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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.

Easily the most anticipated and theorised comic book film since Avengers: Endgame. Spider-Man: No Way Home is set directly after the end of Far From Home. With Spider-Man's (Tom Holland) identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. When the spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear.

It was always going to be difficult for this to live up to the myriad of potential expectations that had built up in mine and millions of others heads after the first trailer released back in August. Luckily throughout its duration No Way Home excels at fan pleasing moments and truly giving Peter monumental stakes and potential consequences. However it is undeniably overstuffed and choppy, as well as for me personally a lot of the MCU'isms not always particularly gelling well with the returning villains.

I will be keeping the plot details vague, but for those who had expectations and ideas of what the film might be, it probably is pretty much what you expect. The opening act ripple effect of Peter's identity being revealed, with he, MJ and Ned being turned down by colleges and constant harassment sets the stage well and understandably Peter's desperation for Doctor Strange to fix it. From there the rogues gallery pour through and it's up to Peter to stop them.

Here is where some of my favourite aspects of the film are, as well as my irritations. It's undeniably great seeing these characters return to the big screen, and throughout the second act it is uniquely executed and delivers some satisfying interactions between the foes (though some of their motivations could have been a bit more fleshed out), as well as time to breathe. However it is once again the abundance of joke attempts and alterations to a couple of the characters that just make some of the interactions feel awkward and cringe inducing.

Doc Ock's bridge battle is a standout return and the choreography, sound design and score all intertwine nicely. Holland wasn't lying about this being a darker and more violent entry into the franchise, with the first Goblin brawl being the film's highlight, alongside the jaw-dropping visual spectacle of the mirror dimension duel. The final action set piece is pure spectacle and grin inducingly fun, it's just a shame that yet again it's another CGI heavy sequence set at night, so it's frequently hard to see what's going on at certain points.

This is probably Holland's best Spider-Man performance as he really has some emotional heavy lifting to do, as well as keeping the quips and enthusiasm fresh. Willem Dafoe absolutely steals the film. He's still got all of it: the grin, the laugh, the expressions and genuine menace. Molina as well, brilliantly capturing the commanding intelligence and personality of Doc Ock and Jamie Foxx is far better suited in this iteration of Electro. Benedict Cumberbatch adds a layer of bitterness and snark to Strange, yet keeps his core values and dedication to help in check.

Spider-Man: No Way Home may just be the film many fans of dreamed of. Unfortunately for me, whilst it still delivered a lot of what I wanted, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. Dafoe & Molina prove once again why Spider-Man 1 & 2 will never be topped, the increased personal stakes for Peter are welcome and I'm still partially in awe that the film actually happened. However the leering presence of now extremely familiar and annoying MCU traits and tropes, certain character interactions and an overstuffed storyline do hold it back.

The latest DC animated feature, and the second in their newly rebooted approach to animation. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One sees a brutal series of murders occur during various holiday's, striking fear into the heart of Gotham City. Batman sets out to pursue the serial killer with the support of police officer James Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent.

Based on the iconic Batman tale of the same name, Part One does a very solid job of seeing the seeds of mystery, balancing bombastic action and grit, as well as being bolstered by a strong voice cast. However the animation style and various pacing, structural and storytelling hinderances thanks to the runtime and divided narrative are noticeable.

A significant amount of me thinks that this should have been one 3 hour feature (which it will no doubt be re-released as, and obviously more parts = more sales). This first part does translate the material well. It has been a while since I have read the graphic novel, but the moody tone, harsh edge and smatterings of Golden Age goofiness are on display here. It's also fun to see the moments in the source material that influenced Nolan's The Dark Knight.

Decent enough focus is given to each plot thread, but unfortunately due to the runtime land large scale nature of mystery means that some of them feel very surface level and lack emotional weight. There are a few moments that will likely subvert expectations of those unfamiliar with material (and those like me who have forgotten significant chunks) and though it's repetitive, the intrigue of the murders and the dynamic between the characters is engaging.

Unfortunately I'm still not 100% taken by this new animation style. It works well enough for the action beats (one particular Yakuza clash and the Joker plane sequence are both great). However some of the character models' anatomy, facial designs (mainly Joker again), lack of detail and stoic demeanour is very noticeable. The film does have its standout shots and colour usage, as well as replicating iconic frames from the comic.

Jensen Ackles does a strong job as the Caped Crusader, bringing a menacing, blunt and deep voiced solemn approach. The late Naya Rivera brings enthusiasm and witty playfulness to Catwoman. Troy Baker explodes onto the screen in a whirlwind of maniacal cackling with his film stealing Joker portrayal. Billy Burke and Josh Duhamel both deliver as Commissioner Gordon & Harvey Dent respectively and David Dastmalchian brings a spaced out, wispy sneer to Calendar Man.

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One unfortunately doesn't reach the heights of DC's best. It's sprawling portrait of Gotham and vast cast of characters set it apart from its peers and the story keeps up the interest. However some weak animation, cliche dialogue and a lack of focus and depth in the subplots thanks to its decision to be two separate films do let it down.