Tag: Paul Reiser

Film Review: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

My initial thoughts on Beverly Hills Cop IV (other than why couldn’t it had just been titled that to begin with instead of Axel F?) was of skepticism; while bringing back established franchises might look good on paper, they’re often filled with disappointment (I’m looking right at you, Coming 2 America).

But for what it’s worth, this fourth entry is world’s above the last time we saw Eddie Murphy portray his greatest role ever as Axel Foley since the third entry back in 1994. Almost instantly the movie checks all the boxes, starting the action at a Detroit Red Wings hockey game that filters out onto the streets and becomes a massive car chase reminiscent of the 1984 original (complete with The Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance” for good measure).

The plot is fairly standard though; Foley is called back to Beverly Hills after receiving a tip from old friend Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) that his adult attorney daughter (Taylour Paige) is in danger after representing a high stakes client being framed by police.

Again, the action is generally spot-on, while most jokes hit their intended marks (the meter maid scene is fairly humorous). The throwbacks themselves are undeniably likable (even Bob Seger’s “Shakedown” from 1987’s Part II is represented here). Original cast members John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot all help add to the nostalgia, while newcomers Paige, Kevin Bacon, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all help contribute to the fun in some way or another.

Perhaps the only other thing I would have liked to had seen done differently would have been a theatrical release in order to watch on the big screen at least once rather than just on Netflix. But otherwise, Axel F is at the very least worth a watch all things considered.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Series Review: Stranger Things Season 4 – Vol. 1 (Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

It speaks volumes for a show to still be as captivating as Stranger Things is four seasons in, and yet somehow this series only gets better with time. Within seconds of it starting, you’re instantly sucked into its world, and forgot about everything and anything else going on around you, the ingredients of not only great, meticulous writing, but flimmakers who actually care about their art.

This latest season contains so many subplots, I’m not sure if I can even sum it all up accurately without giving too much away. Long story short, a new evil in the form of a demon named Vecna is threatening Hawkins, and after the popular school cheerleader (Grace Van Dien) is killed in the house of local metal head and leader of the local D&D club, Eddie (Joseph Quinn), the kids get wrapped up in solving the mystery while trying to stay alive.

Meanwhile, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who has since lost her powers and struggling to adjust to living a “normal” life, is brought back to a facility by Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) to help regain her strength back. And while all this is going on, Hopper (David Harbour), who survived the events of season three but has since been imprisoned in a Russian hell, is plotting his escape while Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Murrary (Brett Gelman) get tangled up in a kidnapping while attempting to free him.

While the show has always paid homage to ’80s films like E.T. – the Extra-Terrestrial (among many others), this particular season has a strong influence from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series, with dream-like sequences similar to those from said franchise (there’s even a brief appearance from Freddy Kruger himself, Robert Englund). And the tributes to such metal bands as Dio and W.A.S.P. via the Eddie character are a nice touch as well.

Since the show first started in 2016, it’s caused an unprecedented pop culture phenomenon, and rightfully so, considering the care and attention to detail put into Stranger Things is immaculate. There’s an artistic integrity often not found elsewhere these days, and I find myself wanting to go back to revisit the earlier seasons each time a new one emerges. There’s a simple reason why we respond so strongly to ‘throwbacks’ like Stranger Things; maybe it just reminds us of a time when the world – and life itself – was just a simpler place.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars