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Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. Yeah, we get it. To tell you the truth, I forgot about it the next day, and could have cared less but Hollywood can be pretty brutal and ever since, Smith has been trying to make a comeback. Was it a wide move? Hell no, but in the grand scheme of things it was pretty minor in terms of shit we should be worrying about. I never looked at Smith any differently, but I will say that his marriage, or lack thereof, to Jada Pinkett-Smith is just plain weird but it never factors into m y enjoyment of the man as an actor and his movies. Let’s move on and talk about what we really want and that is Smith is back and back big-time baby with his partner in crime Martin Lawrence for another adrenaline laced go around of hijinks, comradery and over the top Bay-hem style action that delivers for action junkies wanting to see stuff explode and guns go bang, bang in some of the wildest set pieces put on film this year.
If you ask me, doing another Bad Boys movie with Lawrence is exactly what the doctor ordered for Smith, and it would appear that fans are forgiving as Bad Boys: Ride or Die (unfortunately this one should have been titled Bad Boys 4 Life but they didn’t know they’d be making another one hilariously enough) is looking to resurrect a lukewarm box office that saw The Fall Guy and Furiosa failed to get people in theater seats. Like I’ve said in the past, I will take as many Bad Boys movies as Smith and Lawrence are willing to put out and this latest entry is definitely the best of the sequels as I thought number 2 was always way more fun than it should have been, and it turned into one of the most awesome military style actioners in the finale. Smith and Lawrence just have the greatest of chemistry having been doing this for years and it was evident from the very first film that these two were a perfect buddy cop marriage. You just want to see these two together mouthing off, arguing, dropping one liners and putting bad guys into the ground with a force to be reckoned with. Bad Boys: Ride or Die has all of this in spades, and it also is one of the most human stories of the franchise as both Mike and Marcus continue to tackle their own mortality as they get older and have suffered tragedies. The human drama makes the comedy and action stand out above all as it complements the chaos to an exact science.
In terms of plot, this is where the fourth movie suffers again as it’s another our hero or heroes in this case are framed for something that they didn’t do by the baddies forcing them on the run to clear not just their names, but the name of their late, great commander played with a spot-on cameo by Joe Pantoliano who is always a sight for sore eyes. Sure, we’ve seen it in Taken 3 as well as Angel has Fallen, which are just two of the most recent examples, but it’s still a serviceable plot that allows the boys to do what they do best for 2 plus hours. Come for the generic plot but stay for Smith and Lawrence doing Smith and Lawrence things along with tier one action sequences that will get your blood pumping.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die opens up with Mike being married to his physical therapist Christine (Melanie Liburd) while Marcus has just recently suffered a heart attack. It is kind of odd that nothing came about with Lowry’s relationship with Captain Rita Secada played once again by Paola Núñez but it’s not a big issue by any stretch. Smith has essentially bounced back from being shot and is now in a better place, but Marcus is still trying to navigate a world where he is forced to do things he doesn’t want to do due to his health conditions. Having both loveable characters having to deal with near death experiences does ground the franchise and makes it more personable for the audience.
The wheels do come off of course as unfortunately someone has framed their late captain and when they start to question what has happened, our beloved boys are framed and that’s where the ball really gets rolling. There’s a big loyalty above all aesthetic to the proceedings here that co-directors Adil & Bilall instill here and that makes this adventure mean way more than past installments. It’s no accident that this is key being that Smith is trying to bounce back from his real, life issues. Don’t worry though. there’s still enough gunplay, throwdowns, vulgar humor and bombastic set pieces to make all happy.
At the heart of all this trouble for the boys is Eric Dane who plays a former DEA agent turned Cartel guy named Banker. He has his reasons for doing what he’s doing, and he is a formidable opponent for Lowry and Burnett although he pales in comparison to Tchéky Karyo’s Fouchet who played the main baddie in the first film. He still sets the bar high that no other foe has come to dethroning him although Kate del Castillo certainly came the closest in the last film. Be as it may, Dane still is a presence and he’s always been a favorite of mine with The Last Ship being his best work so i loved seeing him go up against L.A.’s finest.
Also back from the last installment, and this is one that makes me happy, is Expend4bles actor Jacob Scipio who reprises his role of Mike’s ferocious cartel hungry son Armando. Scipio is on my list of next generation action stars and this turn in this movie further adds fuel to my argument. Scipio is solid in action sequences and beatdowns on screen and here he delivers one of the best action highlights when he is involved in prison yard throwdown that is both brutal and barbaric. Scipio is more than game to put in the work for these types of roles and here he takes out inmates in such a way that you’ll be crying out for him to headline his own action cinema pic. He’s that good and here it’s even better as he’s forced to grudgingly team up with his dear old dad and Marcus. It makes for a lot of spot-on banter for all three.
Another highlight action wise is Marcus’ noteworthy son-in-law Reggie played once again by Dennis Green. In previous films, Reggie was relegated to being picked on by Marcus and it does happen here again, but Reggie gets to shine in a rather crowd-pleasing home invasion sequence where we get to see what this Marine can really do. Reggie literally turns into a one-man wrecking crew dishing out some expertly crafted action design in one of the best action scenes of the movie. It’s fist pumping actually.
Mike and Marcus’ AMMO comrades are back from the third movie and Alexander Ludwig’s Dorn and Vanessa Hudgens’s Kelly get way more chances to kick ass and shine here making it all the better as a new generation takes center stage to show what they can do without overstepping their bounds with our two leading men. Ludwig’s Dorn is a personal favorite of mine as he is a lion in wait once again that is unleashed to thunderous applause. Is it just me or would you all love to see a spin off movie with these two along with Scipio. I smell gold.
It is funny that both Scipio and Green have two of the most crowd roaring moments in the movie but no worries as Mike and Marcus do what they do best in several Michael Bay style set pieces that the filmmaker would be proud of. It’s almost as if he’s still directing as Adil & Bilall do their best to pay homage to Bay who directed the first two films and it gets wild, crazy, violent and extreme throughout. Even with the fast editing and quick cuts, our filmmakers still make sure that viewers can clearly see all the glorious carnage on hand so a tip of the cap to them.
Make no mistake, it’s Smith and Lawrence that seals this entry again as it’s their brotherhood, chemistry and bickering like an old married couple carries the film on its back. It’s like having two old friends come to visit once again and when it’s time for them to leave, you don’t want them to go. Lowry and Burnett are up there right alongside Riggs and Murtaugh and Tango & Cash and they are so comfortable and on autopilot with these roles that they can do this in their sleep and still hit the target every time.
A huge shout out to directors Adil & Bilall, who have put all that nasty Batgirl experience behind them, as they prove they know what they’re doing when it comes to directing huge popcorn crunching summertime action extravaganzas. They know what we want and how we want it, and they give it to us all the comic book tropes of a Bay film with more heart and humor to satisfy. It was also nostalgic to hear Mark Mancina’s solid and beloved Bad Boys theme mixed in with Lorne Balfe’s score. It was the ultimate homage paying moment for Bay and what he did with Smith and Lawrence in the past.
Overall, in an uncertain summertime that sees the tides changing on how people want to watch their movies. our beloved Bad Boys come rolling in hot to save the day and the season. While being the comeback role that Smith needed, there’s no denying that hooking him up with Lawrence is nothing but the winningest of combinations. Bad Boys Ride or Die delivers all the summertime, popcorn eating/soda drinking mayhem that we could ever want with the appeal of the two leads and the NSFW humor that we know and love. Supporting characters like Scipio, Ludwig and Green get more to do while Smith and Lawrence save the day. The action, humor, bombastic situations and heart are ramped up to 100 and just when it seemed like the 2024 summer box office was DOA, Smith and Lawrence have triumphantly made their presence felt barging into the room, being loud and obnoxious (in the best way possible) and asking “Whatchya gonna do?!”
VERDICT: 4 Out of 5 STARS
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the Bombastic Shot of Adrenaline a Summer Box Office on Life Support so Desperately Needs!
