Eddie Murphy might be a fan of Beverly Hills Cop’s first sequel now, but his initial review wasn’t nearly so kind. Murphy’s rise to stardom during the 1980s was meteoric, as he quickly went from Saturday Night Live to fronting hits like 48 HRS and Trading Places. Of course, the Beverly Hills Cop movies are arguably his biggest claim to fame. The first three entries followed Murphy’s Detroit detective Axel Foley as he investigated various crimes in Beverly Hills, using a mix of smarts and a natural ability to improvise his way out of trouble.

The franchise has remained essentially dormant for 30 years, outside a failed Beverly Hills Cop TV pilot that didn’t go to series. This would have followed Axel’s son Aaron (Brandon T. Jackson) on his own misadventures in Beverly Hills, with Murphy making a guest appearance. A fourth film spent decades in development hell, but thankfully, early word on Netflix’s upcoming Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has been very positive, and is said to be a return to form for the series.

Eddie Murphy Just Changed His Mind About Beverly Hills Cop 2

The star once labeled the 1987 Beverly Hills Cop sequel “Mediocre”

Axel F may prove to be the most acclaimed of the sequels, an honor that previously went to Beverly Hills Cop 2. This 1987 follow-up was helmed by the late, great Tony Scott (Top Gun), who pumped up the action and wacky humor. It’s a fun romp that’s at its best when it’s a hangout movie between Axel, Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Aston). The sequel was another hit for its leading man and in a recent interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Murphy stated that “the first two Beverly Hills Cops are really good.”

This contradicts a 1989 interview that Murphy gave to Rolling Stone, where he was almost eyewateringly honest about his career up to that point. When asked about concerns he shouldn’t have reprised his star-making role as Axel, Murphy agreed with assessments about Beverly Hills Cop 2’s quality and mixed reception.

Beverly Hills Cop 2 was probably the most successful mediocre picture in history. It made $250 million worldwide, and it was a half-assed movie. Cop 2 was basically a rehash of Cop I, but it wasn’t as spontaneous and funny.

Murphy went on to label his fantasy comedy The Golden Child as a “piece of s***” that nevertheless made a ton of money. Murphy was such a huge star during the 1980s that his presence in any movie was all but guaranteed to make it a hit. To his mind, making Beverly Hills Cop 2 was a no-brainer financially, but Murphy felt the sequel just copied/pasted the formula of the original without adding much in the way of innovation.

Has Beverly Hills Cop 2 Aged Better Since 1989?

That’s much to enjoy in Axel’s second trip to Beverly Hills

Murphy dubbing Beverly Hills Cop 2 as “really good” is a definite turnaround. The original film is surprisingly grounded and small-scale by modern standards, but Tony Scott gave his sequel a bigger scope. He lavished it with stylish visuals and gave his leading man every opportunity to improvise outlandish comic scenarios. Storywise, Beverly Hills Cop 2 makes little sense, to the point that a visit to the Playboy Mansion and a Hugh Hefner cameo is awkwardly crowbarred into the middle act.

It’s loud and excessive, and could even be called a relic from another era. Even so, Beverly Hills Cop 2 is a blast with the right mindset. Few directors make their movies look as stylish as Scott could, the chemistry between the three leads is crackling, Brigitte Nielsen makes for a memorable villainess and the sequel even introduced Axel’s beloved Detroit Lions jacket. It is a rehash of the original that basically plays the greatest hits from Axel’s debut, but the good outweighs the bad.

Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop 2 Reappraisal Explains His Franchise Return

Beverly Hills Cop 3 makes Beverly Hills Cop 2 look like Beverly Hills Cop 1

Murphy made his “mediocre” comments about Beverly Hills Cop 2 over 30 years ago, so he’s had plenty of time to warm to the film. Murphy may be kinder about the first sequel now in light of Beverly Hills Cop 3’s reception, a film he labeled “atrocious” during an appearance on Inside the Actor’s Studio. It was his dislike for the third chapter that ensured Beverly Hills Cop 4 spent so long in development hell, since the star refused to sign on for another sequel without a solid script.

Maybe Murphy’s nostalgia for the first two Beverly Hills Cops explains his return for Axel F. After all, he owes a lot to Axel Foley, and the second adventure has seeped into popular culture almost as much as the first installment. The star has likely encountered a lot of love from fans towards the 1987 sequel too. Murphy is even open to a potential Beverly Hills Cop 5 now, but if that does happen, hopefully, it won’t take another 30 years of development.

Source: Rolling Stone, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Numbers, Rotten Tomatoes, Inside the Actor’s Studio