‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ Review: Best and Baddest of the Franchise

Bad Boys for Life was nothing special. It was nice seeing Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite once again, and there were moments where they shined together, but the majority of the film felt like it was trying too hard to relive the glory days of the first two films. For a franchise that was 17 years in the past, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah did an okay job at breathing some new life into it. It was nothing special, though. Looking back now, I am eternally grateful that we got Bad Boys for Life because we now have the stellar Bad Boys: Ride or Die as a direct result. Whereas 2020’s film felt like dipping a toe in to test the waters, Bad Boys: Ride or Die goes full tilt as the best and baddest of the franchise. The bad boys are back, and they have never been better.

Following the death of Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) during the last film, detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) find themselves investigating their former captain and mentor when evidence of corruption ties him to the Mexican cartels. They know it in their heart that it’s a setup, but before they can find the proof they find themselves on the run from the law. The only way they can clear their names is to find those responsible for setting them up. With few they can trust, the partners turn to Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio) who they locked away in prison hoping he can provide them with any leads to the real culprit. Time is running out, however, as both police and criminals alike are out for blood against Mike and Marcus.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the culmination of nearly three decades and four films. It was clear that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence were rusty with the previous film, but now they are firing on all cylinders. Their dynamic together has never been better. Not only do they have a lot of the same witty and playful banter that they had before, but they have also evolved in more meaningful ways too. Early on in the film, Marcus suffers from a heart attack during Mike’s wedding. He makes a full recovery but not before having a vision where he chat’s with his former captain. Having survived death itself, Marcus believes he is invincible as it’s “not his time,” giving himself a newfound confidence that he previously never had. Meanwhile, Mike finds himself having a panic attack for the first time ever. Now a married man with a wife to take care of, he hesitates being the first one to rush into danger. It’s refreshing to see the dynamics reverse and Martin Lawrence be confident and Will Smith be more vulnerable, not to mention laugh-out-loud funny also. Sure, they’ve always been invincible because that’s the whole 90’s action movie stereotype, but to have Marcus flatly state how he’s unkillable lends itself to some hilarious hijinks.

Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have a newfound confidence as well. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is one stunning sequence after another. Drones, body cams, slow motion; they will do whatever it takes to get the perfect shot. In one scene they’re having a shootout in the middle of a art show with lights flashing all around them and candy flying in every direction. Another has them racing cars down streets at breakneck speed with the camera flying in and out of vehicles. Mike at one point goes full Doom Slayer and takes out one criminal after another like a game of Call of Duty. Even franchise punching bag Reggie (Dennis Greene) gets his moment to shine in a show stopper scene that honestly makes the entire film. It’s exciting and most of all fun to watch. Rarely does the film get bogged down by its story, although if you were to stop and think deeply about it there are plenty of things that don’t make much sense.

Everyone not named Mike or Markus are pretty bare bones and have no real development or motivations. Honestly that doesn’t matter much because the story is just good enough to get from one action sequence to the next. I don’t care why Eric Dane is out to make a dead police  captain a corrupt cop. It’s clear he’s the bad guy so he must be put to justice at the hands of the Bad Boys. And to be fair, the Bad Boys franchise was never about deep cinematic themes. It’s about explosive action and humor, and Ride or Die isn’t short on either.

I was hesitant about Bad Boys: Ride or Die because after Bad Boys for Life I felt like the franchise didn’t have much gas left in the tank. How happy I am to be wrong. There’s enough gas to give the Fast & Furious franchise a run for their money. No one involved in the film holds back and together they deliver the most hilarious and action-packed film the franchise has seen. Bad Boys: Ride or Die leaves it all on the floor and is some of the most fun you’ll have at the theater in a long time.