Cinema for Brunch BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE Review

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” proves that when you a franchise-winning formula of chemistry, humor and action, don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.

Synopsis

When their late police captain gets linked to drug cartels, wisecracking Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett embark on a dangerous mission to clear his name.

Review
It can be hard to breathe life into a franchise that has had years of gaps in between one or two films. George Miller went through hell to make the acclaimed mammoth that is “Mad Max: Fury Road”, Lana Wachowski came back and made the misfire that was “The Matrix Resurrections” and Rupert Wyatt brought us “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”, 10 years removed from Tim Burton’s 2001 remake. You win some, you lose some. With “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”, the Belgian directing team of Adil & Bilall are coming off the wheels of their previous successful entry in the franchise, 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life”, a surprisingly entertaining return to the action-packed misadventures of suave, cocky detective Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and silly, outrageous detective Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence). In “Ride or Die”, Adil & Bilall continue to pick up the mantle Michael Bay passed onto them and we begin with Mike and Marcus on their way to a special event for the former: Mike is finally settling down and getting married to his physical therapist Christine (Melanie Liburd). After a near-fatal heart attack at the wedding reception (and a somewhat poignant but out-of-place near-death vision), Marcus warns Mike of an “impending storm”, a warning made true when their late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is falsely accused of conspiracy. Attempting to clear their late captain’s name, the two detectives find themselves on the run with Lowrey’s estranged son Armando (Jacob Scipio) and race against time to take down whoever is behind their collective framing.

As the film attempts – sometimes awkwardly – to address the unbeatable enemy that is Father Time, in the form of Mike and Marcus’ inevitable mortality (I.e., “I’m getting too old for this shit”), the film doesn’t lose sight from its moneymaker qualities – jam-packed action paired with belly laughs. There are scenes where our “elder” Bad Boys show their mortality – Marcus’ heart attack along with Mike having a realistic panic attack around the second act– but the film knows it’s strongest attraction: Martin Lawrence as a supreme jokester. Taking an admirable backseat (whether it be due to personal controversy or to let his co-star shine more), Will Smith mostly lets Martin take the reins this time around with Marcus being the voice – or rather the flawed choice – of reason in most scenes. This leads to some funny asides, monologues and terrific moments of physical action comedy (which is where this franchise shines most). Mike has his own journey – learning how to be a dad to his estranged son Armando and adjusting to finally being a one-woman man – but Marcus is given more a character arc to shine in this chapter and frankly, the film doesn’t suffer from it.

As the dynamic between our Bad Boys has matured and changed, we have some new and familiar faces joining the fun this time. Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig return from the previous film – with Ludwig carrying the comedic weight with a couple good one-liners. Tasha Smith replaces Theresa Randle as Marcus’ wife Theresa (a decision that still confounds me). Tiffany Haddish makes an okay cameo as an old contact of Mike and Marcus. Eric Dane does a solid job as this film’s Big Bad, the tough-as-nails James McGrath. Ioan Gruffudd makes another solid appearance as Adam Lockwood, a mayorial candidate and the new boyfriend of Mike’s ex Rita Secada (Paola Núñez). Dennis Greene makes a fun appearance as Reggie, the verbally belaboured son-in-law who has two of the most crowd-pleasing moments in the film. Rita Seehorn, coming off her terrific turn on the series “Better Call Saul”, is a welcome addition as Captain Conrad’s daughter U.S. Marshal Agent Judy Howard, who holds a grudge against Armando for taking her dad’s life.

As far as direction is concerned, Adil & Bilall continue to hit the nail on their head with their action-packed sequences which makes this such a fun, balanced entry in the “Bad Boys” franchise. There’s a terrific first-person shooter shot from Mike’s POV that’s easily one of the most exciting scenes in the franchise. There’s also a great one take sequence of a hand-to-hand fight scene in an elevator that is both adrenaline-inducing and somewhat chilling, considering the characters that are fighting and their relation to one another. The writing here, courtesy of Chris Bremmer and Will Beall, knows what works in this series and doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel, just make the wheel spin faster and more efficient. Suspension of disbelief, while it may be applied to dumb fun such as this, is not totally needed to have a good time as our two favorite detectives continue their beloved “ride or die” adventures.

Closing Thoughts
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is an enjoyable, fun entry in the “Bad Boys” franchise. Along with the “Fast & Furious” and “Mission: Impossible” franchises that have been holding strong, I see no reason why “Bad Boys” shouldn’t exist within that space. There is a winning formula here of chemistry, humor and action that has worked for the past three films and hasn’t slowed down in this entry. Adil & Bilall’s last two entries have proven that this a franchise worthy of riding until the wheels fall off – or until the studio doesn’t want to pay for any more sequels.

Trailer