Eddie Murphy He is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, there is no doubt about that, but his big moment came in the eighties and nineties. 40 years after his debut, Murphy once again takes on the role of Axel Foley, one of those characters that brought him to stardom in A detective on the loose in Hollywood: Axel Fthe new of Netflix.
The film’s synopsis reads: “Detective Axel Foley (Murphy) returns to the streets of Beverly Hills when his daughter’s life (Taylor Paige) is threatened. Foley teams up with her, a new partner (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and his old friends Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton), to expose a conspiracy.”
The return of Axel Foley: Does it live up to its story?
The film seeks to repeat the formula of the original film, a police thriller with comedy moments strongly marked by the charisma of its protagonist, something we already saw in its sequels. A detective on the loose in Hollywood II (1987) and A detective on the loose in Hollywood III (1994). However, even though Murphy tries, it’s all just a big excuse to reach the public by going to safe places.
There is use and abuse of nostalgic resources bringing back already known characters in situations suspiciously similar to those we saw them in in previous installments. We have Paul Reisernow as a boss, suffering the excesses of Foley’s actions, we see again Bronson Pinchot in his exaggerated and cartoonish role of Serge and so we could refer to what has to do with Billy Rosewood (Reinhold) and John Taggart (Ashton) and the rather generic villain of Kevin Bacon.
Hollywood and its constant “love” for the eighties
In recent years, the mecca of American cinema has repeatedly revisited the 1980s in films, series, documentaries, etc.
Films as dissimilar as Super 8 (2011) by JJ Abrams, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) by James Gunn, or Item (2017) by Andy Muschietti, among others, have drawn inspiration from the VHS decade. The 80s, at least in popular culture, were the definition of a carefree decade and there is clearly a profit in nostalgia.
The resource accompanied by a well-told story works. In the case of A detective on the loose in Hollywood: Axel F from the director Mark Molloy works at times, relying more on familiarity than on plot. It’s definitely a good addition to the Netflix catalog for anyone who grew up watching Axel Foley wreak havoc in Beverly Hills.
A detective on the loose in Hollywood: Axel F arrives on Netflix on July 3.
From director Mark Molloy. Based on the characters created by: Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie, Jr. Story by: Will Beall. Screenplay by: Will Beall, Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten. Cast: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot & Kevin Bacon
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
