Why Beverly Hills Cop 4 Has A Random Happy Gilmore Cameo
Mark Molloy's "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" succeeds in large part because it is unabashedly formulaic in a way many mainstream programmers are afraid to be nowadays (though we're not all fans here at /Film). Yes, superhero movies and four-quadrant family entertainments contain obligatory elements like Easter eggs for the properties' hardcore fan base and mid- or post-credit scenes to juice excitement for the next installment, but, narratively, the brand managers (i.e. filmmakers) feel a need to overdeliver. It's no longer enough to deliver a simple, well-told story. This is how ephemeral studio/streaming tentpoles wind up with bloated runtimes and obscenely inflated budgets. When viewers look up from their phones to check in on "Red Notice," they expect to see something of significance happening.
"Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F," which mercifully clocks in a shade under two hours (with credits), has its share of fan service, but story-wise, Molloy and his screenwriters zip from scene to scene with pleasing efficacy. Per the old writing maxim I've seen attributed to everyone from Julius Epstein to Vladimir Nabokov, the film is a steady progression of getting Axel Foley up a tree, throwing rocks at him, and getting him down the tree. What makes the formula sing, in this instance, is Eddie Murphy's off-the-cuff comedic invention (though that's been cleverly modified in this sequel).
So, it's surprising when Molloy makes a weird detour deep into the film to drop in an Easter egg wholly unrelated to the "Beverly Hills Cop" universe. And while the credits list Christopher McDonald's character as "Golfer," every single "Happy Gilmore" knows the irate linksman who dresses Foley down for crashing a helicopter adjacent to the putting green is none other than Shooter McGavin.
Does Happy Gilmore exist in the Beverly Hills Cop universe?
The idea of McGavin turning up in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" does make in-house sense for the Netflix-financed film. The streamer has a production deal with "Happy Gilmore" star/producer/co-writer Adam Sandler, and recently announced that a sequel is forthcoming.
So, is McDonald's appearance a bit of shameless promotion? In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Molloy swore that he had no idea "Happy Gilmore 2" was happening. He just wanted to cast McDonald as a fan of the 1996 comedy classic. Per Molloy:
"I was talking with Mary Vernieu, our casting director, about the golfer role that we knew we had, and I said, 'I'd love a great cameo.' So we started talking about it, and then we were like, 'Christopher McDonald!? Oh, yes! That would be amazing.' And fans love it. I've heard the reaction when people see Chris come on the screen, and it's just a really fun cameo. So there's no bigger story behind it, apart from me wanting to have some fun."
Will Axel Foley and Happy Gilmore perform a feat of Netflix synergy?
I would love to hear an audience go wild for this out-of-left-field cameo, but, alas, Netflix isn't screening "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" outside of New York City and Los Angeles (at Netflix-owned repertory theaters). As for the scene itself, it's hilariously extraneous, but McDonald is a welcome presence in any film regardless of which character he's playing. It's a bit like Hugh Hefner turning up in "Beverly Hills Cop II" during the Playboy Mansion sequence: unexpected, but oddly amusing.
Speaking of cameos, we know Sandler loves casting random celebrities in his movies (like Michael Buffer as the big bad guy in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan"), so perhaps Eddie will return the favor and pop up in "Happy Gilmore 2." Don't act like you wouldn't love to see these two beloved comedy superstars, both of whom launched their careers at "Saturday Night Live," share the screen together for the first time.
"Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" is now streaming on Netflix.