Old-school cops Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett team up to take down the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel. Newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department along with Mike and Marcus go up against the ruthless Armando Armas.
The 'Bad Boys' film franchise has returned, and after 17 long years, fans have eagerly waited for the new film - Bad Boys For Life. I'd like to make one thing clear first though, I have seen the previous two films, but a long while ago - so I've basically watched this film from a neutral perspective, neither a fan, not a newcomer. Despite this, this film really surprised me for a variety of reasons, mainly in how it combined the elements of humour and action - this film really focuses on a lot of action and excitement as we follow Mike and Marcus on their journey, whilst uncovering a lot of interesting secrets to their pasts. I always like films with Will Smith in, he's a great actor and the 'Bad Boys' series is definitely one he is well known for being in so I was really excited to check this film out to see whether Will Smith brings his A-game or not! Onto the main question though, is this film worth checking out or is it a mess? Here are my thoughts.
Like I mentioned before, I'm slightly new to the series and therefore I wasn't 100% sure about who the characters were before going into the film, although the starting scene to the film not only really helped to identify them, but it also helped to grip and grab the audiences attention right from the very beginning. The quick shots of the two main characters driving around in a Porsche 911 4s, racing around the streets of Miami whilst being chased by the (other) police; not only do these quick and loud introduction scenes help to identify a really fun and exciting theme for the film, but they also bring a level of intensity too - whilst using humour and jokes to provide a small insight into the roles of the characters which left me understanding their relationship to each other quickly. One of the strongest parts to this film relates to the characters, not only do the lines of dialogue provide a genuine element of humour but they also significantly help to make the characters feel real and immersive which in turn is really powerful because it makes them feel real. Although I'll expand on that point a little later. Bad Boys For Life establishes its characters really nicely, not only are we introduced to the two main characters (Mike and Marcus) really early but we also get an introduction to the 'enemy' early on too, this is really helpful and beneficial to the film because not only does it make understanding the plot of the story really easy from the start because we know who's in it and their part,m but it also makes the film really enjoyable to watch in terms of changing and adapting character relationships too, seeing how Mark and Marcus go from being best friends, to suddenly splitting up and then joining back together feels fresh because it adds a sense of variety to the film by playing around with our perceptions of the main characters.
As well as this though, with any film featuring a duo as the main characters, it is absolutely key to create a relationship and bond which not only feels genuine and realistic but a bond which works and brings the characters to life, that is exactly the case here. They bounce off of each other with the great level of banter and emotion that they both share, seeing them telling jokes and mocking each other, whilst acting differently in other scenarios gives them a really genuine and realistic feeling which really makes their relationship and bond much more believable and exciting - because we essentially understand their connection as the film gives us the necessary content to do that, and as well as that I was especially impressed that even as a newcomer to the series, I instantly understood and loved the chemistry and ways that they bond together, this is really positive because it means that the film is suitable and enjoyable for fans and newcomers alike, and where most films go wrong getting the balance between content teaching/already knowing - this film gets that balance done perfectly right, resulting in us really feeling emotionally attached to them and providing us with not only a set of characters which feel exciting but also ones which feel real and genuine. They most certainly are not boring!!
This isn't a typical 'dumb enemy' type of action film though, the enemy is not only established early to give us a quick introduction but in order to raise tension and emotion surrounding the characters, they are portrayed to be fierce and intelligent, from the quick pace motorbike shots to the back alley gangland locations - the way in which the film puts across who these characters are is done well and results in them feeling genuinely scary and unpredictable. Also, they feel intelligent too - which adds variety and a real sense of depth to the different characters, they aren't just there for emotional impact, but their intelligence also adds a lot of problems for the main characters - which creates a sense of confusion whilst adding to the intensity of the film.
As the film progresses, thankfully so do the characters, it's really good and enjoyable to see the characters changing, and their relationships not only with other but with us changing too - characters are perceived and portrayed in a variety of different manners which helps to keep us on our toes throughout the film, seeing Mike and Marcus' relationship change helps to keep the film flowing well, whilst staying fresh because it adds a series of bumps and turns to their relationship which makes it feel genuine. With Smith carrying the movie, it means Lawrence, freed from any desire to look cool getting out of a car in slo-mo, gets to have a grand old time as the tension-deflating comic relief. Sadly, there’s little room for the new faces — including Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Paola Núñez as supercops who find themselves butting heads, at least at first, with Lowrey and Burnett — to make much of an impact. Still, the addition of a crew is also fun and entertaining because it adds a lot more personality types and clashes into the mix, which helps to prevent characters feeling boring because even though the crew aren't the most interesting bunch, they still help to keep scenes feeling exciting and fast-paced when they turn up and prove to be a good addition to the film. If I have to compare it to other movies, it is far better than the soulless "Hobbs and Shaw", who had 200 million budget and nothing special to deliver. If you are a fan of 21-22 Jump Street, then you will experience the same ride because similarly to 21-22 Jump Street, the main characters here have a good sense of chemistry and evolve to not only feel realistic as a pair but also funny too without being cheesy. I do think that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence do well here though, admittedly the use of slang doesn't feel as effective as it should, due to their age, although it does still work fairly well and doesn't prove to be too cringey.
As well as the characters, I thought that the storyline was good too and provided a lot to admire. The main thing that I liked about the story is how it combines a mixture of complexity and creativity really well - surprisingly so actually, because many films of this genre tend to either feel too simple or they don't feel exciting, although this film seemed to get the balance right. The film uses creativity in its variety of locations, action scenes and sections to its storyline, it starts right from the beginning and through switches in camera shots, switches between good v bad are effective because they keep us 'in the know' whilst also being able to understand and get to know the characters much more effectively. The film has no shortage of action though, it is absolutely full with action, from jumping of club balconies to shooting down helicopters to even setting a church on fire, this film genuinely never really stops being exciting, because of how well depicted the characters are and how well it builds up the storyline in this perspective. By doing so, it merges scenes together really well, from seeing a running race between Mike and Marcus to Mike being shot it feels really smooth, quick and exciting because of how well the film merges scenes and events together, resulting in a smooth and enjoyable experience.
The overall storyline isn't just smooth and well-executed though, it's genuinely exciting too. Sure, maybe it's a little cheesy in terms of the comedy value of the characters, but the way in which the film switches from humour to action is great and helps to keep the film feeling interesting. To add to that point, the actual plot idea feels creative and compliments the characters really well because it adds a level of complexity to the story, which helps to keep us engaged and excited about the various twists and turns of the story. Also, it really helps that the film changes its level of intensity very quickly, by luring us into a false sense of security in shootouts and fights, not only does it help the film to surprise us, but it also helps to change the speed of the film quickly too, which results in the direction completely changing which feels great and keeps the film interesting because of its unpredictable nature.
The overall storyline isn't just smooth and well-executed though, it's genuinely exciting too. Sure, maybe it's a little cheesy in terms of the comedy value of the characters, but the way in which the film switches from humour to action is great and helps to keep the film feeling interesting. To add to that point, the actual plot idea feels creative and compliments the characters really well because it adds a level of complexity to the story, which helps to keep us engaged and excited about the various twists and turns of the story. Also, it really helps that the film changes its level of intensity very quickly, by luring us into a false sense of security in shootouts and fights, not only does it help the film to surprise us, but it also helps to change the speed of the film quickly too, which results in the direction completely changing which feels great and keeps the film interesting because of its unpredictable nature. ple and easy to understand, even for fans who haven't seen the first two films in the series, the storyline feels simple enough to effectively tell the story and make it exciting, whilst not being too complex that it ruins the film for those who haven't seen the other films, it gets the balance just right.
The film wasn't perfect though, that's for sure, and it definitely has a few problems which have a negative effect on it. One of my main problems is that I just couldn't really take the characters seriously, sure they seemed genuine and exciting but there was always the element of being too cheesy and sticking to a fairly safe set of dialogue, which doesn't really set it apart from something else similar to it in the same genre, seeing Will Smith swearing and using slang is funny to see, but it just really doesn't have the same impact or effect because of his age and the character he plays, it doesn't ruin his character, but it does mean that we can't really take him seriously enough. The same is there for Marcus too, sure he's funny and enjoyable to watch, but the level of slapstick and dumb humour that he uses just really doesn't feel all that necessary, and the addition of his crazy religiousness does imply that he is retired and a changed man well and clearly, but it just doesn't feel like the right thing for the character, and leaves the overall character feeling just a little bit too comical. Action sequences were good, but there was a significantly less amount of action scenes vs the 2nd film. But once again, all the action sequences and comedic "bad boys" moments were diluted by the lack of pacing and action-based flow that bad boys 1 & 2 had from end to end. The comedic moments are meant to be the breath of fresh air from the tense action moments. Because the film didn't have this pacing, the comedic moments made the jokes fall flat most of the time which left a lot to be desired.
Overall though, I would give the film an 8. I really liked it, not only did it feel fast-paced and exciting but the plot feels stable and fresh which brings something new to the table for the series for sure, the detail put into the new characters also feels welcomed as it helps to introduce us to them in a way which makes them feel like they've been there all along, adding a sense of continuity to the whole series, and helping to solidify this film in the series. Sure it has its problems relating to the humour aspect of the film, and sure the characters do feel slightly cheesy in places, but overall it is a decent film and provides a lot to entertain new and old fans of the series. Would I recommend it? Sure, if you're looking for an exciting plot with a fair set of characters in a non-stop and fast-paced environment, then it's definitely the film you're looking for, although if action isn't really your thing then it's probably best to stay away, as it tends to keeps its cards close to its chest in terms of audience types.
Thank you for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did watching the film and writing this review, I hope you have a lovely day! If you would like to check out my Official Facebook page where you can see sneak previous and more film insights then please consider checking out the link below!
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