Bad Boys For Life (2020) Review

Bad Boys For Life (2020) Review

 It's been 17 years since Bad Boys 2 came out and now we have the third film Bad Boys For Life and this is my opinion on the film. The premise of the film sees a hitman go after the cop duo which forces them to reunite and hit the streets again.

Main Character

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back together again and they haven't lost a touch, in fact this may be their best performances yet in this franchise. The film focuses more on Smith this time but it really works he is still the cocky but loveable police detective that you want to root for but in this film he really has to deal with some dramatic things and he does it really well and makes him a better all round main character. Lawrence is in a different place as a character but it also works for this film, there is a clear difference between the two characters in this film and it allows them to explore their friendship in greater detail. Also their chemistry together is once again really strong and it will keep you highly entertained throughout this exciting film.

Supporting Characters

Joe Pantoliano is back as the captain and he is actually given more screen time in this film and he is just really funny in this film, he is a great addition to this franchise and fits in excellently with the two leads of the film. But this film tries to add a group of new characters including Vanessa Hudgens and they just aren't interesting at all, they just feel like a roadblock to our main characters and it feels like they were just added to get some younger actors to be in some of the action scenes. Also, even though the motivations for the villains were fine the characters weren't particularly interesting and they weren't that compelling.

Story

In previous Bad Boys films the villains motivations have been very basic, but credit to this film that it tires to give the villains a reason for going against our main characters and I thought it was handled pretty well. Smith's journey throughout the film is also well handled and his character evolves as the film progresses which I would argue hasn't happened in the previous films. However, the last act is pretty cliche and by the numbers, it is a shame as the film tries but falls into a pretty basic conclusion that isn't that interesting.

Script

The script is actually really good in this film, the humour is there like the previous films, it had me laughing throughout. But what suprised me in particular was how well the drama was handled in this film, in previous Bad Boys reviews I always criticised the lack of drama but that is not a complaint in this film and I feel like this film has a great blend of humour and drama. 

Style

This film has really exciting and hard hitting action scenes, the films hand to hand combat is the best in the franchise and Will Smith delivers even when he is around the 50 years old range. You will be entertained as things explode and go a bit crazy for our characters, but for some reason this film felt much longer then it actually is. The action scenes sometimes go on for a bit long and the film's pacing does make the film drag a bit.

Overall

Overall this is a really fun film, I would argue it is the best Bad Boys film yet but it is just a good action film and nothing special, though if you are looking for a fun action film to watch then Bad Boys For Life is a good film to watch.

Rating - 7/10