Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) Review

After the entertaining Bad Boys: For Life came out a few years ago it was guaranteed that we would be getting a fourth film in the franchise and here it is in Bad Boys: Ride or Die and I saw it today with this being my review. The premise of the film sees Mike & Marcus on the run after their former Captain is accused of working with the Cartels. 

Main Character

Will Smith as Mike Lowry and Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett are what carries this film and the chemistry that they have together. They both look like they are having a blast and their enthusiasm and energy is what I really enjoyed. Though, I can't deny that both characters have story arcs and they both come out of nowhere and are a bit bizarre and hold the movie and these characters back. 

Supporting Characters

Paola Nunez makes her return as Rita and I enjoyed her character, she is an old ally of Mike's and she has taken over the captains role and I thought she gave a pretty solid performance and I enjoyed watching her. 

But the rest of the cast aren't great, Jacob Scipio is back as Armando and this guy has very little charisma and intrigue about him. This comes after a bland performance in the previous film and it just seems this guy can't live up to the hype of taking over from Will Smith which this film possibly wants. 

Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly and Alexander Ludwig as Dorn return for this film in a clearly reduced role and they are pretty much given nothing to do except being some low level comic relief which doesn't really work when the main duo are way more entertaining. 

The film really wastes the talent of Ioan Gruffudd and Rhea Seehorn with these generic characters when they are capable of so much better. Seehorn in particular is an amazing actress with her work as Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul being Emmy worthy, hopefully she gets better roles then this in the future. 

Story

The previous film tries to tell a more personal story and had some success but this film falls flat on its face. There is one scene at the beginning of the film that takes away the whole intrigue for the film and I wish it never happened as it would make the film much better. Both main characters story arcs are dumb and the villains motivation is basically money which is super dull and made me not really care about anything that happened to anybody in this film as it was incredibly predictable. 

Script

There is no denying that this film has some pretty chuckle worthy moments and I think I was doing this pretty consistently throughout the film which was nice to see. But some repetitive jokes fall a bit flat and really aren't as funny as the writers think they are. Also the drama is really not there, as I said I never really cared about any of the characters towards the end and the weaker script doesn't help. 

Style

The style of the film is pretty similar, there are some good high octane action scenes that are a lot of fun and in particular I love the sound of the guns and loud they are, it makes it feel like you are in the action scenes. However, there are other action scenes where the camera is shaking everywhere and I couldn't tell what was going on, there is also one scene where for some reason they try to make it look like a video game and it looks incredibly cheap and tacky. 

Overall

Overall, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a below average film that for me is the worst of the franchise. It can't follow up from the previous film and this is probably the end of this franchise and that is probably a good thing. If you are a fan of this franchise, maybe wait until it goes on streaming, if not then give it a miss. 

Rating - 4/10

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

Bad Boys 2 (2003) Review

Bad Boys 2 (2003) Review

 So after watching the first Bad Boys film, it is now time to watch Bad Boys 2 so this is my opinion on this film. The premise of the film sees our two heroes have to bust a drug cartel. 

Main Character

Will Smith & Martin Lawrence are so good in their roles in these Bad Boys films, their chemistry is off the charts and you feel like they are legitimate friends in this film. Their characters have a bit more tension in this film but it is when they are bantering it is so entertaining to watch and it makes you really care about what is going on to them.

Supporting Characters

Joe Pantoliano is back as the captain and his role is slightly smaller in this film but again he is really funny in the role and I just liked his dynamic with Lawrence and Smith. However, I wasn't a big fan of anybody else in the film, Gabrielle Union plays Smith's girlfriend in the film and she just doesn't do much in the film. Her character is pretty bland and I felt like she caused unnecessary tension between the two main characters that didn't really need to be there. Similar to the first film the bad guy is just really bland and boring, he is just a guy they have to take down and you don't really care why they have to take him down. This film even wastes the great Peter Stormare by giving him a by the numbers basic role in the film. 

Story

This film's story tries to add some emotional depth to the main characters but they botch it really, it doesn't really go anywhere in the film and it doesn't really add depth to the characters. Also as mentioned the plot isn't exactly exciting as the bad guys are so generic that the stakes don't feel particularly high and I just didn't really care about it, plus the ending is pretty abrupt with more questions needing to be answered.

Script

The humour in this fim is pretty much as good as the first film and had me laughing quite a bit as Lawrence and Smith have excellent chemistry together and really bring the laughs to the film. But as mentioned before the drama just falls short even though there is a genuine attempt to make it work in this film it just misses the target and it doesn't make you care about the characters problems.

Style

The action scenes in this film are really good, maybe a bit too much slow mo used but it is fun and exciting to watch both the gun fights and the car chases in this film, plus I liked the different locations used in this film, it made it feel different from the first film. However, the pacing of this film is just all over the place, I couldn't believe this film was 2 hours and 30 mins, easily a half an hour could have been cut from the film and nobody would have complained and the film would have been much better.

Overall

Overall this is a pretty average action movie, it is not as good as the original and a pretty by the numbers films. The main characters chemistry is what holds the film up but it is not enough to save this film from being a pretty forgettable experience.

Rating - 5/10

Bad Boys (1995) Review

Bad Boys (1995) Review

 In preparation for Bad Boys For Life, I have decided to rewatch both Bad Boys and Bad Boys 2. So to start with the first Bad Boys film and this is my opinion on this film. The premise of the film sees two cops have to protect a witness and track down a shipment of drugs they had previously tracked down.

Main Character

This film has two leads in this film and they are both great, Martin Lawrence & Will Smith plays the leads in the film and they have brilliant chemistry together. They really carry this film to make it better then it really has any right to be for a generic action film, they are both hilarious and you can tell Smith was poised to go onto huge things in the industry. 

Supporting Characters

Joe Pantoliano plays the police captain in this film and I thought he was actually really good in the film, he fit his role really well and I thought he had a fun dynamic with Smith & Lawrence. Tea Leoni plays the witness in the film and she does a good job in the film, she is an interesting character in the film and she wasn't just a one dimensional female character and fit the team very well. But an important part of a film like this is having an interesting and cool villain and this film doesn't have that. The villain is really boring and he has no clear motivation in the film to make him a credible or interesting threat for the good guys.

Story

The film has a good dynamic between the two leads and it is very entertaining watching them go on this investigation. But this film is very generic and fitting of the time, the side plots are dropped pretty quickly and it is very obvious where the film is going and how it is going to end. 

Script

The script is really funny, I was laughing quite a bit in this film as Smith and Lawrence spurt out really entertaining one liners and rise above what could have been seen as a cheesy script. But the drama when attempted just didn't quite hit for me and I didn't care about the drama that was going on in these guys lives I just wanted to watch them be entertaining and doing police work.

Style

The action scenes are very entertaining and seeing the gunfights makes this film feel maybe a bit more modern then it actually is. There are some old techniques used such as slow mo but it just fits for this film and I can't deny that I was engrossed when the action scenes were happening. 

Overall

Overall this is a very entertaining action film that sparked the buddy cop film really, it has been imitated plenty of times but this is a fun film that might be worth a watch if you enjoy fun action films.

Rating - 7/10