What Went Wrong With Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)?

[TMC]

Since the fourth entry in the series is coming out, how about we look back at the previous Beverly Hills Cop movie from 30 years ago and how and why it derailed the franchise for so long?

• Beverly Hills Cop III was a disappointment compared to the first two films, lacking the winning formula and humor.
• The absence of an integral cast member, John Ashton, changed the dynamic and removed the main source of tension.
• Beverly Hills Cop III tried to be more kid-friendly, but it felt inconsistent and out of place in the R-rated franchise.

LANGAUGE WARNING

After decades in development, Beverly Hills Cop 4, which is officially titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, is finally in production. Netflix is setting this up to be one of their big blockbusters for 2023, which is only fitting considering that the first Beverly Hills Cop was the biggest movie of 1984 (beating Ghostbusters at the box office), while Beverly Hills Cop 2 was another major hit, ranking in the top 3 movies of 1987. But what about Beverly Hills Cop 3? Not only was that movie not a box office hit, but it effectively ended the franchise for nearly thirty years. It was so bad that many thought it was the final nail in the coffin of Eddie Murphy’s career, only for the star to rebound in a big way two years later with The Nutty Professor.

So WTF Happened to Beverly Hills Cop III? Plenty, with the behind-the-scenes shakeup radically changing the tone of what then had been a slick, action-packed series of urban action flicks/comedies. Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were no longer involved, and with them went the smooth action movie sheen, with John Landis the unlikely choice to direct the third instalment, which would be set at a DisneyWorld knockoff called Wonder World. By the time an orchestral version of the Axel F Theme started, audiences knew they were in trouble. The film tanked brutally, beaten by The Flintstones at the memorial day 1995 box office.

In this episode of WTF Happened to this Movie, written by Brad Hamerly, narrated by Mathew Plale and edited by Kier Gomes, we go into everything that went awry with this franchise killing misfire.

Do you think Beverly Hills Cop III is as bad as its reputation suggests?

Siskel & Ebert - Beverly Hills Cop III (1994).

"Beverly Hills Cop 3" Review.

#BeverlyHillsCop #EddieMurphy #JohnLandis

This weekend Coming 2 America comes out. It's left me in the mood to talk Eddie Murphy. So today I'm going to rank all 3 Beverly Hills Cop films from the worst to the best!

With Eddie Murphy returning to the throne of Prince Akeem in COMING 2 AMERICA, Awfully Good Movies is looking back at the final collaboration between Murphy and the director of the first COMING TO AMERICA, John Landis, in the sequel that killed Axel Foley: BEVERLY HILLS COP III!

As the mid-90s saw both Eddie and John in the midst of a career slump, Murphy decided to make up with Landis after their tensions during COMING TO AMERICA's production for another sequel to the action-comedy smash which established Eddie as one of the biggest stars of the 80s. But instead of making up for the lesser quality of BEVERLY HILLS COP II, the third installment ended up cutting off all the edges that made Axel F. such a beloved action hero, as Murphy insisted on playing Axel as a more mature and less wiseass character, while secretly suffering from depression that'd been brought about from Eddie's last couple of box office disappointments.

So no matter how much Landis tries to have fun with Axel searching for his boss' killer in a Disneyland-style amusement park, his star's lack of enthusiasm puts a damper on the woefully few moments of decent action and funny comedy. And although the returning Judge Reinhold and Bronson Pinchot try to bring back the magic of the first film, they can't save this series from a lackluster finale which to this day has kept Axel Foley suspended from the force. Fingers crossed that the upcoming BEVERLY HILLS COP IV on Netflix doesn't have Eddie fighting crime alongside himself in a female fatsuit.

The heat is back on for a third time in this episode of REVISITED, but after huge success with the first two installments, can lightning strike a third time in the massively popular Beverly Hills Cop series? Of course it can. I mean, the formulas there, the main star of the franchise is back and the poster has a kick-ass rollercoaster on it, which is pretty edgy...If you’re a ten year old. So, naturally, nothing could go wrong.

Well, look, the franchise has legs, with part four in post production at the time of writing this episode, and Netflix looking at a summer release for the movie. It’s a popular modern trend in Tinseltown, where legacy characters, or franchises, are being resurrected for final outings, or a continuation of the mythology to keep modern audiences interested in a known and historically lucrative IP. Indy may have not been able to draw a crowd like he used to, despite the (hopefully) final movie in Harrison Ford’s role as the adventurer being a fun, bat-**** crazy, but often dull entry in the series.

However, other fan-favorites such as Ghostbusters live on, with the well received and commercially successful Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, being followed up by the cool looking, no pun intended, Frozen Empire, that’s set to hit cinemas at the end of March. The point is, if done well, legacy characters and movie franchises can be fun to revisit on the big, or small screen. However, if Universal ever dares to reboot, re-imagine or tinker with the Back to the Future series in case something potentially offensive happens in one of them, like James Bond recently, I’ll be livid, but not surprised. However, threequels can be somewhat hit and miss, with some movies looking to make a quick buck by rolling out the cast for a quick cash grab at the expense of a solid movie. However, which way did Beverly Hills Cop III ultimately go? Well, strap yourselves into the spider ride as we find out, here on REVISITED!

The Heat is On...as in, the heat of the fire that I light under this disappointing and lame sequel to two very funny & classic flicks.

Beverly Hills Cop III is a 1994 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by John Landis, who had previously worked with Murphy on Trading Places and Coming to America. It is the third and so far final film in the Beverly Hills Cop series.

Murphy again plays Detroit cop Axel Foley, who once again returns to Beverly Hills, California to stop a gang of counterfeiters who are responsible for the death of his boss.

Foley teams up with his friend, Beverly Hills detective Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold), and his investigation leads him to an amusement park known as Wonder World.

The film features a number of cameo appearances by well-known film personalities including Robert B. Sherman, Arthur Hiller, John Singleton, Joe Dante, special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, and George Lucas as a ride patron.

Beverly Hills Cop III was released on May 25, 1994 and grossed $42 million in the United States, and over $77 million in the foreign box office. The film was considered by critics and Murphy himself as the most disappointing film in the series.

Jeff has an absorbing, highly intellectualized conversation with special guest ANDRE JOSEPH (film maker, blogger and founder of AJ EPYX PRODUCTIONS) on the BEVERLY HILLS COP flicks.

Screenwriter Steven E. de Souza attempts to explain what went wrong beginning at the 10:30 mark in this video below:

[TMC]

My in-depth and lengthy rant and movie review of the incredibly lame sequel, Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Hector Elizondo, Timothy Carhart, John Saxon, Theresa Randle, Alan Young, and Stephen McHattie.

Directed by John Landis.

[Dude111]

Thats pretty sad the way ppl are.......

I dont think it was BAD....... I like Part 3 and watch it alot!!

Who cares that John wasnt in it.......


IT WAS STILL PLENTY GOOD!!!!!!!!

[TMC]

LANGUAGE WARNING

While Saturday Night Live, 48 Hrs. and Trading Places made Eddie Murphy a star, it was 1984's Beverly Hills Cop that made him a household name. Street-wise Detroit cop Axel Foley is still considered by many to be his greatest role, and with a fourth film in the franchise, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley due out this summer, we're revisiting all three of his classic (and not so classic) Beverly Hills Cop films right here. So strap in because The Heat Is On!

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

LANGUAGE WARNING

Dust off your banana in a tailpipe for some seriously '80s action-comedy with the Beverly Hills Cop franchise! Join Detroit's streetwise Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) as he clashes with posh Beverly Hills PD while on the trail of his partner's killer. Buckle up for fast cars, hilarious one-liners, and showdowns that are anything but fancy. This classic series also features sequels with even more action and laughs.

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[Hambone2421]

I actually love part 3. It's easily the most quotable in the franchise IMO. "ELLIS DEWALD!!!"