Bullet Points: Bad Boys: Ride or Die
In this edition of Bullet Points, I will be reviewing the fourth film in the Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Some spoilers are ahead (especially if you have steered clear of the trailer or any of the marketing for the film). Bad Boys: Ride or Die hits theaters THIS FRIDAY, June 7th!
- Welcome Back to Miami: The movie starts off with the undeniable chemistry between Will Smith’s Mike Lowrey and Martin Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett… Mike is justifiably perturbed with his longtime partner, since Marcus is causing Mike to be late for his own wedding! In classic Bad Boys fashion, a quick stop at the convenience store does not go exactly as planned… Marcus isn’t through making Mike Lowrey’s wedding day a stressful one, however. While Marcus is getting jiggy with it on the dance floor, he has a heart attack! And we get to see Marcus’ full out of body experience, including an interaction with Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano, Taxman)… which was a nice way to bring the character back after he was murdered in Bad Boys for Life (by Mike Lowrey’s son no less). Not surprisingly Marcus does survive and we get a Marcus Burnett like we’ve never seen or heard before.
- From Beyond the Grave: If you’ve seen the trailer for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, you know that there’s more Captain Howard to come including some videos from beyond the grave. It turns out Captain Howard had been investigating corruption in Miami’s law enforcement community and his death in the previous film was directly related to his investigation. So when Captain Howard is framed and has his name dragged through the mud by the media, labeling him a cartel conspirator, Mike and Marcus aren’t going to stand for it, even if the Feds have all but declared Howard guilty. Their persistence to clear Captain Howard’s name just get them in deeper and soon they are being painted as criminals themselves which means they are now on the run and have to deal with the real cartel conspirators, the U.S. Marshals and anyone and everyone in Miami’s underworld interested in collecting the huge bounty on their heads!
- Ride or Dies: Mike and Marcus end up getting an assist from an unlikely source. Plus, the few Miami cops they know they can trust… Captain Rita Secada (Paola Núñez), Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and Dorn (Andrew Ludwig) all reprising their roles from Bad Boys for Life… But what good are heroes without quality villains?! And Eric Dane’s McGrath is as bad as they get. McGrath is remorseless and cold hearted SOB and he has his own ride or dies and that spells trouble for our heroes… and the ones that they love!
If you are looking for a good time look no further than the Bad Boys! Bad Boys: Ride or Die was the most fun I have had at the theater in years! Seeing Bad Boys: Ride or Die with an enthusiastic audience was an experience I will not soon forget. And the movie gave the audience plenty of reasons to be enthusiastic… the comedy hit and the action was top tier. There was an insane helicopter sequence, a van on fire and a finale that takes place at a shut down alligator themed amusement park! Plus, you can feel the love among the ever expanding Bad Boys family.
Admittedly I went into the movie thinking, “Do we really need another Bad Boys movie?” and I left thinking “I wonder if they are going to make a fifth Bad Boys movie?” I don’t know the answer to that last question, but I do know I have some Bonus Bullet Points for you…
- Soundtraxx: The end credits were bumping with the Black Eyed Peas, El Alfa and Becky G. with “Tonight” and of course the classic “Bad Boys” song is featured through out the movie.. including a version of the song that I never could have imagined.
- Bastard Count: Two “bastards” were dropped in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
- MVP: Nobody got a bigger reaction than Marcus’ son-in-law, Reggie and rightfully so. Semper Fi!
- Familiar Face: There’s a cameo from someone that can be traced back to the roots of Bad Boys (and were those some familiar wheels too?!?!)
