Bad Boys: Ride or Die

By: Jamie Steinberg

Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are back as bad boys for a fourth time and, thankfully, Bad Boys: Ride or Die proves this dynamic duo still packs a punch. They may be officially “too old for this shit,” but this long-term police partnership still entertains, especially because back is the perfect comedic banter these two share. With an aim at clearing their beloved Captain’s name, Marcus and Mike ain’t going nowhere soon.

We kick things off at Mike’s (Smith) wedding where Marcus (Lawrence) suffers a heart attack while celebrating. In the hospital a vision of the now deceased Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) wakes Marcus and gives him a newfound lease on life. Unfortunately, his new spirituality puts him in greater danger. Plus, to add to the drama Mike begins suffering from panic attacks. Both issues are neither here nor there though, as the real meat and potatoes of the film involves the two teaming up to try and clear Captain Howard’s name from looming corruption charges posthumously. Of course, they know he’s innocent – not just from their friendship but because they received a prerecorded video of Howard sharing information in case of his untimely passing. Unfortunately, that’s how Mike and Marcus wind up being accused of taking part in the corruption – turning up the heat even more on this edge-of-your-seat flick.

Co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah also return to the franchise and seem to be old hat at making sure Smith and Lawrence shine. Whether it is a hypnotic shootout that takes place a military helicopter or a misstep into an NRA encampment, their shots would give Michael Bay a run for his money. Surely, El Arbi and Fallah know what they’re doing. Add in cameos by Tiffany Haddish, Vanessa Hudgens and Rhea Seahorn and this movie is a great stand up to the previous Bad Boy films.

Grab a seat in the movie theater and a [refillable] bucket of popcorn because you need to see Bad Boys: Ride or Die on the big screen. Lawrence and Smith’s shenanigans still entertain – even with a nod to the slap that shall not be named. For those looking for a standout buddy cop movie, it’s bad boys for life.