Bad Boys: Ride or Die

The fourth entry in the revitalised buddy cop, action, comedy franchise. Bad Boys: Ride or Die sees wisecracking Miami cops Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) embark on a dangerous mission to clear the name of their late police captain when he gets linked to drug cartels.

Firstly, they missed a trick not calling this instalment Bad Boys 4 Life, alas we cannot have everything we desire. Anyway, it was inevitable that we were going to get a fourth (and potentially fifth) as 2020's actual Bad Boys For Life made nearly half a billion dollars and due to the pandemic, was in the top 3 highest grossing of that year.

It has been too long since I watched the first film (it is long, long overdue a rewatch), however Bad Boys II I return to every couple of years when I require a dousing of Bayhem. Has it aged well? Nope. Is it obnoxious and overlong? Yes. Does the action rule? Hell yes! The third film I found solid, yet disappointing, it lacked the grit and sleaze of its predecessor and incorporated a bizarre supernatural element that didn't quite click.

This was a real step up from three and balances the slick, modernised lega-sequel of the previous film with the sleaze and chaos of Bay's entries. Admittedly it's a little bit of a rushed and rocky start and narratively the film isn't bringing anything particularly new to the table, yet it's clearly relishing its heightened mid-00's vibes. Once Marcus returns a from death's embrace with a new outlook on life and spirituality and Mike's fears for his family, his own mortality and a reconnection with his fugitive son come to the forefront of his anxieties, the film adds a surprising layer of character work that still manages to incorporate dick jokes and f-bombs aplenty.

Action-wise this boasts some of the franchise's best set pieces. Director's Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah certainly lean a bit heavier into the Bayism's here than in BBFL. A slow-motion, sped up and gloriously chaotic digital, neon tinged art exhibition shootout is very Bay. A superb John Wick-esque home invasion shootout (featuring a well deserved triumphant moment for a fan favourite character) and the *entire* finale section of the film is a bar setter for shootouts this year. The incorporation of first person POVs, drones, alligators, explosions aplenty mix together for a riotous bloody blowout.

Performance-wise this was certainly the best way Will Smith could properly return after the Oscars controversy (I know he had Emancipation a few months after the incident, but I don't think anybody apart from me watched it). His more vulnerable and subdued fatherly moments as Mike are well executed... as well as the kick ass swagger that established the character. However, it's Martin Lawrence that steals the show. A motormouth, wide-eyed, born again foul mouthed spiritual guide who claims he can't die. He's having a ball and both he and Smith's chemistry is still unbeatable. Supporting players Jacob Scipio, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhea Seehorn and Reggie himself Dennis Greene are all locked in to the material.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die was a bullet riddled, cackle worthy blast of throwback fun that was a step up from my expectations. Smith & Lawrence are still a great duo, the action is killer and the balance of soap opera sincerity and over-the-top drama balances effectively with the motor-mouthed bickering and gags. Sure, the plot isn't particularly standout and the film is a little choppy in the first act, but when the wheels begin to fully spin, the film charges off the start line.

So I was left a little disappointed after the last film, something just seemed to be missing but this really hit the spot.

The 2 central characters still have great chemistry, but this felt a lot more like an ensemble piece with more fleshed out characters around them. I'm just going say #Reggierocks.

Some great cinematography with lots of fab camera and drone work zooming around all over the place. The first person gun work at one point added a new dimension.

Miami looks beautiful with the Orange and Teal tones.

Action galore and a good protagonist in Eric Dane, although his motive and why he is doing what he is, was pretty rubbish, but he still played it well, and to be fair you don't come in to this sort of film hoping for Shakespeare level story telling.

Some fun cameos pop up which raise a smile.

The soundtrack is good and Lorne Balfe delivers on the orchestrated score.

It has all you would expect from a Michael Bay production. Definitely life still in the franchise.

The movie" continues the long-running saga, but this latest installment falls into the trap of delivering more of the same without much innovation. The film lacks any fresh elements and largely recycles tropes seen in countless other action movies.

The action scenes, while brief and sporadic, feature our heavily battered yet inexplicably bulletproof heroes. These sequences are interspersed with lengthy, tiresome filler dialogue that does little to advance the plot or develop the characters. The two hours in the theater felt more like a slog, as the film struggled to maintain engagement with its audience.

"Bad Boys 4" at times resembles an ego-shooter game, a style that may appeal to fans of intense, immersive violence. However, this aspect requires a particular taste for such content. While the film manages to deliver solid entertainment and the dynamic chemistry between Smith and Lawrence remains a highlight, it ultimately fails to rise to the level of a masterpiece.

One of the most glaring issues is the evident aging of the main actors. Smith and Lawrence, though charismatic, often show their age, and the series' attempt to maintain the high-energy antics of its predecessors feels forced and out of touch. The weariness is palpable in many scenes, making it clear that the franchise is running on fumes.

A passable action film that relies heavily on the established rapport of its leading men. It offers a familiar blend of action and humor, but its lack of originality and overused clichés render it a largely forgettable experience. While fans of the series might find some enjoyment, it's time for this franchise to finally rest, acknowledging that its stars can no longer convincingly play the roles of youthful action heroes.

I'm not understanding all these good reviews on here? I LOVED the first two, liked the 3rd one, but have recently grew more attached to the 3rd one as of lately. However, this one, what a major disappointment. It seemed like they had a set amount of days to make this movie with a set amount of money to spend for the movie. It literally was not like ANY of the other 3. The action was scenes were abysmal, their usually funny and perfect timed humor was nowhere to be found. Thinking the funniest part of this movie was the very end with Reggie. I'm hoping that this movie will be like the 3rd and grow on me. Oh and not to mention, the casting was awful! I LOVED the captain, he was the 3rd most loved person in all 3 movies, next to Mike and Marcus. I love the idea of the daughter to avenge his death, however, the casting of his daughter in this movie was an awful choice. I just felt her acting was pitiful. I'm not sure what happened to Michael Bay/ Jerry Bruckheimer making this movie, but my thumbs up are for the first 3 and a thumbs down for the 4th.

It's still the same old routine. It's so boring to watch. How could the director have the nerve to make this? The bickering scenes from the first to the fourth installment have just worn me out. The only part that left a bit of an impression was the airplane scene, but even that was just so - so. After all, Hollywood action choreographers have exhausted every possible idea from space to the ocean floor. It's really difficult to get the audience's adrenaline pumping these days. And the ending, with the villains getting caught and the so - called forgiveness, is all the same old cliché. The crux of the matter is that in this combination of an action movie and a comedy, neither aspect has a single outstanding highlight. That's why it's a failure.