Will Smith and Martin Lawrence Shine in Action-Packed 'Bad Boys' Sequel

Bad Boys: Ride or Die follows a familiar police duo Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, played by Will Smith and Martin Lawence. As they race to clear their deceased boss's name after he is allegedly framed by the Mexican cartel from an insider at the AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations). As the two veteran foot soldiers spring into action to uncover the truth, they discover more than what they originally bargained for when the two are intercepted by their colleagues and the cartel.

Will Smith (Mike Lowrey) and Martin Lawrence (Marcus Burnett) in Bad Boys: Ride or Die

I watched the film within a private screening window and met a theater full of new fans, old fans, and action movie lovers! One thing that was interesting at this screening was the diversity of ages in the audience and the level of enthusiasm that the group came to the movie with. 

This film was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the director duo behind Warner Brothers' now-canceled Batgirl. While this wasn’t enough to land the two in director’s jail, Bad Boys: Ride or Die feels like a proper action film with music video overtones. This director duo is certainly not afraid of suspending disbelief and swinging for the fences when it comes to action-packed stunt sequences, unique camera angles, and high-octane car crashes and shootouts. While they are younger directors, they are set to make a splash in Hollywood that will be felt throughout the industry. With a heavy emphasis on motion and point-of-view shots, these two direct the “bad boys” with a unique sense of style and action.

In terms of stunts and acting, Lawrence and Smith do well keeping up the illusions of stunts, considering their age. Martin Lawrence at times felt a bit leisurely as a character in comparison to his more charismatic, younger portrayal of Marcus. However, this made sense as the film went along and Mike's newly found spiritual journey felt like a natural comedic fit into this more mature, buddy cop bromance story arc. There were a few times in the film where Mike’s “old timer '' comedian stingers resonated with an older crowd. Smith's charismatic cool cop appeal balanced his performance out and kept the theaters in an uproar. Notably, the action sequence at Marcus’ house shined in the theater as his character’s “freeloader son” broke into a Tom Clancy special ops action sequence in a way that the crowd loved with thunderous applause. In addition to the stunts and acting, there was also a great soundtrack that occupied the film and amped up some of the action scenes with music instead of blood or violence. 

Ahead of watching this film, I was considering a few different things when thinking about the market appeal of this movie. On one hand, the timing made sense for a top-of-the-summer blockbuster release with two leading men, I also thought about the presence that Smith and Lawrence bring to screens at home and in theaters. While the idea of “we have no more movie stars,” has certainly been swirling around, I don’t believe that Will Smith has reached his true prime, just yet. Especially, when he comfortably and successfully becomes a familiar face in a new story arc.  While his Oscar slap may have set him back a few notches with the Academy Awards. It was refreshing to see him on screen again planning Mike Lowrey and the crowd loved him nevertheless. If anyone should play a Black kickass cop, you’d be hard-pressed not to name Will Smith, even to this day. Even after all of these years, Smith still commands the screen in the same way he did when he was younger, which is truly bringing something different to the screen for Black male protagonists. With cameos from DJ Khalid to Tiffany Haddish, there is definitely some star power behind this project.

All in all, there were times in the film that felt especially cheeky which might translate well to international audiences who want that kind of comedy and know Will Smith from many other franchise movies. Also, we have to remember that this is a film in the Michael Bay universe, a lot of the selling of the film will happen organically and rumble into the international market. I think that Bad Boys: Ride or Die taps into a 90s nostalgia that very few properties can tap into and with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence playing side by side, I feel that this is a box office cash grab destined for future success. The movie comes out June 7th in theaters and you can be the judge, but this is definitely a watch for the big screen!