Bad Boys: Ride or Die

I'd completely forgotten about "Bad Boys for Life" (2020) but luckily there are were few flashbacks to remind me that "Mike" (Will Smith) had been the target of a son he didn't know about - "Armando" (Jacob Scipio) - and that both he and partner "Marcus" (Martin Lawrence) risked life and limb to get him behind bars. Well now, a few years later, "Mike" has just got married; "Marcus" has had a revelatory out-of-body experience and their beloved "Capt. Howard" (Joe Pantoliano) has been killed. The authorities become increasingly convinced that he was on the take from the drugs cartels. $20m in yo...

For a fourth outing, <em>'Bad Boys: Ride or Die'</em> still finds a way to produce the goods.

I enjoyed what I watched. The previous installment remains the clear standout of the series comparatively speaking, though I was pleased to see this one still deliver the nessacary entertainment; it's perhaps my second favourite from the franchise. It does have flaws of course, like I'd say it's more serious than humourous and the more sincere stuff doesn't always hit as intended; especially the bits about Howard.

Still, there's enough positive humour in there. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence con...

I didn’t know what to expect going into the fourth installment of one of my favorite buddy cop franchises. Having seen the first movie in theaters at age 13, I grew up with this series and had my doubts about its ability to evolve. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised.

This film was a joy to watch, even though it was missing Theresa Randle, whose absence was felt. Despite this, the filmmakers managed to capture the heart and spirit that fans have come to love. The narrative remains engaging, and seeing these characters return was a real treat.

The film experimented a lot with camera...

We liked Bad Boys because it was Lethal Weapon in Miami, and we like Lethal Weapon because it was just like the other 356 buddy cop movies we saw before it. It's a timeless LCD flick that you're going to go and see because you know it delivers....

... the thing is, it didn't. This one took itself a bit too seriously. It had to, the actors are a bit too old to be on the money like with were in the first two...

... well Martin is, Will I think can still pull off the action bit. He's clearly still in good shape.

But a lot of the comedy is absent, a lot of the bickering is gone, and w...

Not awful but hardly remarkable either, Bad Boys, Ride or Die is a passable shake and bake, crime action flick.

The downsides, in short order, include a rapper gangsta vibe, that's overcooked to the point of cultural cremation. Its no helped by humour, that's, for most of this film, rarely even remotely funny.

The upside is what you would expect, polished and unrelentingly, over the top action, which, taken on its own, is entertaining. Backed by a serviceable, if basic, story.

In summary, if you can look past the gangster, rapper bombast, Bad Boys, Ride or Die, is an enjoyable, syna...