BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE -- Action-Comedy Is Fun but Messy, Driven by Great Action

Review by Sean Boelman

The long-delayed third film in the Bad Boys series, Bad Boys for Life, came right before the COVID-19 pandemic and was one of the last “big blockbusters” for over a year. Its sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, is coming out at a time when the summer box office is struggling — largely from the lingering impact of last year’s SAG and WGA strikes. While Will Smith is hardly the savior that anyone wants right now, this enjoyable action-comedy is enough of a crowd-pleaser that it has the juice to revitalize multiplexes — if only for a weekend.

In the movie, Miami PD officers Burnett and Lowrey set out to clear the name of their late captain when he is posthumously framed for corruption. It’s an incredibly generic cartel-driven police storyline, and you will be able to see every predictable beat coming from the moment the new characters are introduced. That being said, this is a Bad Boys movie, after all. No one’s coming to this expecting any more than a dumb action comedy.

The biggest issue with the latest entry in the now almost 30-year-old franchise is that the humor style hasn’t aged particularly well. The film is at its funniest when it allows Smith and Lawrence to lean into the slapstick (emphasis on “slap”) side of the comedy. When it’s trying to be witty or insightful with one-liners, it’s often reductive at best and sometimes even downright offensive at worst, including one truly baffling and overtly laughable reference to 9/11.

However, where Bad Boys: Ride or Die falls short in its humor, it makes up for with some of the most kinetic action in a mainstream action flick in years. It’s clear that Adil and Bilall have a deep admiration for the work of Michael Bay, infusing their movies in his franchise — this one, in particular — with a level of gonzo, over-the-top energy that matches Bay’s. But they also play around with the camera in ways that creates a ton of excitement.

Perhaps out of concern of lingering controversy surrounding Smith, much of the focus of the narrative is on Lawrence. The result is that we get to see Lawrence shine in a way he hasn’t in more than a decade. Although it can be hard to take some of the more sincere aspects of his story seriously, Lawrence has an impeccable sense of comedic timing and excellent chemistry with Smith.

Smith’s portions of the film feel much less developed. The movie’s conflict is largely driven by Smith’s character — with most of the narrative propulsion being from conflicts in that character’s life. However, there are several gaps in his arc, and it’s hard to tell whether this is the fault of sloppy writing or gaps created with reshoots. 

The rest of the cast is a mixed bag. The performances by some of the faces from earlier in the franchise, like Dennis Greene, allow them to stand out in unexpected ways. Then, there are the returners from Bad Boys for Life, like Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, and Paola Nuñez, who all feel wasted. Jacob Scipio is the only one who feels well-used. Of the new additions, including Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffud, Tiffany Haddish, and Rhea Seehorn, no one really makes much of an impact.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is probably the weakest entry in the franchise by virtue of its generic storyline and humor that is even more hit-or-miss than is usual for the series. However, some incredibly inspired action direction from Adil and Bilall makes this more of a fun time at the movies than many of the other movies you’ll see at the multiplex in this particularly dry summer.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die hits theaters on June 7.

Rating: 3/5