Becoming The Muse

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a 2024 American buddy cop action comedy film starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the duo reprise their roles in the fourth instalment of the Bad Boys franchise, a direct sequel to the 2020 Bad Boys For Life. The movie had its theatrical release on the 7^th of June 2024 and from 23 July became available on select streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home

The action comedy follows Will Smith as Mike Lowrey and Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett, Miami’s Finest who cant stay out of trouble, they solve problems but first they escalate them….

The Good

Who would miss out on the dynamic duo from one of the most iconic 90s action comedy movie franchise? They are back and they bring it; Bad Boys Bad Boys Bad Boys… watcha gonna do?

The chemistry between the two lead actors is palpable, their humour and camaraderie is the glue holding the movie together. Their easy banter keeps the movie moving and you hardly feel the 115 minute runtime.

Bad Boys has edge of your seat action sequences, taken from cleverly inventive perspectives and again the lead actors hold their own, they definitely still got it, if not a tad smug about it.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is better than most of its predecessors, the actors growth and maturity is reflected in their characters growth, their familial ties, emotions and faced with their fears, loss, ageing and mortality.

The movie is packed with call-backs and references to moments and characters from previous movies in the franchise giving it a nostalgic trip via memory lane… You remember Reggie? Well Reggie is all grown up and probably has one of the hardest scenes in the movie… you had to be there….

The Bad

The plot is somewhat formulaic and predictable, with all the movies following a similar storyline, two cow boy cops trying to get to the bottom of things, breaking the rules  along the way and the stakes usually get personal….  That pretty much sums it up.

Summing up the plot like that makes it seem plausible but watching the movie will require you to suspend disbelief on some of the nonsensical elements that unfold. The villain is one dimensional and could have been better crafted, given how the convulated plot is supposed to interlink with elements from sequels in the franchise.

As with most blockbuster sequels it falls into the trap of trying to include more, more action, more explosions and you end up with over the top sequences.

The Ugly

The movie wasted a great opportunity to handle mental health issues like processing near death experiences, panic attacks, fear of loss… and instead fills it up with excessive humour which at times falls flat and tone deaf in what should be pivotal moments.

Maybe I missed it, but I didn’t hear the iconic Bad Boys sound track… they did sing rather ugly renditions of the song….

Final Thoughts

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a fun and chaotic experience that brings back the dynamic duo of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, blending nostalgia with fresh elements for a wild and entertaining ride…

Fun Fact: Social media sensation Khaby Lame makes a cameo appearance in the blockbuster.

Have you watched the Bad Boys movies? Are you a fan of Will Smith and or Martin Lawrence? I grew up watching sitcoms they featured in, so they feel like family.

~B