Comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eddie-murphy">Eddie Murphy</a> is going to become family with his friend and co-star, fellow <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">comedic actor </a>Martin Lawrence.
Murphy’s son, Eric Murphy, proposed to Martin&#8217;s daughter, Jasmin Lawrence, last week, the happy couple announced in a video shared on Instagram over the weekend.
The video includes the song “Spend My Life with You” by Eric Benét playing in the background. It shows a room decorated with candles and roses, and a floor covered in flower petals. The video then cuts to Jasmin walking into the room to see the setup.
Eric got down on one knee and held out the ring box, to which Jasmine said, “It’s beautiful. Oh my gosh,” and then, “Yes!” Eric and Jasmin celebrated their engagement with a kiss at the end.  
“We’re engaged!! God truly blessed us with a love that feels like destiny,&#8221; the Instagram post caption says. 
“We couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter,” it continues. “Special thank you to everyone who made this moment so beautiful!!&#8221;
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDAa7PxSQZF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jasmin Page Lawrence (@jasmin_lawrence)</a>
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Jasmin discussed how the pair met during a conversation with InTouch Weekly in 2022. &#8220;It wasn&#8217;t even our dads, and they&#8217;ve done two movies together, they&#8217;re friends,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OYbx4LFg2Y">said</a> at the time, adding that her uncle was responsible for making the match.
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&#8220;We became really good friends because we bonded on a lot of things,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;And over time, it just, you know, became more.&#8221;
Lawrence joked about the couple during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2022, saying they were going to have &#8220;a comedy super-baby&#8221; in the future, per <a href="https://people.com/eddie-murphy-son-eric-martin-lawrence-daughter-jasmin-engaged-8549264">People</a>. 
&#8220;We haven&#8217;t talked about it,&#8221; Lawrence said at the time about his and Murphy’s reaction to the couple. &#8220;We kind of just stay out of their business and let them do their own thing, and respect their thing.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m gonna try to get Eddie to pay for it,&#8221; he quipped about the potential of a wedding.
Murphy responded publicly, <a href="https://popculture.com/celebrity-couples/news/eddie-murphy-shuts-down-martin-lawrence-over-paying-daughters-wedding/">telling</a> Canadian outlet Etalk, &#8220;That&#8217;s not how it goes.&#8221;
&#8220;My daughter [Bria] just got married, and I had to pay — really had to pay,&#8221; the comedian said. &#8220;You have to do the same, Martin.&#8221;
&#8220;Don&#8217;t try to switch it up — don&#8217;t try to change no sh**, do no Hollywood switch,&#8221; Murphy went on. &#8220;You&#8217;re paying for the wedding. If it goes down, Martin is paying. And the wedding better be wonderful.”

Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence

Eddie Murphy’s Son Gets Engaged To Martin Lawrence’s Daughter: ‘Feels Like Destiny’

Eddie Murphy's Son Gets Engaged To Martin Lawrence's Daughter: 'Feels Like Destiny'

Celebrities

comedian

Comedy

Eddie Murphy

Entertainment

Hollywood

U.S.

Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise have more in common than you think.
Both became superstars in the 1980s and haven’t left the A-list since. Each is in his early 60s (Cruise is 62, Murphy is 63) but looks much younger.
They also resurrected their classic ‘80s films for a new audience with grand results.
Murphy’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” isn’t the revelation that Cruise’s 2022 smash “Top Gun: Maverick” proved. Plus, the former debuted on Netflix, not in theaters nationwide.
Still, both films brought back that Reagan-era feeling while telling stories worth a fresh look. Neither apologizes for the past. Instead, they celebrate it.
<div id="attachment_759415" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-759415" class="wp-image-759415 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-f-vv-1024x426.jpg" alt="Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix. Copyright 2024. Netflix, Inc. Copyright 2024“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”. Eddie Murphy, John Ashton, and Judge Reinhold." width="1024" height="426" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-f-vv-1024x426.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-f-vv-300x125.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-f-vv-768x320.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-f-vv-1536x639.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-f-vv.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix. Copyright 2024. Netflix, Inc.</div>
It’s been 30 years since Axel Foley walked the beat. “Beverly Hills Cop 3” unofficially ended the franchise and good riddance. The formula was played out by then, and Murphy’s outsized talents deserved better.
Murphy wouldn’t let the character go, even mulling a TV incarnation with a younger star taking the reins as Axel’s son (Murphy would appear in the first episode and potentially pop up now and again).
He finally re-teamed with his old producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, for “Axel F.” Except we’ve been here before.
The 2021 Prime Video original “Coming 2 America” followed up on the actor’s other ‘80s comedy smash. The sequel packed little of “Coming to America’s” magic, swapping woke bromides for Murphy-sized guffaws.
Hard pass.
So a new “Beverly Hills Cop” project aroused more than just suspicion. Try desperation.
“Maverick” proved you can‘t ground a talent like Cruise. The same holds true for Murphy who knows Axel remains his signature role.
Screenwriters Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten concocted an excuse to lure Axel back to Beverly Hills where the cop is no longer a fish-out-of-water. His grown daughter Jane (Taylour Paige, excellent) is in trouble. She’s defending a young Latino man charged with killing a cop, but she suspects he’s innocent
That reveals another round of “Dirty Cop 101” along with an unctuous detective played by Kevin Bacon.
<div id="attachment_759419" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-759419" class="wp-image-759419 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-hbn-1024x425.jpg" alt="Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix. Copyright 2024. Netflix, Inc. Copyright 2024“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”. Eddie Murphy, Kevin Bacon, John Ashton." width="1024" height="425" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-hbn-1024x425.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-hbn-300x124.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-hbn-768x318.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-hbn-1536x637.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/axel-hbn.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix. Copyright 2024. Netflix, Inc.</div>
Why does “Axel F” follow in the grand “Maverick” tradition?
For starters, neither bows to the woke mob. “Maverick” played it straight down the middle, avoiding the culture wars entirely. “Axel F” acknowledges the story exists in 2024 but it plays out sans lectures or gags that take you out of the moment.
When Axel teases a white cop on a racially-charged gag, his smile tells us he isn’t serious. It’s all in good fun.
Even Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character, a more sensitive cop for our times who briefly tells Axel his style no longer plays in today’s culture, learns that old-school approach gets results.
Both films understand why we cared about the main characters in the first place. Maverick may not play by the rules, but his spine is stiff and his moral compass points true north. Axel can talk his way out of any jam, and his police improvisations would make MacGyver blush.
It’s all about collaring the bad guys.
Neither “Maverick” nor “Axel F” deify our heroes. Cruise’s Maverick remains a hot head, and his romantic stumbles aren’t lost on his new love interest, Penny (Jennifer Connelly). Axel’s estranged relationship with his daughter didn’t happen accidentally. He’s a great cop and a misguided parent. He couldn’t navigate the balance between divorce and catching the bad guys.
Jane’s anger at her father appears justified, and “Axel F” isn’t ready to sweep it away for convenience’s sake. He must earn her trust again.
“Maverick” and “Axel F” teem with nostalgic throwbacks. The former brings Iceman (Val Kilmer) back for a bittersweet coda, and we see images of the late Goose (Anthony Edwards) to spark our tear ducts.
“Axel F” features the boyish Billy (now a 60-something Judge Reinhold), Taggart (John Ashton) and, of course, Serge (Bronson Pinchot).
<div id="attachment_759421" style="width: 894px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-759421" class="size-large wp-image-759421" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2158535205-884x576.jpg" alt="BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 20: Bronson Pinchot, Judge Reinhold, Eddie Murphy, John Ashton and Paul Reiser attend Los Angeles premiere of Netflix's &quot;Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F&quot; at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on June 20, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kayla Oaddams/WireImage)" width="884" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2158535205-884x576.jpg 884w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2158535205-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2158535205-768x500.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2158535205.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px" />Kayla Oaddams/WireImage</div>
We even see glimpses of the previous “Cop” movies via a case files montage.
The films also boldly replays the greatest hits from the ‘80s, witness “Danger Zone,” “Neutron Dance” and, of course, “The Heat Is On.” Great pop songs never go out of style.
Murphy and Cruise didn’t want to embarrass themselves with these belated sequels. Both are hands-on talent at this point, serving as producers on their requisite films. They likely realized playing to the increasingly small woke audience would not only diminish the films in question but, perhaps, their legacies.
Murphy, in particular, may have realized why making “Coming 2 America” woke did him and the film few favors.
You don’t stay relevant in Hollywood for four decades without connecting with the American public. These stars instinctively knew we wanted to spend more time with Maverick and Axel again, but not in a way that diminished our memories.
We feel the need for nostalgia, and “Maverick” and “Axel F” deliver.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

axel fffs

‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,’ ‘Maverick,’ And The Return Of The Reagan ’80s

'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,' 'Maverick,' And The Return Of The Reagan '80s

Movies

Netflix

Readers Pass

Tom Cruise

From your favorite Oscar-winning stars on the big screen to famed singers and even an Olympic gold medalist, many celebrities and stars were adopted or spent time in foster care at one point in their lives.
As Angel Studios and The Daily Wire look forward to the upcoming inspirational movie “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dailywire-strikes-deal-with-angel-studios-for-sound-of-hope-get-showtimes-now">Sound of Hope</a>” — which tells the true story of how 77 children found homes after being adopted out of the foster care system in East Texas by 22 families — we found 10 celebrities who were adopted or spent time in foster care as young children.
DailyWire+ and Angel Studios announced earlier this month that they have entered into a partnership to release Peacetree Productions’ profoundly moving film “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” The film will be released in theaters on July 4th weekend.
<a href="https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot?utm_source=The+Daily+Wire&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_campaign=dailywire&amp;utm_content=dailywire&amp;codes=DAILYWIRE&amp;oid=35&amp;_ef_transaction_id=dee764931a7745c491a7dab741acd5df&amp;promo=dailywire">GET SHOWTIMES HERE FOR ‘SOUND OF HOPE’</a>
Nicole Richie
The list starts with reality TV star Nicole Richie, who at the age of 9, found a home thanks to singer Lionel Ritchie and his first wife, Brenda Harvey, according to <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/g3665/celebrities-who-were-adopted/">Marie Claire</a>.
Speaking to <a href="https://people.com/music/lionel-richie-reflects-on-adopting-daughter-nicole-with-first-wife/">People magazine</a> in 2022, the famous singer called Nicole a “Godsend” for their family.
“She was a little girl who needed a shot,&#8221; Richie said. &#8220;She was used to people coming and going. She looked at me, and I&#8217;d say, &#8216;I&#8217;m not going anywhere.'&#8221;
Faith Hill
Country singer Faith Hill has been burning up the charts now for decades, but who knows what her life would’ve been like if she hadn’t been adopted as an infant.
When the country star got older, Hill said she searched for her biological parents, though she called her adoptive ones “incredible,” <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g44548893/celebrities-who-were-adopted/">Esquire</a> reported.
&#8220;The first time I met [my birth mother], I just stared at her,&#8221; Hill <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/inspirational-stories/interviews/a15246/faith-hill-renewed-apr04/">said</a>. “I’d never seen anyone that looked anything like me. It was the awe of seeing someone you came from. It fills something.&#8221;
Sarah McLachlan
Another singer who was adopted is soulful Canadian singer and songwriter Sarah McLachlan, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/adopted-celebrities-2018-3#sarah-mclachlan-met-her-birth-mother-through-a-complete-coincidence-10">Business Insider</a> noted.
The singer was adopted, along with two other kids, by Jack and Dorice McLachlan. She was 9 years old when she learned about the adoption. 
Speaking to Parents magazine in 2005, McLachlan said, &#8220;When I think about my mother who raised me, you know, she&#8217;s my mother,” Business Insider reported. 
Marilyn Monroe
The late Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe spent time in foster care living in foster care homes until the age of 7 when her mom’s best friend, Grace McKee, became her legal guardian, <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g44548893/celebrities-who-were-adopted/">Esquire magazine</a> noted.
However, things were not smooth for her right away and the young star bounced between orphanages and McKee’s home until the age of 11, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/adopted-celebrities-2018-3#marilyn-monroe-bounced-around-the-california-foster-care-system-due-to-her-birth-mothers-inability-to-care-for-her-3">Business Insider</a>.
At one point, she also ended up moving in with her great-aunt Olive, before she got married at the age of 16 to neighbor James Dougherty.
Jamie Foxx
Comedian and actor Jamie Foxx was adopted when he was just seven months old by his own mother&#8217;s adoptive parents, Estelle and Mark Tally, after Foxx&#8217;s parents separated, according to <a href="https://people.com/all-about-jamie-foxx-parents-8421883#:~:text=When%20his%20mom%20realized%20she,and%20became%20his%20primary%20caretakers.">People</a>. 
In his 2021 memoir “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Act-Like-You-Some-Sense/dp/1538703289">Act Like You Got Some Sense</a>,” Foxx opened up about his childhood and wrote that his grandparents adopted him because his mom “was not ready for the responsibility of parenting.”
He also talked about being raised in Texas by his strict but loving grandmother and said, “She was an educator for 30 years, a very smart woman, raised our city.”
Melissa Gilbert
To most people, Melissa Gilbert is the famed star who got her start on “Little House on the Prairie.” But before she graced the small screen, Gilbert was a baby without a home.
At one day old, the actress was adopted by a “well-known Hollywood family,” the “<a href="https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/adopted-celebrities-rcna124978">Today</a>” show noted. In the 1990s, she began a search for her biological parents after she gave birth to her son. She soon learned that her mom had passed away, but found her dad. 
In 2010, Gilbert wrote <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Tale-Memoir-Melissa-Gilbert/dp/1416599177">“Prairie Tale: A Memoir</a>” and opened up about being adopted and eventually learning the crazy story of who her birth parents were and why they couldn’t raise her.
Simone Biles
Before Simone Biles became a household name after winning numerous Olympic gold medals, she was placed in foster care as a child when her mom couldn’t take care of her and her three siblings, the “<a href="https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/adopted-celebrities-rcna124978">Today</a>” show noted.
She was eventually adopted by her grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles. In a letter to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/05/opinions/foster-care-education-olympics-opinion-biles/index.html">CNN</a> in 2018, Biles discussed how she wouldn’t be where she is today if she hadn’t been adopted.
&#8220;My road to success began the day my grandfather and his wife officially adopted my sister and me,” Biles wrote. “My birth mother suffered from drug addiction, and when I was just three years old, my siblings and I were removed from her custody. 
“From there, we bounced around until I was six and my grandparents made the brave move to adopt us,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Finding a family made me feel like I mattered. Finding a passion, something I loved and was really good at, made me feel like I mattered.”
Eddie Murphy 
Famous actor and comedian <a href="https://www.capstonefostercare.co.uk/knowledge-centre/10-celebrities-who-grew-up-in-foster-care#:~:text=Eddie%20Murphy&amp;text=Five%20years%20later%2C%20Eddie%20learned,system%20for%20around%20a%20year.">Eddie Murphy</a> might not know what it’s like to be adopted, but he did spend his childhood growing up in the foster care system, something he now credits with helping him hone his comedic skills.
At the age of 3, Murphy’s parents divorced and five years later his mom was struggling financially to raise him and his dad had died. His mom ended up in the hospital for a lengthy period with an illness during which the actor and his brother were taken into the foster care system, where they spent the next year.
The comedian previously talked about his experience in foster care and credited it with helping him become the talent he is today, admitting that it gave him the ability to laugh in any situation.
Cher
Hollywood star Cher — born Cherilyn Sarkisian — knows what it’s like to be adopted. When she was just 10 months old her parents divorced. Her mother later married bank manager Gilbert LaPiere, who would adopt Cher and her half-sister Georganne.
The 77-year-old singer is currently dating 38-year-old Alexander “AE” Edwards and the two have reportedly talked about having a family through adoption. 
“She’s telling AE it’s her dream in life to have another baby,” a source recently told <a href="https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/cher-considering-adopting-with-boyfriend-alexander-edwards/">InTouch Weekly</a>. “She missed the boat on freezing eggs and hiring a surrogate but <a href="https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/slideshow/2644578/celebrities-adopted-children/?utm_source=instagramstory&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=editorial">adoption </a>is something she very much would like to do.”
Ray Liotta
Before Liotta made it big in Hollywood as our favorite bad guy in gangster movies like “Goodfellas” he went through his own personal drama about being adopted.
The late star was adopted by Mary and Alfred Liotta when he was just six months old.
Liotta struggled during his lifetime about being adopted and wondering why his parents gave him up. But before his death in 2022, he talked about how grateful he was for the parents who adopted him and how he’d come to peace with the ones who let him go, <a href="https://people.com/movies/ray-liotta-made-peace-birth-parents-adoption-exclusive/">People magazine</a> reported.
“After years, you grow up, and you just see the pattern of things,” Liotta said. I&#8217;ve definitely developed more patience. Now I&#8217;m grateful for my health. And being born. For my parents that adopted me. I mean, it could have gone a lot of different ways.”

Faith Hill/Jamie Foxx/Marilyn Monroe

10 Celebrities Who Were Adopted Or Spent Time In Foster Care

Adoption

Cher

Faith Hill

Foster Care

Jamie Foxx

Nicole Richie

Simone Biles

Mel Brooks teased sequels to both “Spaceballs” and “History of the World, Part 1” back in the ‘80s.
The former made its intentions clear in tongue-in-cheek fashion – “Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money,&#8221; Brooks’ character said in the film.
The 97-year-old funnyman is finally making good on his promises, but the results threaten a legacy up until now has remained bulletproof.
The same holds for other aging stars who can’t let their signature franchises go.
Brooks. Mel Gibson. Danny Glover. Eddie Murphy.
Their quest to revive long-dormant IPs could remind us why we loved them in the first place. Or, more likely, they’ll make us wish they left well enough alone.
<div id="attachment_753793" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753793" class="wp-image-753793 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156851870-864x576.jpg" alt="BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 09: Mel Brooks poses for a portrait during the 2024 Peabody Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on June 09, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Peabody Awards)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156851870-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156851870-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156851870-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2156851870.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Peabody Awards</div>
Brooks’ legacy has remained certified gold despite the occasional clunker (“Dracula: Dead and Loving It,” “Life Stinks”). His big-screen classics like “The Producers,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles” remind us of a time when comedy had no guardrails.
Funny was funny, and no one did it better than Brooks. His “Producers” revival on the Great White Way only polished his gleaming brand.
He’s still vibrant and funny in his 90s, but he recently decided to revisit “History of the World Part I” for a modern generation.
Uh oh.
The result? Hulu’s multi-episode “History of the World Part 2,” created by comics eager to add their woke bromides into warped historical takes. Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes and Nick Kroll couldn’t duplicate Brooks’ old-school wit. Instead, they inserted lectures along with a black Jesus (Jay Ellis) and Mary Magdalene (Zazie Beetz).
Is anyone still talking about the 2023 series? Will it be rewatched as aggressively as Brooks’ version? Sadly, Brooks served as a producer and narrator on the sequel series. 
That comes to mind as news of a “Spaceballs” sequel hit the news. Josh Gad of “Frozen” fame will co-write and star in the film, also to be produced by Brooks.
The original “Spaceballs” proved hit or miss, but characters like Pizza the Hut and Barf, the Chewbacca riff played by John Candy, became part of comedy lore. The film also arrived as “Star Wars” fever still gripped the culture.
Today, “Star Wars” is mostly a punchline.
If Team “Spaceballs” leans into the Disney “Star Wars” era and its heavy-handed agenda, it could have a solid satirical base. We’ll see.
Eddie Murphy is much younger than Brooks, but at 63 he’s also returning to the saga that made him a superstar. The Netflix original “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (July 3) brings Murphy’s fast-talking hero back alongside some familiar franchise faces &#8211; Judge Reinhold, John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot.
<div id="attachment_753795" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753795" class="size-large wp-image-753795" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/EM-f-1024x426.jpg" alt="Eddie Murphy and John Ashton in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)PeopleEddie Murphy, John Ashton TitlesBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Netf - © 2024 Netflix, Inc." width="1024" height="426" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/EM-f-1024x426.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/EM-f-300x125.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/EM-f-768x319.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/EM-f-1536x639.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/EM-f-2048x852.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Melinda Sue Gordon/Netf. IMDB. Copyright 2024 Netflix, Inc.</div>
The franchise’s two sequels made money but proved shadows of the cutting original. The latest sequel has been teased for some time, but now it’s a streaming title, skipping theaters entirely.
That alone feels wrong.
Plus, the shadow of “Coming 2 America” hangs heavily over the project. That belated sequel, another streaming original (Prime Video), lacked the humor and heart of the original. It, too, bowed to the Woke Gods in its alleged yuks.
Will “Axel F” improve on that model or sink to its lows?
Murphy is a relative rookie compared to Danny Glover. The veteran actor, nearing his 78th birthday, will reprise his role as Det. Roger Murtaugh in a fifth “Lethal Weapon” film.
So says 68-year-old Mel Gibson, set to star and direct in the latest installment of the action franchise. The last film in the saga hit theaters in 1998. Gibson said the latest installment is an homage to late director Richard Donner who helmed the previous installments.
<div id="attachment_753797" style="width: 766px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753797" class="size-large wp-image-753797" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2121179074-756x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 28: Danny Glover speaks onstage at the 2024 A Great Night In Harlem Gala at The Apollo Theater on March 28, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)" width="756" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2121179074-756x576.jpg 756w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2121179074-300x229.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2121179074-768x585.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-2121179074.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px" />Arturo Holmes/Getty Images</div>
Gibson is still mending fences following his infamous, antisemitic meltdown. Glover works regularly, but he hasn’t anchored in a film in some time.
The irony?
The 1987 original featured Glover’s classic line, “I’m too old for this s***,” which he uttered when he was roughly 40. What will he say this time?
Age is a common denominator in all of the above, but it doesn’t imply great art can’t be made by older artists. Nor are belated sequels necessarily a bad idea. Yes, we didn’t need “Zoolander 2,” but “Anchorman 2” didn’t embarrass its fan base.
Even better was Martin Scorsese’s belated sequel to “The Hustler,” 1986’s “The Color of Money.” Pairing Paul Newman with Tom Cruise proved worth the wait.
The best stars learn how to age gracefully. Clint Eastwood has directed several excellent films, including “Sully” and “American Sniper,” in his golden years.
<div id="attachment_753799" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753799" class="size-large wp-image-753799" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint--864x576.jpg" alt="Clint Eastwood in Juror #2. Clint Eastwood. Juror #2. Warner Bros." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint--864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint--300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint--768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint--1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint--1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint--1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Clint-.jpg 2008w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Clint Eastwood in Juror #2. Clint Eastwood. Juror #2. Warner Bros.</div>
The stars of the “Bad Boys” franchise, 50-somethings Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, have factored Father Time in with their more recent adventures. Lawrence’s character nearly expires in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” but the film uses the plot point to great comic effect.
Age has added both gravitas and gravity to a silly saga, and it’s a better series as a result.
Still, older stars risk not only embarrassing themselves in projects from their youth but diminishing their creative legacies in the process. 
The search for more cash can be addictive, but celebrities should proceed with extreme caution.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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