It looks like the heat is on. Again. Eddie Murphy, most likely encouraged by the current success of resurrecting '80s action movie franchises, has asked for his chance to cash in with Beverly Hills Cop 4. And Paramount, most likely encouraged by the amount of money to be made off of aging '80s action heroes, was more than happy to oblige. So now they're in talks with a certain much-maligned director to helm it: Brett Ratner.

The first question, of course, is why another Beverly Hills Cop? Why not? The first two were pretty great and Eddie has still got it, when he has the script to back him up. And while the third film was a complete turkey, one could also say the same for the third Rambo film, the fifth Rocky, and, if you're in a cranky mood, maybe the third Die Hard and Terminator movies (although I am not that cranky fellow). And yet those films have all spawned successful series or sequels.

But then there's the big question. Is Ratner right for the job? Hell. Yes. Look, there's a lot that can be said about the Rat. You can talk about his anemic crime film After the Sunset. You could harp on the sheer awfulness of X-Men 3. You can even talk about not liking what he did with Red Dragon (although I know a couple of folks who argue that this was more Edward Norton's fault than the Rat's). But don't you dare talk trash about the Rush Hour movies.

If there's one thing Ratner knows how to do, it is direct funny police procedural action films. He's especially good at working with over-the-top personalities. With the right script and a fun take on what Axel Foley is up to these days, I would love to see the character back on the big screen again with Ratner getting his back. Eddie still knows how to deliver a line and Ratner knows all about how to structure a solid action setpiece, so I can't really think of a better team to do this, short of Bruckheimer coming back (he's claiming hands-off this time) and bringing Michael Bay with him. (Bay's tied up with Transformers 2, and if my gut and instincts are right, will move on to a third as well.) So sure. Bring it on.

But if they don't bring back Judge Reinhold, heads are gonna get busted.

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