Bad Boys: Ride or Die

 

“We ride together, we die together. Bad boys for life.”

Boisterous, brash and banter-filled, Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues to feature the buddy cop comedic crime carnage audiences have come to expect from the sun-soaked streets of Miami and the mayhem of Mike and Marcus with plenty of action, antics and adrenaline to entertain and endear us to the brotherly love these two bad boys have for each other. 

Discussion Points:

I kinda feel like this one should’ve been titled “for Life” and the third should’ve been titled “Ride or Die”. Because this film feels far more about the lasting legacy and enduring bad boyness of Mike and Marcus and co. as Will Smith and Martin Lawrence feel increasingly like they are passing on the torch but not before one final bow. Their buddy cop chemistry continues to feel just as fun, loud, brash and impulsive, yet deeply rooted in trust, care and genuine love and affection for each other, and their respective family and friends. Adil and Bilall continue to capture the Bayhem of Michael Bay, with more explosions, shoot-outs and swivelling cameras to capture the chaos. There’s some great moments of genuine action ingenuity, amidst the insanity and absurdity. Narratively, Ride or Die doesn’t take any huge risks, and telegraphs its twists very early, but these films are far more about the characters and their dynamics than the greater plot at play. It is interesting to see how the release of the Fast franchise in between Bad Boys I & II and these most recent films has impacted the action, plot and tech that is present, but Ride or Die still feels grounded in Miami and connected to its narcotics cop roots. Ultimately, this is another solid enjoyable Bad Boys film that avoids diminishing returns. It’s action packed, entertaining, a little bit ridiculous but never to the point of laughable absurdity, and keeps its charismatic and endearing duo at its core.