By Victoria Luxford
Let’s address the Oscar-shaped elephant in the room. The fourth Bad Boys film is the first movie Will Smith has made since making headlines around the world for slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards (slavery drama Emancipation was released after, but filmed before the controversy). Now, a follow up to the surprise 2020 hit Bad Boys For Life has been scheduled since it’s success, but it remains to be seen if Smith can still bring in audiences now that they associate him with more than his movies.
Smith and Martin Lawrence are back as detectives Mike Lowry and Marcus Bennett, bringing the no good criminals of Miami to justice while dealing with the rigours of getting older. Marcus in particular feels that strain when he has a heart attack at his daughter’s wedding, which makes him appreciate life just in time for a message from the grave. Their deceased captain (Joe Pantoliano) via posthumous video message tells them of deep-rooted corruption in the department that he is being framed for, prompting the duo to go on the run to clear their former superior’s name, and find the real culprit.
Those of a certain age will note the parallels between this franchise and the Lethal Weapon films, also about two cops who become best friends and balance crime fighting with domestic troubles. Like 1998’s Lethal Weapon 4, this fourth chapter of struggles to fit in all the supporting characters picked up in the previous films, while still giving enough time to give the people what they want. That turns out to be Smith and Lawrence riffing with each other while many different structures explode, and bad guys get dispatched. It’s a cavalcade of tropes and ludicrous stretches of logic that would make original Bad Boys director Michael Bay blush. In fairness, the action is expertly choreographed, and the bond between the two stars feels as authentic as ever. This is scant consolation, however, for a film that seems to exist solely because the last one was a hit.
It’s likely most audiences won’t have seen Lawrence recently outside of the Bad Boys franchise, but he still has a lot of value as the wackier of the two men. He may dial up the antics too much at times, but luckily his partner always knows how to counter that energy. Smith is much as he was, offering the charming persona that made him successful prior to The Slap. It’s effective if you can separate fact from fiction, and certainly more interesting a part than the vast supporting cast, who are reduced to moments of exposition if they’re lucky. Eric Dane is particularly ill-served as a villain with no distinct traits other than wanting to foil our heroes’ plot.
If you can’t get enough of these two together, then Bad Boys: Ride or Die will deliver that nostalgic hit you are looking for. As a film, however, it never rises above ridiculous plot twists and over-the-top antics. Nearly thirty years after their debut, it may be time for these buddy cops to hand in their badge.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is in cinemas now.
