Ranking the Beverly Hills Cop Films: Which Eddie Murphy Movie is the Best?

With the release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix, I decided to watch all of the Beverly Hills Cop films. The Beverly Hills Cop franchise is another series that I had never seen until right before the newest movie came out. I watched them all for the first time in June. This series is not my favorite comedy action series but it does still have a lot of fun moments and is an icon of 80s and 90s cop films. With that all being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the four Beverly Hills Cop films.

4. Beverly Hills Cop III

Beverly Hills Cop III is easily the weakest of the franchise. It fails to balance the silly and serious between its premise and acting. It probably has the silliest setting and premise while also having the most serious performance from Eddie Murphy. This movie also fails to capture the charm of the other two films as some of the main characters that Eddie Murphy plays off of aren't even in the film. This movie makes the odd choice of being set in a children's theme park which leads to many campy moments. It also lacks a lot of the detective work and action that the other films did so well. I also found this film to be the least memorable of the films. The only standout thing about it was the amusement park setting but everything else about it was pretty forgettable. Overall, this is just a weak addition to the franchise and the one I would be least likely to rewatch.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

3. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is the newest film in the franchise and was a lot better than I was expecting. A lot of times, long-delayed sequels of 40-year-old movies don't have the best track record but this movie was a pleasant surprise. It manages to capture some of the magic of the original film while still being leaps and bounds better than the lifeless third installment. Eddie Murphy is still great at doing his thing and has great chemistry with everyone around him. There are also a lot of solid action sequences that come with getting those big Netflix bucks. I also thought Joseph Gordon Levit was a solid addition to the cast as he can play off of Eddie Murphy very well as they go on their detective adventure. Some of the issues I had with the film were some of the lackluster side characters. Both the daughter and the villain characters are pretty bland and one note. Aside from the characters, I wish we got to spend more time with the original trio of Billy, Axel, and John. While we do get to see them together, it just doesn't capture the magic of the original film. Overall, this movie does a good job of hitting all the right notes of the franchise. While it doesn't reach the level of the original two films, it still is a fun addition to the franchise.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

Click Here to read my full review of this movie.

2. Beverly Hills Cop II

Beverly Hills Cop II is a solid sequel to the original film and continues the charm and charisma of what worked in the first film. This film takes what worked for the first film and makes it a little bit bigger. This film spends a lot more time on the detective aspect of the film as it has Axel, Billy, and John working together for the duration of the film. Because of this, we get to see them play off each other which makes for some very fun moments. Both Billy and John get a lot more screen time and some fun standout moments for each of them. I think if the franchise continued in this vein with the three characters working the entire case together, I think it would have made the franchise a lot more fun. I also thought the gimmick of the villain was interesting with all of the crimes going in the order of the alphabet. This movie also continues to let Eddie Murphy do his thing and do a great job of balancing the comedy with the serious. What holds this movie back is that it does lose a bit of steam in the second half after the alphabet crimes were foiled. I wish they would have continued the detective work solving those crimes until the end of the movie. In the end, this is a good sequel to the original story as it builds up the popular characters, takes what works about the first film, and makes it bigger.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

1. Beverly Hills Cop

The original film is still the best in the franchise and is a classic of the 80s. Eddie Murphy is on the money in this film with his humor and charm. He is a great choice for this kind of movie and is really able to balance the serious action with the comedy. Along with Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, and John Ashton are great in this movie as well. They play off each other very well and have some very funny interactions. John and Billy operate so differently than Axel but it just works in this movie as Axel shows them how to loosen up but still do their job correctly. While it is mainly an action movie, this film also does a great job as a fish-out-of-water comedy. Seeing a Detroit cop try and blend into the posh society of Beverly Hills is just such a fun concept and makes for some fun moments such as when Axel has to talk his way into a hotel room at a nice hotel. I also found the motivation for Axel ending up in Beverly Hills is much stronger in this film than in the others. Overall, this is a solid action comedy with some iconic moments and is probably one of Eddie Murphy's career-defining movies.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B