Bad Boys – Ride or Die is the latest buddy cop movie, which belongs to the successful Hollywood film franchise. This action comedy is helmed by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
These lead actors play the two proverbial Bad Boys (mind you, not Men) in it. After the infamous slap gate at the Oscars in March 2022, it is good to see actor Will Smith making a so-called comeback as a leading action-comedy hero. And it is always fun to see Will Smith and Martin Lawrence together, their onscreen chemistry is on fire.
“Bad Boys – Ride or Die” Made Us Nostalgic, As We Watched Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Recreate Their Old Magic
Trailer: Bad Boys – Ride or Die (2024) Movie
Spoiler Free Review: Bad Boys – Ride or Die (2024) Movie
The summary/synopsis of Bad Boys 4
To refresh our memories, this Bad Boys movie franchise consists of a series of American buddy cop action-comedy films. Created by George Gallo, Bad Boys represents a series of USA films that blend action and comedy. It focuses on the crime-fighting adventures of two Miami Police Department detectives. These hero cops are Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence). We have seen both Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in this film franchise. Both are honest but rule-breaking typical adventurous cops taking down powerful villains.
- 1995 ~ Bad Boys,
- 2003 ~ Bad Boys,
- 2020 ~ Bad Boys for Life, &
- 2024 ~ Bad Boys – Ride or Die.
The ‘Bad Boys – Ride or Die’ is also known as ‘Bad Boys 4’ movie. Now in this summer of 2024, they are back with their trademark mix of exhilarating action and outrageous comedy. This time, however, Miami’s finest are faced with an unexpected twist: they are now fugitives.
The writers & directors have made an entertaining Bad Boys 4 film
The script writers – Chris Bremner and Will Beall have taken good care to show the growth in the character arcs of Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence). And thanks to these writers, some things do change. In this predictable film, we meet mature but ageing detectives; whose minds and motor mouths are still very active, but they are declining physically. So, these two police detectives are unable to keep pace with the younger and energetic lot – law enforcement officials, US Marines, goons, gangsters, mercenaries, etc.
Given this kind of fascinating storyline, the Belgian movie directors duo – Adil El Arbi (Adil) & Bilall Fallah (Bilall) have kept pace with the Bad Boys movies. They have maintained the lively pace in this typical commercial movie from Hollywood. Both Adil and Bilall have used the time-tested formulaic movies Bad Boys for Life (2020) and Bad Boys – Ride or Die (2024). With their high-octane action sequences, these directors have managed to keep pace with the age of their leading actors.
Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
Bad Boys (Theme from Cops) | YouTube Video
And, we loved the way they used the catchy ‘Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do’ theme song, to remind the viewers about their legacy. It made us nostalgic and brought back fond memories. In addition, the lyrics of this song sets the tone and the mood of the film. Besides, it was always good to see some of the well-known actors/actresses in its ensemble cast, viz., Vanessa Hudgens (Kelly), Rhea Seehorn (Judy), Tiffany Haddish (Tabitha), Alexander Ludwig (Dorn), Paola Núñez (Rita), Eric Dane (McGrath), etc.
Both Will Smith & Martin Lawrence have recreated their old charm in Bad Boys 4
While watching g this film, it is quite apparent that age is finally catching up with both of them – Will Smith (55 years) and Martin Lawrence (59 years), respectively. However, to be honest, given their age, the death-defying action stunts of their past movies have become a thing of the past. On the other hand, the bromance and the crackling chemistry between two police detectives – played by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are alive and kicking. More often than not, both of them light up the screen, whenever they are on the screen. Especially during the funny comical scenes and witty one-liners, they still manage to make us smile.
Rather interestingly, in one of the crucial scenes in this film, Will Smith is seen getting slapped multiple times by Martin Lawrence. Most likely, these slaps along with the accompanying dialogue by Martin refer to an event (infamous slap gate) of the recent past. It took place at the 94th Annual Academy Awards (2022 Oscar) ceremony. During that awards ceremony, Smith confronted presenter Chris Rock and slapped him in response to a comment made about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. And no doubt, many wished to cancel Will. The worldwide box-office success of this film shows, that his cancellation did not succeed. Their star power and screen presence are still intact.
The conclusion
The movie’s ending suggests that there is more to come from this series. Also, going forward, we might see more of younger (action) stars – Armando, Reggie, etc. To sum up, this hit Hollywood movie is a perfect adrenaline-fueled action comedy for the weekend watch.
This year, we have been treated to the movies coming from some of the very well-known movie franchises. So, for instance, we have reviewed "Ghostbusters - Frozen Empire", Godzilla x Kong - The New Empire, Furiosa - A Mad Max Saga, Beverly Hills Cop - Axel F, etc.
Rating: Bad Boys (Movie Franchise)
| Movies Names | FM Ratings |
|---|---|
| Bad Boys (1995) | 3.50/5 |
| Bad Boys (2003) | 3.45/5 |
| Bad Boys for Life (2020) | 3.40/5 |
| Bad Boys – Ride or Die (2024) {a.k.a. Bad Boys 4} | 3.50/5 |
Poster:
Key Details:
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller |
| Original Language | English (USA) |
| Duration | 1 hour 55 minutes; this is the shortest Bad Boys film. |
| Writers | Chris Bremner, Will Beall, & George Gallo |
| Directors | Adil El Arbi (Adil) & Bilall Fallah (Bilall) |
| Cast | Will Smith (Mike Lowrey), Martin Lawrence (Marcus Burnett), Vanessa Hudgens (Kelly), Alexander Ludwig (Dorn), Paola Núñez (Rita), Eric Dane (McGrath), Ioan Gruffudd (Lockwood), Jacob Scipio (Armando), Melanie Liburd (Christine), Tasha Smith* (Theresa), Rhea Seehorn (Judy), Tiffany Haddish (Tabitha), Joe Pantoliano (Captain Howard), Quinn Hemphill (Callie), Dennis Greene (Reggie), Bianca Bethune (Megan), John Salley (Fletcher), etc. |
| Taglines | On the run: Bad Boys-style. Miami’s finest are now its most wanted. |
| Distributor | Columbia Pictures |
*Tasha Smith took over the role of Theresa Burnett from Theresa Randle, who decided to retire from acting following her appearance in Bad Boys For Life (2020) movie.
Poster and Featured Image of the Bad Boys – Ride or Die (2024) Movie {Bad Boys 4} are credited to Columbia Pictures.