Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Back in 1995 Will Smith and Martin Lawrence teamed up in Bad Boys. A movie that defined the action genre at the time, it spawned a sequel in 2003 before seemingly being laid to rest. But looking to win back fans after a series of film flops, Smith and Lawrence brought this much-beloved cop duo back to the big screen with Bad Boys For Life. Trying to attract a younger audience they teamed up with younger actors (Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Charles Melton) and they succeeded in bringing in viewers so much that they’ve made Bad Boys Ride or Die. But is it worth a trip to the cinema to see? Seedoeatreview went along to check it out with surprising results.
The old man jokes begin right at the start of this film as Marcus (Martin Lawrence) and Mike (Will Smith) argue about the healthy diet that the former is supposed to be eating. Of course, Marcus ignores these warnings and, after a minor heart attack, literally sees the light. Seeing the now-deceased Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) in a vision, Marcus believes that there was something even more sinister to his assassination (which happened in Bad Boys 3). This causes Mike to look into this puzzling theory, with a visit to his son in a maximum-security prison (also in Bad Boys 3) the first step in his agenda. As you’d expect, something is quite not right in this case, and as these bad boys get closer to finding the answers, they get framed for murders that they didn’t commit. What comes next is a chase around Miami as the FBI tries to bring in Marcus and Mike dead or alive, while they continue the hunt for the real killers by bringing in some old friends. But as they soon realise, there are not many people they can trust!
THE GOOD
I’ll admit, my expectations for this film were low, but the longer it ran the more I enjoyed it. There’s nothing new or groundbreaking in the ‘fugitives on the run’ storyline, but the action, characters and fast-paced cuts kept me riveted to the screen, with the side characters helping to carry the load for the aging Smith and Lawrence. By no means is it a perfect film, it is still one of the better action movies of the last few years.
THE BAD
It’s almost as if the writers of this movie had a template for the storyline. Have some Smith and Lawrence banter, then some action, more Smith and Lawrence banter followed by more action, rinse and repeat a further half a dozen times. That might have all been well and good for Bad Boys 1 and 2, but in Bad Boys Ride or Die it becomes tiresome and unfunny. Old man jokes were done to death in the third film and in this fourth installment, it actually slows the pace of the film rather than pushing it forward. With the two main actors both nearing 60 years of age, it also appeared that the quick cuts and action sequences were given extra quick edits as Lawrence struggled to move at any deft pace and Smith is also starting to show his real age.
THE UGLY
As if some of the dialogue wasn’t cringey enough in Bad Boys Ride Or Die, viewers also had to put up with numerous pointless cameos throughout its two-hour running time. Michael Bay, DJ Khaleed and a kid from YouTube who got famous for shrugging (?!?!) are just a few of the many storyline-halting appearances that left me rolling my eyes.
The original Bad Boys movie was brilliant, the second one was fine while the third movie was forgettable. Surprisingly, Bad Boys Ride or Die is a much-needed return to form for this franchise. Yes, Smith and Lawrence’s schtick may be getting tiresome, but with new blood injected by Hudgens, Ludwig, Greene and Scipio, it’s an enjoyable flick that keeps it simple, doesn’t try to break any new ground and delivers on the action in a big way. Well worth a cinema watch!
FOUR GOOD BOYS OUT OF FIVE
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