With the shortest turnaround between sequels, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is exploding onto cinema screens just 4 years after the unexpected runaway financial and critical success that was Bad Boys For Life – the third iteration in the action-packed, juvenilely hilarious Bad Boys franchise, headlined now for almost three decades by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
In the aftermath of Captain Howard’s death, a near-tragic brush with mortality for Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) leads to a spiritual awakening that heeds a warning from the other side for the Bad Boys – a storm is coming.
With a new lease on life, Marcus assumes the care-free, renegade personality that he’s spent the last 30 years criticising his best friend and detective partner, Mike Lowery (Will Smith) for having. All the while, Mike himself begins to understand Marcus’ former worries and concerns when he begins experiencing severe panic attacks, often in moments where he begins to think about the dangers of his job that overshadow his newfound family life.
However, the timing of their ‘Freaky Friday’ style personality swap terribly coincides with a recent revelation that their beloved police force father-figure, the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) may have been involved in a deep-web of political corruption alongside a cartel group run by Banker (Eric Dane), who has the Bad Boys in his firing line.
Believing these allegations to be untrue, Mike and Marcus must go against their own people to prove the Captain’s innocence, and pose the question – what happens when Miami’s finest become Miami’s most wanted?
Taking over the franchise’s directorial duties back in 2020 with Bad Boys For Life, Adil & Bilall’s kinetic style of direction, which involved dynamic, fast paced camera work, incredibly stylistic set pieces, and an overall manic energy really surprised audiences who thought that the insanity that is Bad Boys may have been exclusively a Michael Bay specialty.
Returning in the directors’ chair(s) for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Adil & Bilall once again prove that they are some of the most visually exciting filmmakers working in the action genre today. One of the film’s greatest strengths is the absolutely pulse-pounding set pieces, utilising neon-lit clubs, Florida swamplands, and in an ode to Bad Boys II, a solid freeway chase as just a few of the unique locations to pull of some wild action.
The bullets fly in abundance, the explosions radiate heat off the screen, and the hand-to-hand combat is at it’s most brutal. And while the choreography is perfectly stylised, Adil & Bilall frantically move the camera around the action to match the dynamic energy, with noticeably incredible use of drones and Steadicams to pull off what should be impossible shots to film, and with a healthy mix of odes to iconic shots of the series to appease the die-hard fans.
The standout aspect of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and the main reason this franchise is still as entertaining as it is 30-odd years later, is the chemistry and banter between Mike and Marcus, who without skipping a single beat, are brought to life again by Smith and Lawrence.
Both Smith and Lawrence have their shining comedic moments as Mike and Marcus continually bounce off each other with juvenile insults and criticisms that still evoke belly-laughs. However, it’s the sincere emotional journey that these characters have been on together over 4 films, and seeing how that has evolved through the performances that gives Bad Boys substance that a lot of action films that have attempted imitation have missed.
It’s obvious that Smith and Lawrence love these characters, love working with each other, and respect the idea that after 30 years, Mike and Marcus aren’t just the same cock-sure, gun-toting, slick motherf***ers that they were in Bad Boys. Seeing where their relationship is now in the story arc of the characters is a touching aspect of the film that draws the audience even more into their world. Honestly, it is probably a big reason why the action feels as tense as it does, and the humour lands so well.
As fun and wild as Bad Boys: Ride or Die is, continuing the legacy of the films preceding, this film probably has the weakest plot and villains of the franchise so far. The potential that shines through the story offers a glimpse of two or three movies that could’ve worked on their own.
The shock revelation of Captain Howard’s alleged corruption is the emotional driving force for Mike and Marcus, but it never feels like it’s fleshed out enough. There is a solid 10-minute run in the film involving a bounty on the heads of Mike and Marcus that is sent out to rival Miami gangs which is undercooked and could have been an awesome film in its own right. Then there is both Mike and Marcus’ personal and family dramas intertwined within these plots.
There’s a lot happening in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, but not all of it flows well together, often slowing the pace of the film down, which is entirely noticeable after a kinetic, frantic action set piece.
Then on top of the convolution, Eric Dane’s villainous turn as Banker just feels like a downplayed rehash of all the Bad Boys villains without any of the true malice or flair. And audiences could be forgiven if they forgot Ioan Grufford was in the movie anytime he pops back up. For a franchise that has had three quite impactful villains, this film’s attempt at evil falls flat.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die may not have the strongest plot or villains of the series, but directors Adil & Bilall really lean into the strengths of the franchise with insane, exciting, explosive set pieces that feature some of the most dynamic camera work seen in modern action films.And audiences will not be disappointed seeing Will Smith and Martin Lawrence once again seamlessly fall back into their iconic roles. Bad Boys: Ride or Die isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot of fun.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is in cinemas June 6, courtesy of Sony Pictures.
