Bacon-flavored '80s throwbacks – ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ and ‘MaXXXine’

Two recent titles, one in theaters and one on Netflix, add to the ever-growing possibilities of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."

A 1980s icon in his own right for “Footloose,” the prolific star plays key, villainous roles in movies deeply inspired by '80s cinema.

While “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” takes place in present day, the Eddie Murphy-starring legacy sequel can attribute almost all of its (minor) charms to its '80s franchise roots. The theme song still rules, and the rest of the retro-tinged soundtrack helps to enliven an otherwise standard buddy cop adventure.

After a prolonged absence, Detroit cop Axel Foley (Murphy) returns to Beverly Hills to help his estranged daughter (Taylour Paige), a defense attorney who becomes entangled in a police corruption case. Old friends John Ashton and Judge Reinhold return to help Axel sniff around Bacon’s crafty police captain, a character so obviously corrupt that the movie only barely pretends he’s not the bad guy for about five minutes.

Reinhold and Ashton get a few memorable moments (as does Paul Reiser, also returning, albeit briefly, to the franchise as Axel’s superior back in Detroit). For the bulk of the film, however, Axel is paired with his daughter for a standard “Why weren’t you there for me?” conflict, though Joseph Gordon-Levitt also appears as another cop to handle many of the film’s action beats.

Bacon is solid as the otherwise bland villain. The success of “Axel F,” as was the case with the previous three films, rests entirely on Murphy’s still-mostly-sharp comedic timing, as well as a few diverting action sequences (particularly the one with a very low-flying helicopter).

Ultimately, “Axel F” is about on par in quality with the other cop-centric legacy sequel this summer, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” It’s a shame Netflix didn’t want to give “Axel F” at least a brief stint on big screens alongside the Bad Boys.

Bacon, meanwhile, is much more memorable as a different type of sleazeball in “MaXXXine,” the '80s-set third installment of the Ti West horror series that began with 2022’s X” and its surprise follow-up prequel, “Pearl” from the same year. All three movies star Mia Goth, who reprises her titular role as the Final Girl from “X.” While “Pearl” is the high watermark in the series, “MaXXXine” essentially only requires knowledge of "X” to follow the storyline.

The film focuses on Goth’s Maxine as she attempts to leave her adult film career behind to star in a buzzy horror film. Unfortunately, real life serial killer the Night Stalker begins circling her neighborhood. The cops (played by Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale, both wasted in small roles) think the latest killings were committed by a copycat with a connection to Maxine’s past. Don’t worry, you won’t even need to see “X” to spot the murderer’s reveal coming a mile away.

Bacon plays a scuzzy private investigator with a thick New Orleans accent, and, aside from Goth’s reliably magnetic presence, Bacon appears to be the only one having any fun playing in Ti West’s visually vibrant re-creation of lowbrow '80s slashers.

“MaXXXine” unfortunately lacks the narrative thrust of the series’ first two films. There’s virtually no tension to be found here, with Maxine wandering between too many subplots before stumbling into an overcooked final act. West remains a stylish talent behind the camera, but after the brilliant lunacy of “Pearl,” “MaXXXine” can only feel like a missed opportunity.

“MaXXXine” is now playing in theaters. “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” is streaming exclusively on Netflix.

    This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Bacon, left, and Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F."
  

    This image released by A24 shows Mia Goth in a scene from "MaXXXine."