All 4 Beverly Hills Cops movies ranked from worst to best

In 1984, Eddie Murphy played the smooth-talking rebellious Axel Foley in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Beverly Hills Cop. Over the next 10 years, we saw Murphy play Foley two more times, garnering many laughs from everyone. Over 40 years later, Murphy is putting on the Detriot jacket again in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. With the release of the fourth installment, I rank the films from worst to best.

Axel Foley broke ground by heading to Beverly Hills in the first installment of the franchise, where we saw him ruffle the feathers of the Beverly Hills Police Department with his uncharacteristic approach to being a cop. The first of the three films received praise from critics and audiences, with an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, critics and audiences were much harsher on the two sequels, with both films landing on the "rotten" side of the site aggregate.

4. Beverly Hills Cop II

Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton
Release Date: May 20, 1987

Let me start by saying I don't believe there is a bad film in this franchise, regardless of what the Rotten Tomatoes score suggests. That said, the second installment was an easy pick for me, landing in the fourth spot. The franchise isn't known for its simplistic approach to stories, but this one felt a little more out there than the rest. It has some fun moments with Murphy always playing Axel Foley perfectly, but the story and parts around him let him down slightly.

3. Beverly Hills Cop

Directed by: Martin Brest
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton
Release Date: Dec. 5, 1984

"I'm not going to fall for the banana in the tailpipe." That's probably what some of you will say when you read that the highest-rated film of the franchise sits at the third slot in my rankings. The first film is comedic gold, and hence why I said I don't believe there is a bad installment in this franchise. This film has it all, with the introduction to Axel Foley and his quick-whipped sarcastic battles with Det. Rosewood and Sgt. Taggart and the great set pieces. I LOVE this movie, but I love the other two installments more. A fun fact you might not have known is that Beverly Hills Cop was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

2. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Directed by: Mark Molloy
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Release Date: July 3, 2024

Having been one of the select people in this world to be able to see Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F not only early but also inside a theater, I was excited. I had waited 30 years for this fourth installment and couldn't wait to watch it. The most important takeaway from this film was that Eddie Murphy was allowed to play Axel Foley, whom we all grew to love. There wasn't any hesitation, limitations, or reservations; he got to play the unrated, hilarious comedian that Murphy created with Foley. This is filled with the perfect blend of new and nostalgia that warrants many repeat viewings.

1. Beverly Hills Cop III

Directed by: John Landis
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton
Release Date: May 25, 1994

Anyone who says that Beverly Hills Cop III is a bad movie will never be friends with me. How can you go to Wonderworld with these wild, crazy sequences and suggest in any way this movie is terrible? I have dreamt of movies using an amusement part like this, and they do it in a way filled with action and comedy. I might stand alone on this island, but this film is EASILY the franchise's best installment, and I will seek justice for all the hate for the rest of my life.