Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F


Summary

  • Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F features nods to Sylvester Stallone, honoring the actor who nearly starred in the franchise before Eddie Murphy.
  • Billy Rosewood’s Rambo knife is a tribute to the franchise’s history and Stallone’s missed casting.
  • The film continues the trend of Stallone references and Easter eggs, showcasing his influence on it and the action genre.



Warning: This article contains spoilers for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel FBilly Rosewood’s Rambo knife in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F continues a clever franchise trend of nods to Sylvester Stallone. Netflix recently released the newest installment of the 40-year-old Beverly Hills Cop franchise, returning Eddie Murphy to the role of Detective Axel Foley as well as featuring a cast of new and returning Beverly Hills Cop characters for yet another enjoyable, action-packed investigation. This time, Foley must crack down on a criminal conspiracy that threatens the lives of his estranged daughter, Jane Saunders, and his longtime former partner, Detective Billy Rosewood.


Overall, the legacy sequel has been generally well-regarded by viewers, having earned itself an approval rating of 62% with critics and 80% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, the Beverly Hills Cop franchise’s second-best critical and audience scores under the original movie. Much of the sequel’s appeal comes from its deft use of nostalgia, from more obvious sentiments, such as the 80s and 90s era hits of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’s soundtrack, to more subtle references that recall the previous movies. One such reference maintains a BHC film trend and is a brilliant ode to the franchise’s history.


Billy Rosewood’s Rambo Knife Is A Tribute To Lost History

Rosewood’s Rambo Knife Recalls BHC’s Missed Sylvester Stallone Casting


In Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Foley returns to Beverly Hills after Rosewood is kidnapped for snooping on a cartel shipment. The cartel has been in cahoots with Beverly Hills Police Department’s Captain Cade Grant, using his mansion as a front to launder money. Hot on the case, Rosewood recovers an SD card containing evidence of the conspiracy, which Beverly Hills reveals him to have hidden in the hilt of his Rambo bowie knife. The detail accompanies a number of Beverly Hill Cop odes to Stallone, who very nearly fronted the franchise as Detective Foley before being replaced by Murphy.

Stallone was set to play the lead in the first Beverly Hills Cop up until two weeks before production started. However, Stallone had strong opinions about Beverly Hills Cop’s tone and story, preferring a more high-octane version of the movie than the action comedy Paramount Pictures desired. Because of creative differences, Stallone walked away from Beverly Hills Cop, and Murphy stepped up for the role. Ultimately, it doesn’t seem like any bad blood was spilled because of Stallone’s exit, as the franchise has and continues to honor the actor with fun references and Easter eggs.


Stallone once compared his
Beverly Hills Cop
take to the opening beach storming scene of
Saving Private Ryan
.

7:11

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Billy’s Rambo Easter Egg Continues A Beverly Hills Cop Trend

Nods To Stallone Are Prevalent In The BHC Franchise

Axel, Billy, and John convened in a semi-circle in Beverly Hills Cop II


Besides Billy’s Rambo knife, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F includes another gratifying Stallone Easter egg. Foley goes looking for answers about Rosewood’s disappearance and ends up at his former partner’s office. Cartel associates are already there rooting through Rosewood’s belongings when Foley arrives. Although the commotion of the ensuing confrontation distracts from the Rambo Easter egg, a movie poster for Rambo: First Blood Part II can be seen strung up on the wall of Rosewood’s office. The detail is also a direct callback to another Beverly Hills Cop movie.

A poster of
Rambo
and one from the 1986 Stallone-fronted action film
Cobra
are seen displayed at various moments.


In Beverly Hills Cop II, scenes set in Rosewood’s home unveil that Stallone posters are the detective’s decor of choice. A poster of Rambo and one from the 1986 Stallone-fronted action film Cobra are displayed at various moments. Beverly Hills Cop 2 also directly references Rambo by name and features Stallone’s then-wife Bridgette Nielsen as Karla Fry. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F upholding the trend of Stallone Easter eggs after 37 years is not only cool but is a testament to how influential the actor has been to it and the action genre.



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