This Summer, the world's favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami's finest are now on the run.
Summer blockbusters are like ice cream on a hot day—refreshing, fun, and sometimes they leave you feeling a little sticky. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is no exception. Our favorite duo, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, are back, and this time they’ve brought Vanessa Hudgens along for the ride. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, this movie promises to be an adrenaline-fueled, laugh-out-loud, action-packed roller coaster. But does it deliver? Let's dive in.
Plot (Or How to Go on the Run Without Losing Your Cool)
This time around, Miami's finest are on the run. Yes, you read that right. Instead of chasing down the bad guys, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) find themselves as the targets. It’s a twist that adds a new dimension to the franchise but also makes you wonder if they’re running from their past successes. Vanessa Hudgens joins the fray as a tech-savvy sidekick who brings a fresh dynamic to the team.
The plot kicks off with our beloved Bad Boys dealing with the aftermath of a botched operation that puts them in the crosshairs of a ruthless villain whose motto is "Kill, Kill, Kill." The stakes are high, and the action is relentless, but does it hold up to the previous films? Let’s just say, the nostalgia is strong with this one, but nostalgia alone can’t carry an entire movie.
Will Smith is clearly trying to recapture some of his old movie magic, which might explain why his character gets repeatedly slapped across the face. It feels like an attempt to rectify the infamous Oscars slap that sent his career into a nosedive. Whether it works or not is up for debate, but it does add an interesting meta-layer to the film.
Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer productions usually deliver so you know you’re in for a visual spectacle. Explosions, car chases, and high-octane action sequences are their bread and butter, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die doesn’t disappoint in that department.
What I Liked (Or The Good, The Fun, and The Throwbacks)
The Action Scenes: When the action hits, it hits hard. Explosions, shootouts, and car chases are as thrilling as ever. It’s what you expect from a Bad Boys movie, and it delivers on that front.
Surprise Scenes with the Son-in-Law: There are some genuinely fun and unexpected scenes involving Marcus’s son-in-law. These moments add a refreshing touch of humor that feels organic.
Nostalgic Throwbacks: If this ends up being the last film in the franchise, it does a great job of nodding to the earlier movies. The callbacks are subtle and satisfying, giving long-time fans something to smile about.
What I Disliked (Or The Not-So-Great and The Downright Bizarre)
Hair Dye Dilemma: Martin and Will need to stop dying their hair. It's painfully obvious and comes off as them trying too hard to look young. Embrace the gray, guys. It worked for George Clooney!
Forced Humor: The jokes felt forced this time around. The timing was off, and a lot of the humor fell flat. It’s like watching a comedian bomb on stage, but for two hours.
Nauseating Drone Camera Angles: The drone shots were supposed to add a dynamic perspective, but they ended up making me feel like I was on a roller coaster after a big meal. Less is more, folks.
Flawed Heroes: Why do all action heroes need to have diagnosed issues now? Character development is fine, but we don’t need to see our heroes going through therapy sessions. The original movies had these characters at their best—let’s keep it that way.
Tacky Near-Death Moments: The numerous near-death experiences felt tacky and overdone. It’s like they were trying to recreate the intensity of previous films but ended up with a bad soap opera.
One-Dimensional Villain: The main villain was as one-dimensional as a cardboard cutout. His only move was “Kill, Kill, Kill,” which got old faster than a TikTok trend.
Extra Tidbits (Or Why This Movie is a Fast-Paced Miracle)
Unusually, Bad Boys: Ride or Die was released barely three months after filming wrapped. Normally, major action movies take a year or more for post-production, but thanks to some miraculous planning and the pre-SAG-AFTRA strike rush, the directors and crew managed to pull it off. This rapid turnaround might explain some of the film's rough edges, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
Final Thoughts and Rating
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a mixed bag. It’s got the action, the nostalgia, and some fun moments, but it also suffers from forced humor, bizarre plot points, and one-dimensional characters. It’s like eating at a restaurant you loved as a kid only to find out the food isn’t as good as you remembered, but you still enjoy the experience because of the memories.
My final rating? 6.8/10. It’s worth a watch for die-hard fans and action junkies, but don’t expect it to reach the heights of the original films.
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