Oh boy, some people are not going to be happy about what I have to say about Beverly Hills Cop III! Let me get this out of the way right now, Beverly Hills Cop III is my favorite movie in the series. Yes, I know that many people do not like this movie and say it is the worst in the franchise, even Eddie Murphy himself has said that this is not a great movie, but I do not care, I love it.
How to Download Beverly Hills Cop III
Beverly Hills Cop III was released on May 25, 1994. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like this one, check out also Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).
The Movie Review
I would say that the recently released Axel F comes very close to topping this, but my nostalgia goggles are not being taken off and this one is still my favorite. I will be honest, a huge part of the reason as to why I love this is that it was the first movie from the franchise I was able to see in the theatre and I had such a great time watching it, I remember buying it on VHS as soon as it came out and it is one of the few movies that has survived my laserdisc cull!
The Setting of Wonder World
One of the things that makes Beverly Hills Cop III so much fun for me is the setting of Wonder World which is a Disneyland-style theme park in California. However, I think the way that Beverly Hills Cop III gets Axel Foley to California…. Again is really clever and something people do not give the movie enough credit for.
Axel is trying to pull off a big bust, but one of his crew ends up killed in the process and the Secret Service steps in and stops him from apprehending the killer. The reason for this is that the killer is part of something much larger and Axel finds a piece of evidence that links the crime to Wonder World so he heads to California to dig around and try to avenge his friend’s death.
Billy Rosewood’s Promotion
Turns out that Billy Rosewood has been given a promotion he is now the DDO JSIOC, and hearing Billy explain what this is, is great stuff. How can you not love Billy Rosewood! I will say that not having John Taggart as his partner is a little disappointing, but his new partner, Jon Flint fits in well enough.
The Villain: Ellis DeWald
It turns out that Billy has a connection to Wonder World. Billy is friends with a man called Ellis DeWald who works as head of security at Wonder World. Ellis DeWald is such a great villain, he is an LA slimeball through and through, but he puts on a great front and is seen as a good upstanding citizen and he even wins a freaking award. Timothy Carhart is amazing as Ellis DeWald, he plays him so well that you cannot wait to see Axel get him!
Favorite Scenes and Characters
The scene where Ellis wins an award and Axel tries to mess with him is great stuff. To this day if I have to clap for something, I have to resist the temptation to start shouting “ELLIS DEWALD” like Axel Foley does here. Axel puts the case together and he ends up the target of this counterfeiting ring, not only does he want to put a stop to that, but in doing so he will also avenge his friend who died because of this.
One thing I do have to mention is Serge. Serge is such a fun character in this series and the interaction between Billy, Axel, and Serge here is one of my favorite scenes in the franchise. When Axel asks Serge how much something costs, that whole interaction cracks me up every single time.
Final Thoughts
Beverly Hills Cop III is just a super fun movie from start to end. I think the theme park setting is awesome and leads to some very cool action settings. I will say the romantic subplot here is the weakest part and the movie could have done without it. However apart from that, I love everything else about this movie, and if you have never liked it or never watched it due to the reputation it has, give it a watch, trust me, this is a fun time!
