So this was the big question for me – was Netflix’s new Beverly Hills Cop installment going to be more like the entertaining first two movies (yes, I have a soft spot for “Beverly Hills Cop II”) or closer to the abysmal third film? Well call me a fence-straddler, but the oddly titled “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” falls somewhere in between. It’s certainly not as high-energy or whip-smart as the beloved original. At the same time, it does scratch that nostalgic itch for fans and unleashes Eddie Murphy to deliver the kind of comedic chaos that made him famous.

It has been 30 years since the last Beverly Hills Cop movie, and it’s kinda strange that we’re getting one after all this time. It’s even more unusual that it’s premiering on a streaming service rather than the big screen (welcome to movie watching in the year 2024). But that doesn’t mean they took shortcuts. Produced by Murphy and Jerry Bruckheimer, “Axel F” has a budget of around $150 million. And a lot of that money and effort has gone into recapturing the spirit and tone of the original.

Murphy slips back into the Aididas sneakers and Detroit Lions letterman jacket of Axel Foley, a wise-cracking, street-smart police officer from Detroit. This time around his return to Beverly Hills is more personal – it’s to see his estranged daughter, Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige). She’s a successful criminal defense attorney working for a big Beverly Hills law firm. Her current case has her defending an accused cop killer which hasn’t sat well with the local police department.

After Axel learns Jane’s life may be in danger, he sets out on his own investigation. It leads to numerous discoveries as well as run-ins with the local law. Axel does have a strong ally in his old friend John Taggart (John Ashton) who is now the cranky Chief of Police. As for Taggart’s former partner, Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), Axel learns he has disappeared while investigating a lead potentially linked to Jane’s case. So is an Axel, Billy, and Taggart reunion inevitable? I’ll let you figure that one out.

Adding some new blood to the franchise is Joseph Gordon-Levitt who plays Bobby Abbott. He’s a detective with the Beverly Hills Police Department who happens to be Jane’s ex-boyfriend. We also get the always welcomed Kevin Bacon as Cade Grant, an officer who runs the department’s narcotics task force. But it’s Paige who makes the biggest impression out of the newcomers. She and Murphy have good father-daughter chemistry and her snarkiness nearly matches his scene-for-scene.

The Beverly Hills Cop films have always been equal parts action and comedy and this one is no different. The gags are frequent and aplenty, with many coming from Murphy’s often hilarious improvisations. Others come from the writing trio of Will Beall, Tom Gormican, and Kevin Etten who deliver several good zingers (a favorite of mine is a subtle yet funny shot at the notoriously bad third film). As for the action, it’s obvious that Murphy has lost a step (haven’t we all). But he brings such a madcap energy to the scenes. And while director Mark Molloy shoots them well, it’s the infusion of Murphy’s humor that makes them fun.

As far as any mystery or suspense, there’s nothing in the story that will surprise you. Pretty much everything is laid out in the first 30 minutes or so and it’s easy to predict where things are going. But truth be told, most people will go into “Axel F” to watch Eddie Murphy doing the act which made him a household name. And while his latest doesn’t hold a candle to his best, there is still enough vintage Murphy to bring this long dormant franchise back to life. “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” premieres July 3rd on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS