Scene of the Week: The Spider Rescue

While not always true, the third movie in a trilogy can sometimes be looked down upon because the premise has gotten stale or it just rehashes what the other films gave us. This is generally seen as the case in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise as Beverly Hills Cop III is the least beloved of the group. I can’t say I like it more than the other two, but I think it is worthy of being mentioned with the others. Eddie Murphy still has it as Axel Foley, Judge Reinhold is goofy as ever as Rosewood, Hector Elizondo is a good replacement for John Ashton, and I really enjoy the theme park setting. I even like the updated “Axel F” soundtrack. However, I understand it is not a perfect movie and comes across a little tame compared to the other two, but it is still a movie I watch every time I come across. 

This week’s Scene of the Week takes a look at a daring rescue at Wonder World that pretty much sums up Beverly Hills Cop III. Axel Foley is the hero saving the riders on the Spider, but instead of a great practical set piece (like the opening from the original) there is too much reliance on green screen intertwined with the superb stunt work and it takes the tension out of the audience and makes the scene hit and miss kind of like the reaction to the overall film. I don’t know about you though, but I do dig that updated soundtrack.