Top 10 Beverly Hills Cop 4 Axel F Callbacks and Easter Eggs

The first “Beverly Hills Cop” film opens with an over-the-top, occasionally “Blues Brothers”-esque action sequence, and “Axel F” proudly follows in that tradition. Eddie Murphy’s cool, charismatic Axel Foley is a sucker for unauthorized undercover operations, and as per his usual modus operandi, takes it upon himself to stop a robbery of the Detroit Red Wings’ personal possessions — while the team is on the ice. Needless to say, the audience knows that Axel’s previous maverick antics never exactly go off without a hitch. Axel’s wildly destructive Detroit shenanigans call to mind the first film’s epic chase, as well as the third film’s botched introductory raid.

Another recurring element of the franchise? Foley’s inevitable reprimanding by his superiors. In previous films, this disciplinary role was fulfilled by Inspector Douglas Todd, as played by Gil Hill, who was actually a real-life detective for the Detroit Police Department and one-time mayoral candidate. However, the character’s death in “Beverly Hills Cop III” (and Hill’s 2016 passing) left a void that could only be filled by Detroit’s noblest. In this case, that’s Foley’s neurotic colleague Jeffrey Friedman, memorably played by “Mad About You” star Paul Reiser, who returns to the franchise after skipping the third film.

Although the three are lifelong besties by the time that “Axel F” starts up, longtime fans of the franchise know all too well that Foley, Taggart, and Rosewood started off at odds. When Foley first lands in Beverly Hills and checks in at the Beverly Palms Hotel, Lt. Bogomil sends the odd-couple cops to tail him and keep an eye on their out-of-town visitor. Foley, ever the provocateur, catches on to them… and lets them know by sending room service to their vehicle. And infamously sticking a banana in their tailpipe. Thankfully, 40 years later, Taggart and Rosewood don’t have a banana to worry about, but instead are rewarded with a wholesome moment that clearly echoes their initial surveillance attempt.

Or… “Surge”? “Sairje”? However his name is pronounced (and no matter how badly he fumbles “Achwell’s” name in return), we were thrilled to see Bronson Pinchot make a triumphant return as Foley’s unlikely ally, an art gallery assistant turned fashionable arms dealer. In “Axel F,” Foley, his daughter Jane, and her ex, Detective Bobby Abbott, call on Serge, who now dabbles in the world of California real estate. Whatever the case may be regarding Serge’s wild career trajectory, it was a relief to see that he hadn’t lost his unique knack for completely mangling people’s names, regardless of how simple they are.

“Beverly Hills Cop” fans hoping to see the return of Ronny Cox’s by-the-book Andrew Bogomil in “Axel F” were sorely disappointed. The actor, who hasn’t made an appearance in the franchise since a brief cameo in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” claimed that he turned down the third film after reading its script (probably a smart move on Cox’s part). While Bogomil is once again absent in the franchise’s newest, the character and his relationship with Axel Foley is alluded to in a sweet but easy-to-miss visual gag that calls back to the first film’s ending. Bobby Abbott presents Axel with the file that Bogomil submitted following the events of the 1984 Victor Maitland case — exact wording and all.

Poor Detective Taggart. Throughout “Beverly Hills Cop II,” Taggart’s rocky marriage to his wife Maureen is a frequent subject of conversation for his partner, Judge Reinhold’s slightly eccentric Billy Rosewood. The latter continually offers unsolicited (and deeply unhelpful) advice as to how to repair his failing relationship. Maybe it worked: it’s revealed at the end that Maureen has miraculously returned. The Taggarts don’t appear in “Beverly Hills Cop III” — Rosewood explains to Axel that John has retired and the two have moved to Phoenix, Arizona. In a somewhat curious development, “Axel F” reveals that Taggart has un-retired and is now the Chief of Police in Beverly Hills. Jeez, Taggart is pretty indecisive — no wonder Maureen initially got fed up!

Sometimes, you have to know when to put a tired franchise on ice. John Landis’ 1994 threequel was harshly panned by critics, and audiences didn’t turn out for it, either — the film only grossed $43 million in the United States on a $70 million budget. Even those involved with the film, like director Landis, Murphy himself, and recurring star Bronson Pinchot have called attention to its noticeable drop-off in quality. That’s why, in “Axel F”, when Foley meets Abbott, the latter refers to the events of that film as, well… “not your finest hour”.

This one requires a bit of context to be broken down. While we now obviously can’t imagine anyone else but Eddie Murphy playing Axel Foley, that wasn’t always the case! It may come as something of a shock to learn, then, that none other than Sylvester Stallone was once attached to play the titular Beverly Hills cop, dropping out a mere two weeks before production on the first film in the franchise was set to begin. “Axel F” includes a number of references to Stallone’s career, the most prominent being Billy Rosewood’s intimidating personal weapon. This also nicely ties in the second film’s running joke that finds Rosewood, a professed Stallone fan, inexplicably toting increasingly powerful firearms.

At least… we think so. It has to be, right?! Foley and Abbott, on the run from Kevin Bacon’s murderous, corrupt Cade Grant, crash a stolen police helicopter onto a golf course. There, they encounter a particularly irate, frightfully litigious golfer… played by “Happy Gilmore” co-star Christopher McDonald. Although not explicitly stated, it’s strongly implied that McDonald is reprising his role as Shooter McGavin, the antagonist of that film. While we admittedly don’t quite get the exact logic linking the cinematic universes, it still sends a nostalgic shiver up our spines seeing McDonald definitely not (wink-wink) playing Adam Sandler’s one-time mortal enemy. This is especially considering that McDonald has expressed a desire to reprise the role!

Eddie Murphy has, of course, always been the star attraction of the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise. The other? Watching native Detroiter Axel Foley navigate hilariously awkward fish-out-of-water scenarios. In the first film, Foley’s relative lack of funds is a stark contrast to the opulence and exorbitant cost of living in Beverly Hills. In that installment, Axel succeeds in negotiating a lower nightly rate at the fictional Beverly Palms Hotel by not-so-subtly suggesting that the hotel is refusing to put up a Black guest. In “Axel F,” Murphy’s ever-wily detective briefly attempts to pull a similar stunt before deciding to save himself the trouble. Axel could really benefit from the services of a travel agent.

What’s your favorite “Beverly Hills Cop” series moment? Are there any easter eggs we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments!