Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Often with an iconic series such as Bad Boys, when movies are added or a reboot occurs, the original magic captured by the first few films is drastically diminished. At best, studios aim to bring a new generation to connect with a series meant for a previous one, normally by reformating the series with newer jokes and references or a more self-aware tone that they think a younger generation would appreciate. At worst, the rebooted movie is a pointless rehash that just shows the series age and is a waste of time, money, and in some cases genuinely brings the entire series down as a whole. On paper, Bad Boys 4 falls into the latter category. The internet seems to hate Will Smith, Warner Brothers had recently shelved the new directors Adi El Arbi and Bilall Fallah's highly anticipated Batgirl film, and having recently watched the two original Bad Boys films I couldn't really see a reason for any new movies to come out. This may be a hot take, but Bad Boys 1 isn't that enjoyable of a watch, and Bad Boys II, while a step up from the first, overstays it's welcome clocking in at almost 2hr 30mins.

This all to say, Bad Boys: Ride or Die was one of the biggest surprises of the year. To get the obvious out of the way, the biggest pull to the series had always been the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Every joke set-up and delivery are not only cleverly written but also brilliantly executed by two seasoned comedic actors. Regardless of if you've followed along their decades-long partnership or are a new viewer, it's clear that these two are more like brothers than friends and their bond is the driving force of the franchise as a whole. It's impossible to make a modern Bad Boys and not acknowledge the fact that the two leads are not 30 years old anymore and thankfully this movie doesn't try to. Not only is the film self-aware of this fact, but it is a major driving force of the movie with the emotional crux of the film being the two cops' own mortality. By now, both Marcus and Mike have a family and people they care about which increases the danger of their inherently dangerous line of work. This adds stakes to this movie that I had never really felt in any of the previous films. The newer additions of Jacob Scopio as Mike's assassin son Armando gives Will Smith's character depth that we never really got to see in Bad Boys I or II and the other cops such as Vanessa Hudgens, Rhea Seehorn, and Alexander Ludwig were serviceable enough in their roles where they didn't make the film better or worse. While there is a fair argument to be made that Michael Bay's iteration of films was more for the explosions and cool factor as opposed to character-driven films, a general rule of thumb in any movie is that substance will get you further than just style, and Ride or Die is no different.

On the topic of style Arbi and Fallah managed to create a Bad Boys movie that wasn't better because of some revitalization of it's material, but rather because they understand how to pace a movie and how to film action sequences, two traits that I would argue were the biggest flaws in previous Bad Boys film. For the former, this is the shortest film in the series and it really doesn't waste a minute of screen time. From the opening wedding all the way to the climactic shoot-out, Arbi, and Fallah's direction and editing kept the audience's attention the entire time while creating a story that avoids getting too convoluted and leaves everyone satisfied by the time the credits roll. The action however is where Ride or Die really separates itself from the rest of the series. Even in comparison to its contemporaries, Bad Boys 4 had some of the most entertaining action sequences I'd seen in theaters. Alligator fights, first-person shootouts, an interesting elevator fight, and of course the iconic Reggie Wick scene that unionically had my theater clapping and cheering by the end of it. All of these elements combined elevated the film to one that could stand on its own as an actually enjoyable experience regardless of whether or not you treat it as another Bad Boys movie. Bad Boys: Ride or Die has by far the funniest jokes, best action set pieces, and is the most entertaining film in the series.

Rating: 8/10