A renegade cop who refuses to play by the rules or pay any mind to the ungodly amount of collateral damage he causes in the name of saving Los Angeles from its own systemic rot, Axel Foley makes so much sense as the hero of a Netflix movie that it’s hard to believe the company didn’t invent him itself. Maybe that helps to explain why “ Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F ” feels sturdier and more self-possessed than your average straight-to-streaming legacy sequel, including Eddie Murphy’s own “ Coming 2 America. ” Here is a story of — and about — the diminished but enduring power of a classic brand in modern Hollywood (or at least the greater Hollywood area), and the moral of that story boils down to a simple idea: Familiarity is such a powerful force that it can inspire people to forgive pretty much anything.
For better or worse, there’s no denying that “Axel F” displays the courage of its own convictions. It’s been 40 years since the first “Beverly Hills Cop” hit theaters (and 30 years since John Landis ’ “Beverly Hills Cop 3” shit the bed so hard that it instantly stalled out one of Hollywood’s most profitable franchises), but watching Axel Foley drive around Detroit as Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On” blares over the soundtrack tells makes it feel like no time has passed — first-time director Mark Molloy might have been something of a wild card , but returning superproducer Jerry Bruckheimer was there to ensure a bone-deep sense of franch.