Xtreme Vogue London Desk: Judith Benjamin
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (English) Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence
Director: Adil & Bilall
Synopsis:
BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE is the story of two cops on the run. Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Miles Burnett (Martin Lawrence) continue to fight crime in Miami. Mike finally decides to settle down. He marries Christine (Melanie Liburd). At his wedding, Marcus dances like there’s no tomorrow and suffers a heart attack. In his dreams, he sees the late Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) who tells him that his time is not up yet and also that their life is going to turn around. Soon, James McGrath (Eric Dane) enters the narrative. He frames the Captain as being involved with the drug mafia. The new Captain, Grice (Jason Davis) concludes that Conrad was corrupt and begins the investigation. Mike and Marcus refuse to believe so and swear to clear the name of their beloved Captain. In doing so, they get accused of criminal activity and turn into fugitives. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Story Review:
Chris Bremner and Will Beall’s story is ordinary and also clichéd. Chris Bremner and Will Beall’s screenplay, however, is very effective and keeps the interest going. The dialogues are one of the film’s USP’s and add to the fun.
Adil & Bilall’s direction is neat and also stylish. This is the shortest BAD BOYS film to date and yet, the makers manage to pack in a lot. The character arcs are fascinating. Marcus, who became ‘non-violent’ in the last film, is now the complete opposite and also free-spirited and it is sure to raise laughs. The action scenes keep the viewers gripped. The action scenes that stand out are the one in the aeroplane, the elevator and the one in Marcus’ house. What also works is the bond shared by Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio) with the bad boys.
On the flipside, the villain track is not well fleshed out. This happened even in the first BAD BOYS film. But the third part set a record in this regard where the antagonist was given her due and also an unpredictable back story. The antagonist, hence, fails to leave a strong mark in this film. The action at the strip club seemed forced. In fact, the film drops in the middle. Lastly, the hype seems very limited this time.
Performances:
Martin Lawrence takes the cake this time. He provides the maximum laughs and is very convincing. Will Smith keeps it subtle as he’s mainly reacting to Martin’s bizarre one-liners. Yet, it doesn’t look out of character for him and is impressive. Eric Dane is okay as the villain and is let down by the writing. Joe Pantoliano is adorable. Jason Davis is hardly there. Melanie Liburd, Paola Núñez (Rita), Rhea Seehorn (Judy) and Quinn Hemphill (Callie) lend able support and deliver fine performances. Ioan Gruffudd (Lockwood) leaves a mark in the second half. Jacob Scipio makes his presence felt and looks cool in the action scenes. Tiffany Haddish is entertaining. Dennis Greene (Reggie McDonald) is the surprise of the film. John Salley (Fletcher) and DJ Khaled (Manny) are okay in cameos. Jay Shetty’s special appearance is a surprise.
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die music and other technical aspects:
Lorne Balfe’s music is exhilarating. Robrecht Heyvaert’s cinematography is breathtaking. Jon Billington’s production design is top-class. Janie Bryant’s costumes are appealing. The action is a bit gory and adds to the madness, particularly in the climax. Asaf Eisenberg and Dan Lebental’s editing is slick.
Conclusion:
On the whole, BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE provides humour and action in ample doses. However, it’ll need a thumbs up from the target audience to excel at the box office.
