Ranking of the Beverly Hills Cop movies: From worst to best

At long last, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Fthe fourth film in the series (and the first in thirty years), is out and streaming on Netflix. We’ve certainly done our share of coverage of the film here on the site, with me being lucky enough to interview Eddie Murphy and much of the cast while also attending the premiere in Beverly Hills. But how does the film stack up against the rest of the franchise? Of course, that can only mean one thing – it’s time for our Beverly Hills Cop Movies rankings! This time, we’re going from worst to best, so buckle up! And – while you’re at it, check out our LiveStream from last night, where our host Kier Gomes did his own rankings!

Beverly Hills Cop III (1994):

This is not only the worst Beverly Hills Cop film, but the third installment in the franchise briefly put Eddie Murphy’s career on hold. The comedy is dialed down in a perhaps misguided attempt to turn Murphy into a more traditional hero. At the same time, the action is ramped up, which isn’t a bad idea – but the execution is a disaster. If you’re trying to make a more serious action movie, why set the film in a Disneyland knockoff with mascots, show tunes, and tons (too many) cutesy celebrity cameos (including George Lucas)? It didn’t help that John Landis missed the style of Martin Brest or Tony Scott, and he had to deal with a star who no longer wanted to be funny.

What made matters worse was that producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were no longer involved with the series, as they would have undoubtedly served as the voice of reason on set. I like to think that Simpson and Bruckheimer would have cut the bad choices like the orchestral version of Axel F on the soundtrack. But it’s not all bad. The first ten minutes of the film are actually pretty good, featuring Inspector Todd, the series’ lead, having an impressive death scene, followed by a really cool chase scene where a 1991 Dodge Stealth is blown to pieces while Axel is driving it, and “Keep the Peace” by INXS fills the soundtrack. But it’s all downhill from there. Still, Part 3 is the only part of the series that I’d call bad, even if it’s still somewhat watchable.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024):

I loved Axel F as a nostalgic, old-fashioned sequel. To be fair, it’s difficult to recapture lightning in a bottle like the first two films did, as those films captured the zeitgeist at a time when Eddie’s career was exploding and he was becoming a superstar on the level of Elvis Presley. Still, the film features a very engaging Murphy dropping tons of F-bombs, and also allows for the return of many old friends, like Judge Reinhold and John Ashton & Paul Reiser, both of whom were missed in the third film.

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987):

Nobody expected the first Beverly Hills Cop film to be such a hit, but it became the highest-grossing comedy of all time and the most profitable film of 1984 (surpassing Ghost Hunters). Murphy became a superstar and the sequel was to be a much bigger film than the last one. The original director Martin Brest was busy Midnight Run (an excellent film in itself), Tony Scott, who just made Simpson/Bruckheimer’s TopGunwas introduced. The result is a more sophisticated, action-packed installment in the series. Everything about it is bigger, from the sunglasses to the sets and beyond. At the time, some critics scoffed at how polished the film was, but over time, the neon-drenched imagery has earned it a strong cult following. It had a memorable henchwoman in Brigitte Nielsen, and the film was hugely influential Axel F Director Mark Molloy perhaps more than any other film in the series. Some of the most iconic elements that people associate with the series were introduced here, like Axel’s famous Detroit Lions teacher’s jacket and the Bob Seger song “Shakedown” (the iconic singer’s only number one hit on the Billboard charts). There’s also the famous Playboy Mansion scene (“Hef!”), and Harold Faltermeyer’s score is (arguably) even better here than in the first film.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984):

Of course, nothing beats Martin Brest’s original film. The film was famously conceived as a vehicle for Sylvester Stallone, but was given a comedic makeover with the involvement of Eddie Murphy and the result was nothing short of iconic. In addition to Murphy’s Axel F, the film also benefits from one of the most iconic soundtracks of the eighties, with songs such as “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey, “Neutron Dance” by the Pointer Sisters and of course the score by Harold Faltermeyer, with the “Axel F” theme being one of the most memorable theme songs of all time, right up there with the James Bond theme.

What are yours Beverly Hills Cop Movie rankings? Let us know in the comments!