Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return to the roles of those Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett AKA the Bad Boys after a long hiatus. It’s been four years since the last chapter and they return with guns blazing and jokes a plenty. There are departures from the norm though and from the first reel of Ride or Die things start on quite a dark note. This turns Burnett into teacher mode and most of the humour is based on this transformation.
The two quipsters are on the hunt for the behind-the-scenes scoundrels that are sullying the reputation of their late boss, Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano). This of course spins things out into epic proportions. The night lights and pulsating colours of the Magic City play the backdrop as before and help to illuminate and excite the action. Fancy cars burn rubber and armed bad guys pop caps.
The pacing is a bit inconsistent as the plot slows down occasionally to show the changed dynamics between Lower and Burnet as the latter discovers new depths to his existence. Some of the jokes land, others do not but it’s reaffirming that the filmmakers have tried to alter the formula just enough to give the film a life of its own. This is done in such a way as not to alienate new viewers to the franchise.
Surprisingly structured (in the confines of a popcorn flick), Bad Boys: Ride or Die is different and entertaining enough to hopefully bring some new fans into the fold. The two hours fly by in a fun and frivolous way and even though little impact is felt in the grey matter, you do have a rollicking good time and feel as if the time was well spent living in that whimsical and imaginary world.
Rob Hudson
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