Beverly Hills Cop 3 flopped, and Eddie Murphy has some thoughts on why.
Murphy believes the main issue was that Axel Foley, his character, didn’t have a personal stake in the story. He said, “Axel didn’t have any skin in the game.” This lack of investment made the plot less engaging for viewers, unlike the first two movies where Axel had strong personal motivations driving his actions.
I think characters need to care about what they’re doing for us to care too.
The third installment lacked the emotional depth and urgency that made the earlier films successful. Instead of focusing on Axel’s personal journey, the movie drifted into a more generic action-comedy territory. This shift left fans feeling disconnected from the character they once loved.
Sometimes, it’s like watching a cat trying to swim—awkward and out of place.
In essence, without Axel being deeply involved, the stakes felt low, and the excitement just wasn’t there.