because of its buddy movie pedigree. It was written and directed by Shane Black, who is an icon of the 1980s and 1990s boom of the genre, having penned the screenplays for entries including the first two Lethal Weapon movies and The Long Kiss Goodnight. Before teaming with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling for The Nice Guys, he previously paid homage to the genre in 2005 with his directorial debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

5 Looper (2012)

An Iconic Action Teamup

Bruce Willis as Joe holding Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a younger Joe hostage in Looper

Looper is both a critical and commercial darling. The Rian Johnson outing grossed $176.5 million against a relatively slim budget of $30 million, outgrossing other prominent 2012 movies including Magic Mike, Paranormal Activity 4, and Think Like a Man, all of which earned sequels. It also had a glowing reception on Rotten Tomatoes with a Certified Fresh 92% Tomatometer score and a similarly solid 82% audience score.

While Looper is a teamup movie that is more science fiction tinged and action-forward than comedic, it features a major connection to Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who stars opposite Bruce Willis as a younger version of the same character, plays a similar role as a partner to a more established star when his Axel F character is teamed up with Murphy’s Foley after his return to Beverly Hills.

4 21 Jump Street (2012)

A Comedic Homage To A 1980s Classic

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum with guns and wearing tuxedos in 21 Jump Street

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s 21 Jump Street is another outing with a solid record both critically and commercially. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has near identical scores between the frequently divided review groups, with critics giving it a Certified Fresh 85% and audiences giving it 83%. It also grossed $201.6 million at the box office against a roughly $50 million budget, landing seven slots above Looper on the chart of the highest-grossing movies of 2012.

21 Jump Street features a similar character dynamic and tone to Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F in addition to being a legacy sequel in its own right. While the Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill-led movie essentially acts as a comedic reboot of the 1980s undercover cop television drama of the same name, it does feature cameos from original stars Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise.

3 48 Hours (1982)

An Earlier Eddie Murphy Buddy Cop Movie

Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy leaning on a wall in 48 Hours

48 Hrs. is another iconic buddy cop movie that launched its own franchise, as it was followed in 1990 by the sequel Another 48 Hrs. This was likely the case because of its return on investment, as it only cost $12 million yet earned $78.9 million by the end of its theatrical run. The movie also won over critics on Rotten Tomatoes, as it has since earned a Certified Fresh Tomatometer score of 92%.

Just like Rush Hour, 48 Hrs. is another classic example of the buddy-cop genre to which Axel F is a throwback. However, this particular entry is also notable because it co-stars Eddie Murphy two years before his lead performance in the original Beverly Hills Cop. Although he starred opposite Nick Nolte rather than any of the Beverly Hills ensemble, the movie set the blueprint for what was to come for the performer.

2 Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

Another New Buddy Cop Legacy Sequel

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith talk to each other in full police gear in Bad Boys Ride or Die

The buddy cop movie Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth installment in the long-running franchise, which began with the 1995 Michael Bay classic Bad Boys. At the time of writing, it is the sixth highest-grossing release of 2024 worldwide, having earned $336.5 million against its $100 million budget. It also won over audiences, who gave it a huge 97% Rotten Tomatoes score on top of its already decent 64% Tomatometer score.

Just like Eddie Murphy with Axel Foley, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have reprised their original roles in all four Bad Boys movies. While there was a longer gap between the previous installment, 2020’s Bad Boys for Life, and its immediate predecessor, 2003’s Bad Boys II, Ride or Die features an important connection to Beverly Hills Cop. It was co-written by Will Beall, who collaborated with Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten on Axel F.

1 Coming 2 America (2021)

Eddie Murphy’s Previous Long-Awaited Legacy Sequel

Eddie Murphy in Royal Regalia in Coming 2 America

The $60 million comedy sequel Coming 2 America, which was helmed by Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer, has no box office results to report. This is the case because it was released directly to Prime Video after its initial theatrical release was scrapped amid worldwide shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. However, the movie raked in 1.4 billion viewing minutes during its first week and earned Prime Video’s best opening weekend of the previous 12 months.

While it does not boast major action elements, the comedy movie has a direct connection to Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Just like the new Netflix movie, the Prime Video hit was a belated sequel to an Eddie Murphy classic. It featured the star reprising his original role from 1988’s Coming to America, thus boasting an even longer gap between installments than the hiatus between Beverly Hills Cop III and Axel F.

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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.

Director Mark Molloy Release Date July 3, 2024 Cast Eddie Murphy , Kevin Bacon , John Ashton , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Paul Reiser , Judge Reinhold Runtime 118 Minutes

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