Netflix Fans Find Subtle Joke About Eddie Murphy’s Flop Hilarious

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the latest addition to the beloved action-comedy franchise, includes a clever nod to a less popular Eddie Murphy film, although only a few viewers have picked up on it so far.

The film, recently released on Netflix, features Murphy returning to his iconic role as police detective Axel Foley. The plot centers on Foley’s return to Beverly Hills to protect his old partner, Billy Rosewood, played by Judge Reinhold, whose life is in danger.

The movie has generated a lot of positive buzz online. The Independent described it as “a potent reminder of Murphy’s incredible skill set,” emphasizing his long-underrated talent as a comic performer.

However, some viewers may have missed a sly reference to one of Murphy’s less well-received films. In an early scene, Axel is arrested by the Beverly Hills Police Department, and Officer Bobby Abbott, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, reviews his criminal record.

Abbott says, “This is a lot. Disturbing the peace, various shootouts, evading the police. This is from ’84, then there’s one from ’87… and then ’94. Not your finest hour.”

This line subtly refers to the release years of the original Beverly Hills Cop films, particularly the poorly received 1994 sequel, Beverly Hills Cop III. The third installment introduced a different creative team and followed Axel as he took on counterfeiters in a theme park setting.

Murphy has publicly criticized Beverly Hills Cop III, calling it “garbage” back in 2015 and admitting there were issues with the script from the start. John Landis, who directed the film, has also commented on its shortcomings, noting that Murphy’s decision to portray Axel as more serious than humorous contributed to the film’s failure. Landis described the production as “a very strange experience” in a 2005 interview.

The negative reception of Beverly Hills Cop III was so pronounced that Mark Molloy, director of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, was advised not to watch it while prepping for his role in the new film. Molloy even disclosed in an interview that neither he nor Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced all the Beverly Hills Cop films except the third, have seen it.

“There’s been so much history with this franchise, but I never actually saw Beverly Hills Cop III,” Molloy told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve never seen it, and Jerry hasn’t either. When I came in, I said to Jerry, ‘I haven’t seen Beverly Hills Cop III.’ And he was like, ‘I didn’t do it, so you don’t need to see it.’ And I was like, ‘OK, cool, Jerry. I’m going to let it go then’.”

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is now available for streaming on Netflix.

Source: The Independent, The Hollywood Reporter