Bad Boys Ride or Die: Continuing the Legacy
It's wild to think that we are here, another Bad Boys. After Will Smith's little Oscar incident, he might have taken a significant break from the media world. However, he decided not only to do another Bad Boys but also to be a producer. Bad Boys For Life was something. It took the franchise to a whole new turn. The bad news? It didn't work for me. It felt a little too wild for Bad Boys. However, I didn't hate it. The good news? This movie redeemed the franchise. And this was just a fun movie, showcasing the beloved characters in a new way that worked. Pulling some crazy stunts, having some great music, the action being insane in several scenes, and some camera work that was beyond excellent. Here is why Bad Boys' Ride or Die worked for me:
First, the cast, as always. Will Smith stars as Detective Mike Lowrey. Will takes this character and continues to run with him. After the ending of Bad Boys For Life, I didn't need to figure out where he could take his character. He killed Isabel Aretas, his son's mother. That plot line carries over to this film in an excellent way. Will Smith brought his humor and expertise in this area to a new height. In many ways, Will brought the heat, bringing us full circle on this plot line. Martin Lawrence returns as Marcus, and he is funny—a loud, out-loud, laughing type of funny. Let's say Marcus goes through another "revelation" in this movie. He always seems to be going through something. Anyway, he is excellent, and the way he takes on this role is fantastic. At times, I wonder if there is a script. Because the way he says things and what he says is terrible. There is no way they should be allowed to say that on screen, let alone be put in the script. I was in a packed theater, and people were laughing a lot. He is that funny. And that's why this franchise does so well. Jacob Scipio returns as Mike's son, Armando Aretas. They grew his plot exceptionally well. And he made it come full circle. Armando's little quest becomes the big deal of this film after the extensive plotline of For Life revolves around Captain Conrad Howard. And Armando is right in the middle of it. Jacob pulls this character well. Other big names like Paola Núñez, Venessa Hudgens, Tasha Smith, Rhea Seehorn, Alexander Ludwig, Tiffany Haddish, DJ Khaled, Joe Pantoliano, and Eric Dane are all in this film. Strangely, Eric Dane picked up this villain role after his days on Grey's Anatomy. But he plays a good one. Overall, this is a fun cast. And I am sure they had a blast on set.
The action and camera work are insane. The cast and stunt doubles are pulling some insane action sequences. Every moment seemed on its own, and every scene had something to say, from Marcus's strange "saved by the universe" moment to the action in every battle. The camera work enhanced these moments. Several slow-motion sequences helped engage the audience. The sounds of guns and grenades felt real coming out of an IMAX theater. And the movements of the camera felt like I was there. One of my favorite moments in the film is towards the end. Where it's in the first person, the way they filmed this sequence was terrific. Please go check out the behind-the-scenes shots of this scene. It's exciting and cool to see. The whole sequence is incredible because it felt like you were that person. Or even playing a game. It was shot well, and there was no blurriness. Going to a first-person perspective in a film is tricky. And hard to get right. They pulled it off here. The action kept me engaged, and the camera work was superb! For a $100 million budget film, they made sure their camera work was on point.
Lorne Balfe returns to upgrade us from Bad Boys for Life. He does, using the vibes of Miami with big cinematic drums, horns, strings, and synthesizers. He creates a big sound like usual and gives us a fantastic score for this one. Bad Boys For Life gave us some interesting songs. However, this film gave us some outstanding ones. From For Life, RITMO from the Black Eyed Peas gave us a listen that lasted a while. In this film, there is someone who knows how to trend on the charts and has won numerous awards at the Latin American Music Awards: Becky G. The main song, “Tonight,” was sung by the Black Eyed Peas, Becky G, and El Alfa. Other songs like Lights Out by Bia, Flores Pa Ti by Becky G, Light Em Up by Will Smith, and a Latin remix of Bad Boys by Sean Paul caught my attention. The soundtrack was great. Not only did these artists give us some great Miami Vibes, but Lorne Balfe also gave us a reason to listen to another one of his soundtracks by blending the vibe with his signature hardcore cinematic flair.
Bad Boys is a great franchise. And seeing this movie only once before I wrote this, I am sure I missed a few things. However, my first impression of this movie is that Will Smith wanted something to get himself back on the map. And he did just that by continuing his most successful franchise yet. It made its money back in its first week. And that's saying something. This will bring Will back to his feet. Because the way I see it, he just cut his way forward.