Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth instalment in the Bad Boys franchise. In terms of sequels, it can be difficult for a movie to continue progressing decades after it entered the cinematic ethos. However, Bad Boys: Ride or Die had another major hurdle to overcome after Will Smith infamously assaulted Chris Rock in 2022.
With Smith’s controversy aside, if we take a look at the movie through a cinematic lens, it works on many levels but meanders in others. The film offers nostalgia, recycled material for fandom purposes, and action scenes that have been spliced with a modern twist. So, let’s break down Bad Boys: Ride or Die as it enters movie theaters across the globe.
Editor’s note: This review contains spoilers
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Sees Smith and Lawrence Age Gracefully in a Refreshing Way
In the first Bad Boys movie released in 1995, Mike Lowrey (Smith) is introduced as a trust fund kid who likes to throw his money around – wearing fancy clothes, driving expensive cars and living in luxury. However, despite not needing to work, he is a devoted detective for the Miami Police Department. To that, his love for the thrill shines through as his driving force. On the other hand, Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is introduced as a family man from the offset, the complete opposite to his playboy partner Lowrey. Throughout the rest of the movies, Marcus only becomes more tranquil, wanting to avoid carnage at all costs while Lowrey revels in the mayhem. However, in Bad Boys for Life (2020), Lowrey finally grows up, realising he has an estranged son. He is also humbled by a vicious attack that nearly kills him, deflating his perception as being indestructible.
What Bad Boys: Ride or Die does well is continuing to explore Lowrey’s more introspective second lease of life. He is no longer a playboy and is now a married man. He suffers from panic attacks and is haunted by his past mistakes in his dreams. As a result, the dynamic is shifted as the chilled Marcus becomes the live wire of the duo for the first time in the franchise. After suffering a heart attack, Marcus sees the deceased Captain Howard in his dreams while in a coma. Howard tells him “it’s not your time”, leading Marcus to become reckless as he believes he cannot die. This character turnaround offers a new spin on the dynamic, and results in some of the movie’s funniest scenes, with the majority of the comedy coming from Lawrence as Smith delivers a more understated and dramatic performance as his character’s life becomes extremely complicated.
Over-Inflated Action Still Manages to Captivate
As with every action franchise, each instalment ups the ante in the action department. Bad Boys: Ride or Die did just that. Of course, nearly three decades have passed since the original movie, and with that comes advancements in CGI, special effects and action choreography. With that said, this instalment arguably serves up the most over-the-top action scene in the entire franchise – a big achievement seeing as action titan Michael Bay helmed the first two movies. In the particularly pulse-pounding scene, a brutal battle takes place on a helicopter that is carrying Lowrey’s criminal son Aramando (Jacob Scipio). Bodies pile up and the helicopter crashes to the ground, with Lowrey, Marcus and Armando miraculously surviving. Although completely over-inflated, the scene is a nail-biting and fun sequence in the movie.
Outside of this scene, the action is revamped to today’s age with innovative camera techniques and a more fast-paced and frenetic style of editing that echoes the John Wick movies. Many of the movie’s gun fights are shown from a POV perspective, feeling somewhat like a video game (or perhaps a nod to Hardcore Henry). Furthermore, the Bad Boys face one of their biggest adversaries yet in the form of a 16-foot albino alligator.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Feels Like a Fitting End to a Franchise That Has Served Its Purpose
The Bad Boys movies have never shied away from letting other characters get involved in the action as the two leads take the brunt of the chaos. However, this time around, as the two cops find themselves on the run from the law, they enlist the help of Lowrey’s son, Armando. To that, he engages in epic gunfights, fist fights, and pushes himself to the forefront. Of course, Smith and Lawrence still dish up their own share of action. However, one thing that’s missing is Lowrey’s hand-to-hand combat skills.
As mentioned, Lowrey is struggling with anxiety and panic attacks throughout the movie, which makes it harder for him to rise to the occasion. Even in the film’s epic showdown, Lowrey doesn’t engage in a final fight scene the movie felt like it was gearing up to. This could have been done intentionally, to showcase an ageing Lowrey, however, it does leave a slightly bitter taste of anticlimax.
What’s more, the film subtly hints at a passing of the torch through its younger characters. Firstly, Marcus’ son-in-law proves himself to be an unsuspecting warrior. Throughout the movie, he is only seen sitting on the couch eating junk food, but it is stated that he is a soldier on leave. Yet, he proves himself in one of the movie’s best action scenes, taking out 15 men with ease as they descend on the Burnett household. Couple that with Armando taking out ample bad guys before fleeing law enforcement, it feels like a subtle hint is being laid out. In fact, the final scene of the movie shows that Marcus and Lowrey are ready to take a step back. After arguing over who will man the BBQ, before handing over the reigns to Marcus’ son in law, who graces the movie’s final frame with a smile directly into the lens. Want to read more about the Bad Boys? Here are Martin Lawrence’s 5 best movies outside of the Bad Boys franchise.
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