I’ve been a big fan of the Bad Boys movies ever since I first caught the 1995 franchise starter on cable in the late ‘90s. I’ve made sure to catch all the sequels on the big screen ever since, and so when I received an invite for an early screening of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, I immediately jumped on the opportunity and prepared myself to watch Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s legendary Miami detectives solve their latest mystery. And I’m glad I did.
Though the critical response was mostly mixed heading into the movie’s opening weekend, reactions from early screenings have pointed out that the movie is something die-hard fans of the series will love, which was brought up in CinemaBlend’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die review. And, since I, and a good portion of the people reading this, fall into that camp, I’ll say that after seeing the latest entry in one of the best buddy cop franchises in a packed theater, this is a big-screen experience you don’t want to miss.
Allow me to explain…
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Was The Wildest Theatrical Experience I've Had All Year
Was Bad Boys: Ride or Die the best movie I’ve seen on the big screen this year? No, that honor still goes to Dune: Part Two, which was an achievement across the board. However, I haven’t had as much fun watching any other 2024 movie in theaters as I did with the latest entry in the franchise. Maybe it was the packed house (the screening started late because there were so many people), maybe it was the fact that everyone there seemed to be big fans of the franchise, or maybe it was because the movie found a great balance of humor and action.
Regardless, it was an experience I won’t soon forget, and I’m really glad that I watched it on the big screen as opposed to waiting for it to hit Netflix or another streaming service. I’m sure I would have still liked it, but like when I saw Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie with my kids, the atmosphere of the room added so much to the experience.
It Felt So Good To See Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Together Again
After all the drama surrounding Will Smith’s Oscars slap in March 2022, the WGA Writers and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, and overall weirdness ever since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (which started right after Bad Boys For Life dominated the box office), I was afraid I’d never see another Bad Boys movie again. But let me tell you something, seeing Smith and Martin Lawrence back in action as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, respectively, felt so damn good.
Yeah, they’re much older since we first met them, but the same is true for all of us. They didn’t miss a beat, and the changes screenwriters Chris Bremner and Will Beall made to their respective and shared dynamics created a fun, fresh, and engaging experience that translated really well in the theater.
The room had a certain energy to it when the movie threw the audience in the middle of Mike and Marcus speeding through the streets of Miami to get to the former’s wedding, and it felt like no time had passed since we last saw them. This dynamic helped make the first film one of the best ‘90s movies, and the same can be said about Ride or Die.
The On-Screen Action Is Explosive, Inventive, And A Spectacle
One of the things I loved the most about For Life back in 2020 was how directors Adil & Bilall added their own unique spin to the franchise when it came to the action, and that’s also true for Ride or Die. By taking what worked with the first two Michael Bay movies and adding elements, camera tricks, and editing techniques that make the movie look and feel like a video game (in a good way) during massive action set pieces, the two filmmakers knocked it out of the park.
Before the movie was released, Will Smith shared an awesome BTS clip that showed how one of the gunfights was pulled off, and it was something to see. Scenes, like the one referenced in the clip, look so damn cool on the big screen, and give Ride or Die a larger-than-life feel, one that might be lost watching on a TV at home.
The Jokes In Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Land (Almost Too Well)
With Smith and Lawrence having a long history of being two of the funniest actors in Hollywood, and a stellar track record with the first three movies in the franchise, I had a feeling Bad Boys: Ride or Die was going to be full of great jokes, one-liners, and disses. And boy, was I right. Whenever Mike would put down Marcus about his eating habits, his changed outlook on life after a major incident, or after a major gunfight, the theater exploded with laughter.
This did present a problem whenever there were two back-to-back jokes, as the audience was still laughing, clapping, and stomping (mostly me) from the first quip, causing you to miss what came next. However, this is a good problem to have.
The Movie, The Shortest Of The Franchise, Doesn't Waste Any Time And Keeps Your Attention From Start To Finish
I love Bad Boys II as much as the next guy, but like a lot of Michael Bay’s best movies, it’s way too long. I know they say you can’t have too much of a good thing, but I’m afraid that’s the case with the 2003 action flick. However, the same can’t be said for this movie, which clocks in at a little less than two hours; the shortest time of the entire franchise.
The movie, which has most of the fat cut from its runtime, grabs ahold of your attention from the first scene and doesn’t let go until the final credits. Don’t worry, Adil & Bilall still manage to get in all the hits like Bay’s 360-degree hero shot, Mike and Marcus singing “Bad Boys,” and a heart-to-heart at dawn just before the final act. If you’re a fan of those staples but don’t want to sit through two-and-a-half hours of bloated scenes, this is the movie for you.
I really hope that Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the movie that brings a ton of folks to the theater and reverses 2024’s terrible box office trend in the coming weeks, because this is a movie that excels on the big screen. Who knows, maybe this won’t be the end of the franchise and we’ll get to see Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett do it again in the future.
