These Bad Boys need a reminder on why they were good the last time.
Will Smith is back as Mike Lowery and Martin Lawrence is retuning as Marcus Burnett, and they’re the two Miami cops who began the “Bad Boys” franchise with an okay introduction, a bad sequel, a fresh threequel, and a fourth entry known as “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” It wants to be a number of movies: “The Fugitive,” “Fearless,” and even “Jurassic Park” in a small way; and I was looking forward to this one because of how the new franchise directors Adil & Bill have been able give fresh new material in their iconic characters. But this one wastes that potential on an underdeveloped and sometimes predictable screenplay.
Here’s what happens in their personal lives. Mike has married his therapist Christine (Melanie Liburd), but has been suffering from panic attacks and is too cynical to admit about them. And ever since Marcus cheated death, he starts acting like Jeff Bridges in “Fearless.” Meaning: he thinks nothing can hurt or kill him. That he can walk through traffic without looking both ways, and still not get run over. Now it starts off pretty funny because of how Smith and Lawrence deal with the humor of it, but it ends up becoming more exhausting than emotional.
Here’s what happens in their action story. A criminal mastermind names James McGrath (Eric Dane) pins dirty evidence against their deceased Captain Howard (Joe Pantaliano), leaving our heroes to clear his name. That same villain, however has his incarnated goons trying to murder Mike’s convicted son Armando (Jacob Scipio), who has to be relocated with Mike and Marcus tagging along. And McGrath tricks the Miami PD into thinking they’re traitors, thus making them wanted fugitives.
The stakes are higher for Howard’s daughter Judy (Rhea Seehorn), who is the head US Marshall in charge of bringing them down, and has already lost her faith in Mike in the beginning, because his son was the one who murdered her father.
Here’s a “John Wick” element for you. McGrath puts the bounty on Mike and Marcus, and that’s why gangsters and assassins (some in the form of Tiffany Haddish and DJ Khaled) try to take them out. Now, Haddish as a new addition to the franchise could be a good idea, because of how I told her that she is able to broaden her horizons as an actress when she was signing her book “I Curse You with Joy.” But her cameo is all looks and less comedy and substance.
And I bet you guys $10 that the mayor candidate Lockwood (Ion Gruffudd), who is engaged to our heroes’ boss Captain Rita Seceda (Paola Nunez), is somehow involved with the bad guys. Why? Because it’s usually the politicians who have to be shady.
Now, Smith and Lawrence can bring their characters to the 2020s with originality as demonstrated in “Bad Boys For Life,” which I still think is the best of the franchise. And they do have their moments in “Ride or Die,” but they deserve a screenplay to remind them on why they were able to win more fans over before. There is stylized action and special effects, but there also has to be noise and cynicism within them. And a fugitive story like this should be more challenging and exciting.
If some people are still annoyed by Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, then they should move on from that. If they want to see this movie, then it’s up to them. My reaction to “Ride or Die” has nothing to do with the slap; it has something to do with the cliches that get tiresome. Whatca gonna do? Whatca gonna do with your next movie?