The fourth entry in the Bad Boys film series has arrived and with it comes expectations that it may ignite a lagging summer box office by giving audiences the combination of action and humor that the franchise is known for.
Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) is getting married and during the reception, his partner Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) has a life-changing event that causes him to see the universe in a whole new light, and is convinced that he and Mike have been connected in various forms throughout time.
When it is discovered that their deceased former Captain is under investigation for accepting money from criminal organizations, he is considered to be a key player in the corruption that is reportedly rampant within the department.
Unwilling to accept the damage this could cause to the legacy of their former Captain, Will and Marcus seek out Will’s Son Armando (Jacob Scipio), in federal custody and learn that he may be the only person who can identify a key player in the conspiracy.
Naturally, this puts a target on Armando, and considering Mike’s conflicted feelings about a son he did not know he had until recently; a high-stakes and high-action interspersed with plenty of comedy follows.
The film has several callbacks to characters and situations from the prior films but it is not necessary to have seen them in order to follow along. The action sequences are well done and appropriate for characters of their age as while cinematically impressive, they don’t do many superhero situations that stretch credibility among action film standards.
The supporting cast is great and the audience will likely love the moments with Reggie (Dennis Greene) as Marcus’s long-picked-upon Son-in-law who gets his moments in between the laughs at his expense.
I have to say that I enjoyed the film from start to finish and the audience at our preview screening was laughing and cheering the entire way through. The supporting cast is fantastic and the series shows no signs of slowing down as even though it is the fourth entry in the film series, it is still engaging and doesn’t seem like a stale retread. I do think that there are still more films left in the series as ” Bad Boys: Ride Or Die” is not only a textbook example of how an action/comedy should be done, but it is a series that has maintained quality throughout and shows no signs of slowing down.
4stars out of 5
