Which Eddie Murphy movie franchise is better – Beverly Hills Cop or Coming to America? Each film series commenced at the peak of Murphy’s fame, however the comedic execution and narrative tones are significantly different. Based on the overall quality and long-term value, Coming to America is the better franchise.
Beverly Hills Cop may indeed have more pop culture clout than Coming to America. From 1980 to 1984, Murphy rose to fame as a Saturday Night Live cast member and crossed over into mainstream cinema with starring roles in 48 Hrs. and Trading Places. The 1983 stand-up special Delirious remains a classic, even if some of the bits don’t hold up especially well decades later, and helped pave the way for Murphy’s career ascent. When Beverly Hills Cop released, the spotlight was entirely on Murphy, and he excelled with his extraordinary comedic timing and charm; a formula that worked wonders for early ’90s films like Boomerang and The Distinguished Gentleman. With Coming to America, Murphy focused more on the heart and soul of the story (an African prince looking for love in Queens, New York), all the while portraying multiple characters for the first time in a feature film. The 2021 sequel Coming 2 America may have plenty of flaws, but it’s arguably a much better movie than both Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Beverly Hills Cop III (1994).
The Coming to America franchise has an edge over Beverly Hills Cop because of the long-term value that fans still appreciate to this day. Both franchise-starters can be endlessly debated by fans, as Martin Brest’s 1984 film is a traditional action-comedy that spotlights Murphy’s improvisational skills and comedic timing, while John Landis’ 1988 movie is more of a light-hearted dramedy in which Murphy plays a leading-man type. With all due respect to the late Tony Scott, however, his 1987 sequel Beverly Hills Cop II devalued the franchise, as it mostly re-hashes the same comedy. The same can be said for Craig Brewer’s 2021 sequel Coming 2 America, but its feminist message has more appeal than the misogynistic tone of both Beverly Hills Cop II and Beverly Hills Cop III, with the latter being a forgettable disaster that further brings down the franchise. Beverly Hills Cop may be the best film of all, in terms of pure comedy, but Coming to America and Coming 2 America have more to say about their respective characters and culture as a whole.
For casual streamers, the Beverly Hills Cop franchise may have more appeal than Coming to America, if only because of Murphy’s comedic interpretation of Axel Foley. But all the masculine bravado and edgy comedy don’t translate to a strong performance, at least in the second and third films. Beverly Hills Cop is indeed a classic and showcases Murphy’s brilliance as an actor, but the subsequent installments reveal a man who is trying to stay relevant (and rich) by relying on a specific box office formula. In contrast, Coming to America shows significantly more ambition, whether it’s the story or Murphy’s willingness to challenge himself with a different style of humor. He essentially plays the comedic straight man as Akeem Joffer, but also plays various comedic stooges as Randy Watson, Mr. Clarence, and Saul. These characters are a subtle nod to Murphy’s hero, the iconic actor Peter Sellers, and their inclusion in the 2021 sequel allows for a sharp commentary about gentrification in New York City. The two Beverly Hills Cop sequels have popcorn thrills and memorable music, but the scripts are anything but visionary or progressive.
Beverly Hills Cop 4 could potentially shift the franchise power dynamics when comparing the series to Coming to America, but Murphy hasn’t fully committed to the project. If the film does happen and manages to retain the comedic energy of the original while showing an evolved Axel Foley, then audiences may ultimately change their perception of the film series. Coming 2 America is neither a brilliant or bad film, but it served its purpose in 2021 for locked-down streamers who desired nostalgia-driven and accessible comedy. The sequel also sets up a third film with Jermaine Fowler and KiKi Layne as the potential leads, which adds to its overall value. Unless the next Beverly Hills Cop movie becomes a modern classic, the franchise won’t match the overall value of Coming to America.
