Less than a week ago we talked about the impending addition to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, which was to once again star Eddie Murphy and will be directed by the much-maligned Brett Ratner.
Personally, I’m not a Ratner hater, but this news is going to be like throwing bloody fish bait into a shark tank for those who do:
It seems that Beverly Hills Cop 4 is being targeted to kids. Specifically, 10-12 year olds.
Says Ratner:
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“10-year-old kids, 12-year-old kids don’t really know the old ‘Beverly Hills Cop.’ So it’s an opportunity to make it new for kids, the same way it felt for me watching ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ when I was a kid, that’s what I want to do for kids today.”
If you’re not familiar with the existing films (the first two of which were pretty damned funny and action-packed), they were R-rated, violent, F-bomb laced extravaganzas - back in the days before Eddie Murphy became “family friendly” and still made movies that were funny as hell. I applaud Murphy’s motives: After becoming a father he wanted to make only movies that his kids could watch. The problem is that for the most part those movies have been awful.
From Ratner’s quote I can’t imagine that he’s planning on making an R-rated movie and encouraging parents to bring the kids. I also can’t see him retaining ANY of the spirit of the original and making this PG… so they must be aiming for that magical and ever-popular PG-13 rating.
The only positive I can think of is that Live Free or Die Hard still managed to be pretty fun even with the PG-13. Of course that doesn’t really have any direct bearing on this movie… so I don’t even know why I mentioned it. 
For more details head over to MTV at the link below.
Source: MTV
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13 Comments
I loved the first 2 , hated the 3rd and I must say that aiming a new BHC movie at 10 yr olds will be the final nail in the coffin for this franchise.
damn.
I seriously wish death on Ratner.
Vic
Ok, this movie has officially gone to AWFUL. Such a shame too, because there really haven’t been any GREAT comedies to hit the theaters in a long time.
***crosses fingers and hope that “Zohan” is as funny as it looks***
Also, what the HELL was Ratner doing watching the original BHC when he was 10??? That movie is HARDLY appropriate for a 10 yr old. I happen to have loved the first 2 BHC movies, but I think that by dumbing it down to 4-6th graders, he’s going to totally lose the audience who would go see it.
Plenty of laugh out loud moments in that one.
Vic
oh man,
stupid executives who don’t deserve to have the jobs they have ruin it for everyone (like X-men 3!)
Why bring back and old series for a sequel with the same main character and change the entire style that made it successful?
This is just backstabbing the series. You can’t make a sequel to 3 movies without being part of that same theme of those 3 movies. Too bad Eddie has signed up for this, too bad…
greets,
Steven
Forgive me the pun, but Beverly Hills Cop for kids? I smell a Rat-ner!
ZAR.
BHC was the first movie I saw on our first VCR. Of course I only saw the first 15 minutes or so ’cause my mom came back and heard the language and said turn it off and take it back. Oh, the memories
INK
If a movie has Eddie Murphy in it, I will not watch, rent or buy it. Unless it was made 15 or so years ago. BHC 4 forget it, count me out.
Doesnt Hollywood have any creativity? All that seems to come out is a sequel, I guess being over 40 does have some advantages, like entertainment with creativity. (when movies didn’t have numbers in the title, with a couple of exceptions of course.)
One exception for me, I cant wait for ST11, I will be there opening weekend.
Good work Vic, like the sunrise, I can count on a screen rant email almost everyday, with good reading.
Yeah,
Like most of you, I LOVED the first two BHC movies and DESPISED the third one! With all the heroes returning to the big screen, I was actually excited about a fourth installment into this franchise, even when I heard Ratner was directing it. But that whole aimed at 10-12 year olds is really killing the buzz for me.
After all, we’ll be watching the movie to see Axel Foley, and let’s face it….10-12 isn’t really Axel’s style. Just look at the one that took place in Wally Land or wherever the hell that was.
(I don’t remember, only saw it once.)
Ross
I thought the news about Seth Rogan as the Green Hornet was perhaps the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, but it appears that in fact THIS is perhaps the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
“10-year-old kids, 12-year-old kids donât really know the old ‘Beverly Hills Cop.’ So it’s an opportunity to make it new for kids”
Oh really? Awesome that’s a great idea. Market a sequel film to people that have no ties to the previous films. Besides the blantantly stupid side of this issue, there’s the whole side of the older films that have to be taken into account. If kids are introduced to this one they’ll want to see the old ones, which are the “bad influence” films, so how is making this one for kids (aka PG) going to alter that?? Just call it something other than BHC4. There’s no reason to. It’s hilarious because everyone thought he’d have a chance to redeem the last decade of his career by returning to his roots.
The only way this movie will return Murphy to his roots is if we see Axel Foley buying Just For Men Hair Color to touch up those nasty gray hairs….
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