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Axel Foley
Axel Foley
Axel Foley
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Axel Foley
Beverly Hills Cop character
Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley
First appearanceBeverly Hills Cop (1984)
Last appearanceBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Created by
Portrayed byEddie Murphy
In-universe information
Full nameAxel James Foley
OccupationDetective
AffiliationDetroit Police Department
ChildrenAaron (son)
Jane Saunders (daughter)
OriginDetroit, Michigan, United States
NationalityAmerican

Detective Axel James Foley is a fictional character, portrayed by Eddie Murphy, and is the titular protagonist of the Beverly Hills Cop film series.[1][2] He is ranked No. 55 on Empire magazine's 2008[3] and 2020 lists of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters.[4] Sylvester Stallone was originally intended to be cast as Axel Foley.[5]

Beverly Hills Cop

[edit]
Main article: Beverly Hills Cop

Detroit Police Department plainclothes detective Axel Foley is delighted when he receives a surprise visit from his best friend Mikey Tandino, who lives in Hollywood, California. Mikey is soon killed by a man named Zack. Foley goes to Beverly Hills, California, to find Mikey's assailant (since Mikey told Foley he had a job at an art gallery in Beverly Hills) where Beverly Hills Police Department Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil assigns Detective Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart to keep an eye on Foley. Foley visits his childhood friend Jenny Summers, who works at the art gallery. With Jenny's help, Foley discovers that Zack works for Jenny's boss, Victor Maitland, the man who owns the gallery. Maitland is a drug kingpin who is using the gallery as a front, and Maitland ordered Zack to kill Mikey after Maitland found Mikey had stolen some of his bonds. Billy, Taggart, and Foley head to Maitland's mansion to apprehend Maitland. Foley and Bogomil simultaneously shoot and kill Maitland.

Beverly Hills Cop II

[edit]
Main article: Beverly Hills Cop II

Detroit cop Axel Foley is watching the news on TV when the reporter tells a story that Foley's friend, Beverly Hills Police Department Captain Andrew Bogomil, has been shot. Foley heads to Beverly Hills to visit Bogomil in the hospital, and is reunited with Bogomil's daughter, Jan, and Detective Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart. Rosewood and Taggart decide to let Foley help them find the woman who tried to kill Bogomil, even though verbally abusive police chief Harold Lutz has been trying to find a reason to fire Rosewood and Taggart, forcing the three to work covertly to avoid Lutz's interference. Foley, Rosewood, and Taggart soon discover that the Alphabet robberies, a series of robberies that have been going on in the area, are masterminded by weapons kingpin Maxwell Dent, who had sent his chief henchwoman Karla Fry to try to kill Bogomil because Bogomil had been after Dent. With this information, Foley, Rosewood, and Taggart try to find Dent and Karla.

Beverly Hills Cop III

[edit]
Main article: Beverly Hills Cop III

One night in Detroit, during a shoot-out at a chop shop, Axel Foley sees his boss, Inspector Douglas Todd, deliberately murdered by a man named Ellis Dewald. With his dying breath, Inspector Todd asks Axel "Axel, are you on a coffee break?" and tells him to "go and get that son of a bitch". The evidence at the scene points to Wonder World, a theme park in Beverly Hills, California. Foley does some looking around, and finds the killer's vehicle, which contains evidence of suspected counterfeiting.

In Beverly Hills, Axel is reunited with his friend Billy Rosewood, who tells Axel that John Taggart is now retired and living in Phoenix, Arizona. Rosewood is now the deputy director of Operations for Joint Systems Interdepartmental Operational Command (DDOJSIOC). Billy also has a new partner named Jon Flint. Foley checks out Wonder World, which is owned by Dave "Uncle Dave" Thornton. At Wonder World, Foley rescues two kids who are stuck on a ride that broke down, and after this, Foley is taken to see the park's head of security, Ellis Dewald, and Foley recognizes Dewald as Inspector Todd's killer. Flint refuses to believe this, because Dewald is one of Flint's friends, but in actuality, Dewald runs a counterfeiting ring that uses the theme park as a front.

Foley is also falling in love with Janice Perkins, who works at the park. When Dave gets shot by Dewald in the chest with his gun, Foley is accused of being the man who shot Dave after rushing him to the hospital. But Dave then tells the entire town it was not Foley who shot him; it was their idol, Dewald. With the - rather reluctant - help of Billy, Foley sets out to prove his innocence and get revenge on Dewald and Sanderson. This results in a chase and shootout with Sanderson and Dewald's security men all across the theme park.

Finally, in the park's prehistoric world ride, Foley manages to kill Dewald and avenges Todd but gets shot himself. As he sits down to recover, Agent Steve Fulbright, who had been helping Foley, suddenly shows up after he killed Sanderson. Foley reveals that he has come to suspect that Fulbright is also involved in the counterfeit scheme. His suspicions are true, but as the corrupt agent prepares to shoot him, Foley jumps him, and in the ensuing tussle Fulbright is accidentally killed when his gun is fired. One of the shots, however, over penetrates and nicks Flint, who has just arrived having received a call and discovering Dewald's treachery and that he was indeed the one who shot Dave; both are eventually joined by Rosewood, who has been seriously wounded by the security men.

In the end, Flint, Rosewood and Foley are all injured, and Janice invites Foley to an upcoming Tunnel of Love Ride but not before the latest character of the theme park has been introduced — Axel Fox and Dave thanks Foley for bringing Dewald to justice.

Unaired television pilot

[edit]

In early 2013, CBS ordered a pilot with Brandon T. Jackson starring as Axel Foley's son, Aaron.[6] The hourlong crime drama was produced by the critically acclaimed writer Shawn Ryan, who created The Shield and The Chicago Code.[7] In May 2013, however, CBS decided to pass on the Beverly Hills Cop TV series.[8]

In February 2015, Eddie Murphy stated that his cameo appearance in the pilot ironically doomed the show's chances: "I was gonna be in the pilot, and they thought I should be recurring. I'm not gonna do Beverly Hills Cop on TV. I remember when they tested it — they had this little knob that you turn if you like it or you don't like it. So when Axel shows up in the pilot, some people turned the knob so much, they broke it. So the network decided 'if he isn't recurring, then this isn't gonna happen'. So it didn't happen."[9] In 2019, Murphy reiterated this statement:

The reason that didn't get picked up was because [the studio] thought that I was going to be in this show, because [the lead] was my son: "And you're going to pop in every now and then". I was like, "I ain't popping in shit". "Well, we ain't making this TV show". I was in the pilot, but they wanted me to be there every week. The pilot was really good. It tested where they have these knobs [that you] turn if you like it. And whenever I came on the screen, Axel Foley would come on the screen, they turned it so they literally broke the knobs on the thing. It was like, "Damn, they breaking knobs?"[10]

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

[edit]
Main article: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Foley has returned to Beverly Hills after his daughter Jane's life is threatened. She and Foley team up with her ex-boyfriend Detective Bobby Abbott and his old pals, John Taggart and Billy Rosewood, to uncover a conspiracy between the Beverly Hills Police and a drug trafficking.

Equipment

[edit]

Foley's signature sidearm is a 9mm Browning Hi-Power pistol, which he carries in all four films. He wears a Detroit Lions letterman jacket bearing a number 67 in the films.[11]

References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Axel Foley

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Axel Foley is a fictional character portrayed by as a street-smart, wisecracking police detective in the action-comedy film franchise. Introduced in the 1984 film , Foley is depicted as a charismatic, rules-breaking investigator from Michigan's Motor City who frequently travels to the affluent , to solve crimes, often relying on his quick wit, improvisation, and unorthodox tactics. The franchise spans four films, beginning with the original (1984), directed by , where Foley pursues the murder of his best friend, leading to clashes with the upscale . In (1987), directed by , he returns to unravel a string of armored truck robberies targeting his allies, reuniting with partners Billy Rosewood and John Taggart. The third installment, (1994), directed by , sees Foley infiltrating a counterfeit scheme at the fictional Wonder World , though it received mixed reviews for its toned-down humor. The latest entry, (2024), directed by and released on , follows Foley as he protects his estranged daughter Jane from a conspiracy threatening her life, blending nostalgia with new allies and high-stakes action. Foley's defining traits—resourcefulness, cheeky humor, and a penchant for bending protocol—have made him an enduring icon of cinema, contributing to the series' global success exceeding $700 million for the first three films alone. The franchise is synonymous with Harold Faltermeyer's synth-driven "" theme, which has been sampled and referenced in for decades. While spin-offs like video games and an unaired TV pilot have been attempted, the films remain the core of Foley's legacy, with a fifth installment in development as of .

Creation and development

Concept and origins

The concept for the Beverly Hills Cop film series originated from an idea attributed to Paramount executives, with Michael Eisner conceiving it in 1975 after receiving a speeding ticket from a Hollywood cop, and Don Simpson claiming credit in 1977 for a story about a street cop from a working-class urban environment—specifically a Chicano officer from East L.A.—clashing with the affluent culture of Beverly Hills. Screenwriter Danilo Bach expanded this into an initial draft titled Beverly Drive in 1981, featuring a Pittsburgh police officer named Elly Axel who travels to Beverly Hills to investigate a friend's death, establishing the fish-out-of-water premise central to the narrative. Daniel Petrie Jr. then adapted the story into a screenplay, shifting the protagonist to a Detroit detective while retaining the core conflict between gritty urban policing and upscale suburban norms. Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer acquired the project in 1983, following the success of their film Flashdance, and initially pursued a more serious action-oriented tone by attaching Sylvester Stallone to star as the lead detective. Stallone, envisioning a high-budget thriller, extensively rewrote the script to amplify the violence and remove comedic elements, even renaming the protagonist Axel Cobretti—a character he later repurposed for his 1986 film Cobra. However, Stallone's demands for a larger budget and creative control led to his departure, prompting the producers to pivot toward a comedic direction to align with a more feasible production scale. With cast in the role shortly before filming began in 1984, the script was reworked to emphasize humor, transforming Axel Foley into a street-smart, wisecracking cop whose unorthodox methods and cultural clashes provide the film's comedic backbone. This evolution highlighted the fish-out-of-water dynamic as the primary source of entertainment, drawing on Petrie Jr.'s observations of Beverly Hills' contrasts with urban life to infuse authenticity into the . The final screenplay, credited to Petrie Jr. with story by Bach and Petrie, solidified Foley as a charismatic outsider whose irreverence disrupts the polished world of Beverly Hills .

Casting and production history

The role of Axel Foley was originally offered to , who was attached to star in the 1984 film but declined in after demanding extensive rewrites to transform the script into a more action-oriented story, which would have significantly increased the budget. Producers and then cast , fresh off his success in 48 Hrs. (1982), to lead the project, marking a pivotal shift as the original screenplay had envisioned a serious cop thriller rather than the comedic tone that emerged. Murphy's casting influenced the film's direction heavily through his improvisational style, which injected humor into scenes and lightened the overall narrative during production. The first film, directed by , had a budget of $15 million and grossed $234 million at the North American , becoming the highest-grossing film of 1984. The sequels featured different directors: helmed Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), while directed Beverly Hills Cop III (1994). Production challenges across the franchise included escalating salary demands from Murphy, whose pay rose from approximately $1 million for the original film to $8 million for the second and $15 million for the third, reflecting his growing star power but straining studio budgets. The fourth installment, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), was produced by Netflix with Murphy serving as a producer through his Eddie Murphy Productions banner, allowing for a streamlined development process after years of stalled attempts.

Film appearances

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

In Beverly Hills Cop (1984), directed by , Axel Foley, a street-smart police detective, becomes determined to solve the murder of his close friend Mikey Tandino after Mikey is gunned down in by unknown assailants. Foley, posing as a tourist on vacation, travels undercover to the affluent Beverly Hills neighborhood where Mikey had recently worked as a , suspecting the killing is connected to Mikey's former criminal associates. His investigation quickly leads him to Victor Maitland, a wealthy involved in smuggling contraband hidden within shipments. Foley's unorthodox, high-energy methods immediately clash with the buttoned-up Beverly Hills Police Department, particularly Detectives Billy Rosewood and John Taggart, who view his casual demeanor and disregard for protocol as disruptive to their refined operations. Cultural and procedural differences exacerbate the tension, with Foley mocking the locals' upscale lifestyle while using his quick wit and improvisational tactics to pursue leads, such as infiltrating Maitland's gallery and warehouse. Despite repeated attempts by Rosewood and Taggart to rein him in, Foley's persistence uncovers evidence of Maitland's illegal operations, forcing the detectives to reluctantly assist as the case escalates. A memorable highlight occurs when Foley evades pursuit by Rosewood and by stuffing a into the exhaust pipe of their patrol car, causing the engine to stall and allowing him to escape. The investigation culminates in a chaotic shootout at Maitland's opulent hillside mansion, where Foley, with backup from Rosewood and , confronts Maitland and his henchmen, ultimately exposing and dismantling the smuggling ring in a blaze of gunfire and banter. The film was released on December 5, 1984, by .

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

In Beverly Hills Cop II, Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after learning that his friend and former ally, Captain Andrew Bogomil, has been shot in an apparent assassination attempt while investigating a series of high-profile robberies known as the "Alphabet Crimes." These crimes involve audacious heists at upscale stores, marked by monogrammed envelopes containing coded messages identified by sequential alphabetic characters, and are orchestrated by the wealthy businessman and gun club owner Maxwell Dent as part of a larger criminal syndicate involving arms dealing and insurance fraud. Foley, undeterred by orders from his Detroit superiors, abandons his undercover operation and heads west to support the recovery of Bogomil and uncover the truth behind the attacks. Teaming up once again with Beverly Hills detectives Billy and John , Foley employs his unorthodox investigative style, including disguises such as posing as a building inspector to halt a suspicious job and using forged checks to gain access to restricted areas like the Beverly Hills Shooting Club, where he traces unusual ammunition linked to the crimes. His collaboration with and leads to the discovery of Dent's involvement, as well as connections to corrupt police lieutenant Andrei Maier and Dent's girlfriend, Karla Fry, who executes the heists. Throughout the investigation, Foley maintains his signature humor from , using quick-witted banter to navigate tense situations and cultural clashes. The film culminates in a high-stakes confrontation at a remote , where Foley, , and engage in a fierce with Dent's henchmen, ultimately pursuing the mastermind in a chaotic helicopter chase that ends with Dent's fatal crash. Directed by and released on May 20, 1987, by , the sequel escalates the action from its predecessor while centering Foley's resourceful determination to protect his colleagues.

Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)

In Beverly Hills Cop III, Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills following the murder of his boss and mentor, G. Douglas Todd, during a botched of a Detroit car theft ring. Tracing a key piece of evidence—a matchbook from Wonder World, a sprawling —to the resort, Foley arrives determined to uncover the connection and seek justice for Todd's death. Reuniting with his longtime ally Billy Rosewood, now serving as the 's head of security, Foley gains insider access to Wonder World, where he suspects foul play amid the park's glamorous facade. Their investigation reveals a sophisticated counterfeiting operation laundering fake bills through the park's attractions, orchestrated by the ruthless general manager Ellis DeWald and his accomplices. To delve deeper, Foley and Rosewood pose as executives from a fictional Midwestern firm, attending high-profile park events to gather intelligence on the illicit scheme. As tensions rise, Foley navigates perilous encounters within the park, including a high-stakes aboard a runaway rollercoaster while evading DeWald's security enforcers. The duo's probe culminates in a showdown at the park's animatronic exhibits, where Foley exposes the counterfeiting ring's full extent, leading to arrests and DeWald's demise in a blaze of gunfire that unmasks the pervasive corruption. This installment briefly nods to Foley's ongoing partnership with and the retired , emphasizing their makeshift teamwork amid the amusement park's whimsical yet deadly backdrop. Released on May 25, 1994, and directed by , the film shifts toward a lighter, more family-oriented tone compared to its predecessors, incorporating theme-park hijinks and reduced to appeal to broader audiences. Despite this comedic evolution, it garnered mixed-to-negative reviews, with critics lambasting its formulaic plot and diminished energy, earning just an 11% approval rating on .

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F marked the return of to the role of Axel Foley after a 30-year absence from the franchise since in 1994. The film, directed by in his feature directorial debut, was released exclusively on on July 3, 2024. It reunites Foley with familiar faces, including as Billy Rosewood and John Ashton as John Taggart, while introducing new dynamics centered on Foley's personal life. In the story, detective Axel Foley travels to Beverly Hills to protect his estranged adult daughter, Jane (played by ), whose life is endangered due to her work as a investigating linked to her ex-boyfriend, a Beverly Hills . Foley, reflecting on his evolution into a in his later years, joins forces with Jane and his old partners and to expose a larger conspiracy involving drug trafficking by corrupt elements within the . This personal stake heightens the stakes for Foley, blending his signature street-smart tactics with family reconciliation efforts. The narrative features high-speed pursuits emblematic of Foley's chaotic style, including chases through Beverly Hills streets, as well as tense confrontations that lead to an emotional rapprochement between Foley and Jane. The investigation culminates in a raid on the operations of the corrupt officers, dismantling the drug trafficking ring and affirming Foley's enduring role as an unlikely hero bridging grit and Beverly Hills polish.

Other media appearances

Unaired television pilot (2013)

In 2012, CBS commissioned a for a potential spin-off series, written by , known for creating . The project aimed to extend the franchise into episodic television through a generational handoff, centering on Axel Foley's adult son rather than the original character. , who originated the role of Foley, served as an alongside Ryan and was slated for a limited guest appearance in the pilot episode. The pilot starred as Aaron Foley, Axel's son and an ambitious young detective striving to establish his own reputation beyond his father's legacy. In the story, Aaron relocates from to Beverly Hills, where he tackles high-society crimes while briefly teaming up with his estranged father, Axel, during a case. The hour-long crime drama blended , and family dynamics, positioning Aaron as the lead for a prospective series while leveraging the established Foley persona for continuity. Development began with a pilot production commitment from on September 4, 2012, produced by . Casting announcements began in 2012, with Jackson attached as the lead, and principal photography occurred in March 2013, including 's on-set cameo. Despite positive internal feedback, including from who described the pilot as "good," ultimately passed on ordering a full series on May 10, 2013. The cancellation stemmed primarily from Murphy's reluctance to commit to a recurring role beyond the pilot, which created uncertainty about sustaining the franchise's appeal without his ongoing involvement. Network executives also expressed concerns over focus group reactions and the project's fit within CBS's lineup, leading producers to explore alternative outlets that did not materialize. The unaired pilot has since surfaced online but remains officially unreleased by the studio.

Video games

The Beverly Hills Cop franchise has been adapted into several video games featuring Axel Foley. The first, released in 1990 by Tynesoft for platforms including Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum, is a multi-genre title combining side-scrolling action, driving, shooting, and first-person shooter elements as Foley investigates crimes in Beverly Hills. In 2006, a first-person shooter developed by Atomic Planet Entertainment and published by Ubisoft was released exclusively for PlayStation 2 in Europe. Titled Beverly Hills Cop, it follows Foley battling enemies in a story inspired by the films, though it received mixed reviews for gameplay and technical issues. Additional mobile and browser-based games have appeared sporadically, often as promotional tie-ins. Axel Foley has been parodied in various animated television series, often highlighting his signature evasion tactics and the iconic theme from the films. In the Family Guy episode "Viewer Mail No. 2," Stewie Griffin attempts to sabotage Brian's car by stuffing a Twinkie into its tailpipe, directly referencing Foley's banana-in-the-tailpipe trick from Beverly Hills Cop. Similarly, The Simpsons frequently incorporates a variation of the "Axel F" theme by Harold Faltermeyer, such as in the episode "Radio Bart," where it plays during a tense rescue sequence parodying action movie suspense. The film Scary Movie 2 spoofs fish-out-of-water cop dynamics through its bumbling law enforcement characters, echoing Foley's street-smart outsider persona in upscale settings. The "Axel F" theme has permeated , notably through Crazy Frog's remix, which sampled Harold Faltermeyer's original composition and became a global hit, topping the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and selling over 1.5 million copies in the UK alone. Foley's banana-in-the-tailpipe gag has evolved into an enduring symbolizing clever evasion or skepticism toward obvious tricks, frequently appearing in GIFs, videos, and online discussions as a for outsmarting authority. Foley's character has influenced subsequent portrayals of charismatic, rule-bending detectives in action-comedies. Will Smith's Mike Lowrey in the Bad Boys series (1995–present) draws from Foley's joking, streetwise cop archetype, blending humor with high-stakes investigations in an unfamiliar environment. Axel Foley ranks at number 55 on magazine's 2020 list of the 100 Greatest Movie Characters (ranked 78 in the 2008 edition), recognizing his enduring appeal as a wisecracking anti-hero. Following the release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F in 2024, platforms saw a surge in recreating Foley's disguises and outfits, such as his and casual , often tied to Halloween and nostalgic challenges.

Character traits and methods

Background and personality

Axel Foley is a fictional native and detective with the , known for his roots in the city's working-class environment. He has two children: a son named , introduced in the unaired 2013 CBS pilot, and a daughter named Jane, featured in the 2024 film Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, with whom he shares a strained but ultimately reconciliatory relationship. Foley's personality is defined by his street-smart demeanor, attitude, and quick wit, often relying on humor, , and unorthodox methods rather than strict adherence to police protocol. He frequently clashes with authority figures due to his rebellious streak but demonstrates deep loyalty to his friends and colleagues, forging strong bonds with childhood friend Mikey Tandino, as well as Beverly Hills detectives Billy Rosewood and John Taggart. Over the course of the franchise, Foley's character evolves from a brash, energetic outsider in his approximate 30s during the original to a more seasoned and mentor-like figure in his 60s by 2024, blending his signature comedic flair with added emotional depth from family ties. This progression reflects his growing wisdom while preserving his core traits of audacity and relatability.

Equipment and signature techniques

Axel Foley's primary weapon throughout the series is a 9mm , a semi-automatic that serves as his standard sidearm as a . This firearm appears in all four films, reflecting his consistent reliance on reliable, no-frills police-issue equipment during investigations and confrontations. In addition to his Hi-Power, Foley occasionally uses confiscated firearms from adversaries, such as a acquired during a security incident in the third film. For transportation, Foley drives a battered 1970 Chevrolet Nova in Detroit-based scenes, embodying his working-class roots and preference for unpretentious vehicles suited to urban pursuits. This blue sedan, often depicted as rundown and reliable for high-speed maneuvers, contrasts sharply with the luxury cars of Beverly Hills. In the 2024 film Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, he uses a borrowed snowplow during a Detroit chase. In California sequences, particularly during chase scenes, he opts for rented convertibles to blend into the upscale environment while maintaining mobility, including a red 1991 Ford Mustang GT in the third installment for evading suspects through winding streets. Foley's signature techniques emphasize improvisation and deception over brute force, drawing from his street-smart background to outmaneuver opponents. One iconic method from the film involves stuffing bananas into a pursuing vehicle's exhaust pipe to disable its by blocking exhaust flow, a ploy that stalls the car during a critical escape; this is referenced in the 2024 film. He frequently employs fake IDs and disguises to infiltrate restricted areas, such as posing as a building inspector in the second film to access a construction site under renovation. In the third entry, Foley uses verbal cons, including impersonating an undercover FBI agent, to extract information from a manager linked to . He continues to bluff his way into situations in the 2024 film, such as pretending to be a fan of a film to snoop. Foley's apparel reinforces his outsider status amid Beverly Hills' polished aesthetic, favoring casual streetwear that highlights his origins. A recurring outfit is his letterman jacket, featuring the team's logo and number 67 on the chest, worn during key investigative moments to project familiarity and toughness. This varsity-style jacket, paired with jeans and sneakers, starkly contrasts the formal suits and luxury attire of local , underscoring his unorthodox approach.

Reception and legacy

Critical reception

The portrayal of Axel Foley in the original (1984) received widespread praise for Eddie Murphy's charismatic performance, which skillfully blended high-energy action with sharp comedy. Critics highlighted Murphy's quick wit and street-smart persona as key to the film's success, with noting that Murphy was "one of the smartest and quickest young comic actors in the movies," effectively contrasting Foley's rebellious cop style against the polished Beverly Hills elite. The film holds an 82% approval rating on based on 57 reviews, with the consensus emphasizing Murphy's "razor-sharp wit, street-smart swagger, and genuine heart" in defining the character. In Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Murphy's energetic take on Foley was similarly commended amid mixed reviews for the sequel's formulaic elements. The film earned a 48% Tomatometer score from 40 critics, but the consensus acknowledged that "Eddie Murphy remains appealing as the wisecracking Axel Foley," crediting his charisma for maintaining viewer engagement despite repetitive plotting. Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), however, drew sharper criticism for its uninspired narrative and lackluster execution, with an 11% rating from 56 reviews; the consensus described the entry as forgetting "to have any fun," pointing to Murphy's "uncharacteristically lethargic" performance as a notable weakness in Foley's portrayal. The 2024 revival Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F garnered more positive notices for its nostalgic return to form, achieving a 67% Tomatometer score from 200 reviews, with critics appreciating the aged Foley's added emotional layers. Reviews praised for infusing vulnerability into the character, particularly through his strained relationship with his daughter, allowing Axel to evolve beyond pure bravado; Brian Tallerico of called it "a shockingly entertaining diversion," the strongest sequel since the original, highlighting Murphy's enduring talent. Overall, Axel Foley's reception underscores Murphy's consistent appeal across four decades, as evidenced by the character's inclusion in magazine's 2008 list of the 100 greatest movie characters (ranked 78th) and 55th in its 2020 update, which lauded Foley's streetwise charm as an enduring icon of action-comedy. However, retrospective critiques have examined the character's roots in Hollywood tropes, noting how Foley often stood as the sole major figure in predominantly white ensembles, potentially reinforcing isolationist racial dynamics to broaden commercial appeal without deeper interracial or romantic subplots for Black leads.

Cultural impact

The Beverly Hills Cop franchise, centered on Axel Foley, has grossed over $700 million worldwide at the box office across its first three films, with the original 1984 entry alone earning $316 million and revitalizing the buddy-cop genre by blending high-stakes action with irreverent comedy following its release. This success helped popularize the subgenre's formula of mismatched partners navigating cultural clashes, influencing subsequent hits like Lethal Weapon (1987), which echoed the interracial dynamics and explosive humor, and the 21 Jump Street films (2012–2014), which amplified the comedic undercover elements in a modern context. As one of the first major action-comedies to feature a Black protagonist in the lead role, Axel Foley broke barriers in Hollywood representation during the 1980s, portraying a street-smart Detroit detective whose unapologetic confidence challenged stereotypes and paved the way for diverse leads in the genre without reducing the character to racial tropes. Eddie's Murphy's performance earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy in 1985, alongside a nomination for the film itself in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category, though neither won; these accolades underscored the character's breakthrough status. The franchise's enduring legacy was revitalized by Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), which reunited Murphy with original cast members and topped Netflix's charts, reigniting fan interest in Foley's brash persona and spawning merchandise like replica varsity jackets emblazoned with Detroit Lions motifs, available through official partners. Foley symbolizes cinematic excess through his fish-out-of-water antics bridging urban grit and suburban opulence, a theme that continues to resonate, as affirmed by the original film's ranking at #63 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Laughs" list of the funniest American movies.

References

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  24. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beverly_hills_cop_3
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109254/plotsummary/
  26. https://greatamericanthrills.net/2014/03/03/beverly-hills-cop-3-filmed-at-great-america-20-years-ago/
  27. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109254/
  28. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/beverly-hills-cop-iii
  29. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-trailer-full-eddie-murphy-netflix-1235906877/
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3083016/
  31. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f
  32. https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2024/07/03/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-sequel-explained-does-axel-survive-and-crack-the-case/
  33. https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-2024/
  34. https://deadline.com/2012/09/beverly-hills-cop-series-lands-at-cbs-with-pilot-production-commitment-328402/
  35. https://variety.com/2012/tv/news/cbs-lands-beverly-hills-cop-redo-1118058646/
  36. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2376516/
  37. https://screenrant.com/beverly-hills-cop-tv-pilot-eddie-murphy-never-aired-why/
  38. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-rejects-beverly-hills-cop-520895/
  39. https://www.eonline.com/news/362987/brandon-t-jackson-cast-as-eddie-murphys-son-in-cbs-beverly-hills-cop-tv-series
  40. https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/why-eddie-murphys-beverly-hills-cop-tv-pilot-didnt-move-forward-at-cbs-according-to-the-ep
  41. https://lostmediawiki.com/Beverly_Hills_Cop_%28found_unaired_CBS_pilot_based_on_Eddie_Murphy_action_comedy_film%3B_2013%29
  42. https://familyguy.fandom.com/wiki/Family_Guy_Viewer_Mail_No._2/References
  43. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701200/trivia/?item=tr3586782
  44. https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/number-1-today-in-2005-crazy-frog-beats-coldplay-to-the-top__9493/
  45. https://www.whosampled.com/Crazy-Frog/Axel-F/
  46. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BananaInTheTailpipe
  47. https://nerdist.com/article/beverly-hills-cop-axel-foley-influence/
  48. https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100-greatest-movie-characters/
  49. https://www.tiktok.com/discover/axel-foley-costume
  50. https://www.theringer.com/2024/7/3/movies/beverly-hills-cop-4-axel-f-netflix-eddie-murphy
  51. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brandon-t-jackson-cast-in-beverly-hills-cop-pilot/
  52. https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Cop_(1984)
  53. https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Cop_II
  54. https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Cop_III
  55. https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Cop:_Axel_F
  56. https://www.carsforsale.com/pop-culture/the-cars-from-beverly-hills-cop/
  57. https://diecastdepot.ca/shop/diecast/acme-gmp/axel-foleys-1991-ford-mustang-gt-convertible-beverly-hills-cop-iii-1994/
  58. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/beverly-hills-cop-funniest-scenes-220600181.html
  59. https://beverlyhillscop.fandom.com/wiki/Charles_Cain
  60. https://jasontom.com/blog/blog/nfl-detroit-lions-axel-foley-jacket
  61. https://bamfstyle.com/2014/10/24/axel-foley/
  62. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beverly-hills-cop-1984
  63. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beverly_hills_cop_2
  64. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-netflix-movie-review-2024
  65. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beverly_hills_cop_axel_f
  66. https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-beverly-hills-cop-legacy-is-more-problematic-than-you-remember
  67. https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Beverly-Hills-Cop#tab=summary
  68. https://www.thehaughtyculturist.com/films/how-beverly-hills-cop-made-cinema-history-and-cultural-legacy/
  69. https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a31521/beverly-hills-cop-trivia/
  70. https://lethalweapon.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Lethal_Weapon_Inspired_Movies_and_TV_Shows
  71. https://goldenglobes.com/film/beverly-hills-cop/
  72. https://www.slashfilm.com/1587177/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-trailer-netflix-eddie-murphy/
  73. https://www.netflix.shop/products/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-embroidered-varsity-jacket
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