REVIEW: You’re Guaranteed a Good Time with ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back for a fourth round as Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. In the fourthquel, we find Mike and Marcus running from the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, and their own Miami P.D. as they attempt to uncover who is framing their deceased, beloved Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano). With the help of Mike’s felon son, Armando (Jacob Scipio), AMMO’s weapons expert, Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and tech expert, Dorn (Alexander Ludwig), the group must weave their way through the streets of Miami and the Florida wetlands to stop a corrupt group of individuals and clear the captain’s name before it’s too late.
Directed by Adil & Bilall, the same duo to helm the previous movie in the Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys for Life, and written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall, if you are expecting a serious, well-written action flick then this movie is not for you. If you are expecting a typical Bad Boys movie filled with over the top action scenes, a not-so-great villain, and non-stop laughter, then this movie is for you. This franchise has lived on for almost 30 years, and there is a reason why, because it never defaults from its narrative. Bremmer and Beal do a wonderful job calling back to iconic moments from the past three movies, while also creating new memorable moments in this one. There is one particular scene that will definitely be talked about as you leave the theater. This character finally gets the justice they deserve.
Smith and Lawrence are the epitome of the buddy cop genre. Sure, their actions scenes aren’t as intense as previous movies nor is their acting as good as it once was, but their chemistry is still off the characters. Their back-and-forth banter is just as great as it was in Bad Boys, and that is why people go to see these movies. To have these two actors continue putting smiles on their faces. Hudgens and Ludwig take a back seat in this one, which is a shame because they made quite the impact in For Life. However, when they are featured in scenes, they easily mesh with Smith and Lawrence. Scipio returns as Mike’s son, Amando, while Rhea Seehorn played US Marshall Agent Judy Howard, Captain Howard’s daughter. Scipio does well alongside Smith, but Seehorn’s Howard could have been left out of the entire movie. Her storyline felt like the writers were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It through off the entire flow of the movie. There are also a few cameos thrown throughout that some people will love, and some people will despise. You have been warned.
Summer is right around the corner, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the perfect way to kick-off your summer season. I highly recommend seeing this in theaters because it does exactly what a summer movie should do, entertain.
Grade: B+