Bad Boys: Ride or Die

You may or may not believe this, but at one time, the “super” cop was a pretty big thing in movies. Now you might ask yourself, what is a “super” cop? Well, that is simply a cop that seems invincible, no matter what is going on. You know them by the names Riggs and Murtaugh, Lee and Carter, and Lowrey and Burnett. All of those pairs have hung up their badges, but the last duo on that list is still patrolling the streets of Miami. Let’s just hope they are not too old for this.

Twenty-nine years ago was the first time we went on an adventure with Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and his partner Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence). Since then, we have had two more movies and a lot of explosive times in Miami. When we last left this team, Mike had found out he had a son named Armando (Jacob Scipio), who was a hitman for the cartel, and they lost Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano), who was killed by Mike’s son. Yes, that is a pretty tangled web, but now Armando is in jail, and the captain’s good name is being smeared as he is being called dirty. Mike and Marcus are not having it and set out to find out who is ruining their good captain’s name. They are getting too close to the truth, and soon they and Mike’s son are on the run as the clock ticks for them to be able to find the truth.

Written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall, Bad Boys: Ride or Die doesn’t always work on the page, as it introduces characters, only to forget them as everything is focused on Mike and Marcus. While the first two films were all about the two cops, this one, like the last chapter, starts to really focus on the team factor. The story is not really what we came for, so the fact that it is the weakest part is of no concern to me. I mean, yeah, I always want a good story, but sometimes you just want fast food, and this is the equivalent of good fast food in the movie world. Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah go enough “Michael Bay” to appease action fans, with two or three really good action scenes that will bring a satisfying smile to your face.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die tries to cover too much ground, as it actually increases the number of characters that are doing something. Luckily the focus is still on Smith and Lawrence, and their chemistry is still golden, with Lawrence often being a mini scene-stealer. Ride or Die feels like they have started to mix the Lethal Weapon philosophy with a little Fast and Furious, with how many members of the team we got here. I think this plan of action allows Smith and Lawrence to still lead but let the younger cast members do a decent amount of the heavy lifting when it comes to the action. This also leads to Ride or Die feeling more fresh and energetic, all while giving you exactly what you want from a Bad Boys movie. Ultimately, Ride or Die is entertaining and delivers something that is quite crowd-pleasing, and if this is the end of these bad boys, then at least they went out on a high note.