‘Bad Boys: Ride of Die’ Review: The Action-Comedy Pump You Expect, Yet in its Worst Tendencies

In 1995, Michael Bay created a “high concept” cop movie about two policemen targeting drug dealers in the sunny streets of Miami: “Bad Boys.” They are fighting for justice but aren’t your regular old “good guys.” Whatever you may think of it, the film made a lot of money. It made enough cash to warrant a sequel that cost more than double. And that one was very successful at the box office as well. When you thought this franchise would be left as a product of its time, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence returned for a new sequel, this time in new hands. Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah helmed this legacy sequel reunion that the Hollywood machine created because they were desperate. 

A New Chapter in the Bad Boys of Miami’s Cop Ventures

Even though I wasn’t a fan of these films, that film easily managed to be the best of the three. They didn’t have the nauseating directorial decisions that Michael Bay uses. There was a control of some sort in the action set-piece. It felt more cinematic than the rest. Yet with that nostalgic feeling that the previous pictures cemented, for better or worse. We have received a fourth one because money dictates how the dice roll with these big studio pictures, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”. The previous installment, “Bad Boys for Life,” wasn’t even that bad. This is why I was somewhat excited to see where El Arbi and Fallah were going with the franchise. I was curious whether or not they would take things further with the action scenes. 

Unfortunately, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” ends up being what you expect from a “Bad Boys” film—which some audiences are looking for that nonsensical, comedic running-and-gunning—yet in its worst tendencies. And this aforementioned proneness is seen in its first few minutes. The film begins at one hundred miles per hour and stays like that for the entirety of the run-time. There’s little to no breathing space. Everything is being rushed for no reason, as if it wants to get the narrative and character development out of the way and go straight to the action, explosions, and Miami lavishness, which will make Michael Bay (who has a cameo in the film) proud. 

We see Mike Lowry (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) on a Porsche drifting through the streets of Miami to get to the former’s wedding. Marcus feels sick and needs to grab a ginger ale from the store so he doesn’t vomit inside the car. Mike gives him ninety seconds to do so. And so Marcus grabs the drink but immediately gets sidetracked by all the goods and sweets. Things will get more complicated when a man decides to rob the store. Mike enters furiously to scream at Marcus for taking way too much time. He sees the perpetrator and decides to take matters into his own hands by shooting him in the leg. That, in a nutshell, tells you what type of film this is and the many problems that will arise. 

A Film Going One Hundred Miles Per Hour

The frenetic filmmaking, rushed pacing, and poor jokes are all shown in these mere minutes, like a montage of what’s to come and whether you will enjoy it. If you like it, venture into the web of lies, corrupt cops, money laundering, and brotherhood (or its poor excuse of thematic exploration). If you didn’t, walk away or proceed with caution. However, the film won’t let you venture through the film calmly. Everything is quick, easy, and without much focus on the characters. You can apply these three traits to vacuous modern action filmmaking. 

This next chapter of Miami bad boys centers around the framing of the deceased Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano), who has been tied with some cartel money in his bank account. Of course, Mike and Marcus won’t stand by any of that because they trusted him until the end. So, the two heads try to uncover who is doing this and why. With the help of his incarcerated son, Armando (Jacob Scipio), and some clues left behind by Howard, they go head to head against a ghost like the bad boys know how: with a bullet parade and driving fast cars. 

I must admit that there were three entertaining moments in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” one of which was due to how ridiculous it was. There are two interesting action set pieces that have plenty of cinematic spark. One involves Reggie (Dennis McDonald) protecting Marcus’ family from intruders trying to kidnap them. The way Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah shoot this sequence shows the best of their abilities. They introduce CCTV footage and blend it with the set piece’s choreography in its transitions to keep it from being one of the many “one-shot” fight scenes in modern action cinema. Cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert keeps the camera close for the significant impact blows and distances himself when he wants to focus on the clean movements, almost like a dance. 

The second one involves the look of a first-person shooter game. Having seen how they made it via behind-the-scenes footage, I was left impressed with how it came out in the film. The scene transitions between the man and the gun perspective. It shows both the kills and the tension on the actor’s faces during this now-or-never scenario. However, the problem with the action sequences overall, even though they have some good technical aspects, is that there’s no pain. Plenty of films released today suffer from this issue, which causes the viewers to not care about the outcome because they know the heroes will remain unscathed. 

The Lack of Pain in its Action and the Dated Comedy

Mike and Marcus are not superheroes or invincible; they are cops with excellent training. Yet, in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” they are treated as if nothing can defeat them, removing the tension and anxiousness from each action sequence and the story overall. There are attempts at uncovering the emotional and psychological pain via Mike’s anxiety attacks and Marcus’ heart attack. However, the directors dismiss this in order to give more room for the aciton. And, of course, it is understandable because that is what puts butts in seats. Each action sequence must have some form of character development or importance to make the audience care about the characters.

Regarding its comedic affairs, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is either dated, nostalgia-focused, or excruciatingly annoying and without charm. The screenplay doesn’t have a single line I would consider funny. Martin Lawrence was once a great comedian. Yet he is now a charisma vacuum, sucking the air out of an already vigor-less canvas. He is just too over-the-top and bothersome, making every scene he is in even worse. Meanwhile, Smith has to carry most of the film’s weight on his back. He isn’t in top popcorn entertainment form. Smith isn’t in “Men in Black” or “Independence Day” territory, where his charm and charisma were up the roof. But Smith manages to bring some life onto the screen—being the most entertaining actor by a mile wide. 

Ultimately, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is not the worst of the franchise, believe it or not. Despite its deficiencies, this is better than what Michael Bay had to offer in the ’90s. This is more of a statement of how bad the franchise is than of the American director’s lack of talent. After providing something fresh and fun with “Bad Boys for Life,” Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah lose their flash in the heat of the moment. They thread backward instead of doing what made their input in the franchise worthy of a cinema visit. 

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” hit theaters worldwide theaters on June 7th, 2024.