Time: 115 Minutes
Age Rating: R13 – Bloody violence, sexual references & offensive language
Cast:
Will Smith as Det. Lt. Michael Eugene “Mike” Lowrey
Martin Lawrence as Det. Lt. Marcus Miles Burnett
Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly
Alexander Ludwig as Dorn
Paola Núñez as Rita Secada
Eric Dane as James McGrath
Ioan Gruffudd as Adam Lockwood
Jacob Scipio as Armando Aretas
Melanie Liburd as Christine Lowrey
Tasha Smith as Theresa Burnett
Tiffany Haddish as Tabitha
Joe Pantoliano as Captain Conrad Howard
Director: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah

Following on from the latest film of the Bad Boys franchise titled Bad Boys for Life, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Falla return to make the next one. I have to say, I really liked it, I think it’s even better than the previous movie.

The story is fairly basic, but adds enough elements that it feels fresh and fun. It’s entertaining from beginning to end and is full of hilarious moments, while still having the melodrama of the previous Bad Boys. I do like how it carries on and builds on from the past three movies, there’s a moment involving a particular Bad Boys side character which is a standout, and was particularly rewarding if you watched the prior movies. The plot is fairly predictable, one of the twists is very easy to see coming just based on the casting of a specific character alone, however that wasn’t a major issue for the movie.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence once again play their roles of Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett, as usual they are really funny and have great comedy and chemistry and are a blast to watch. Like with the last movie it explores their characters a little more, but I think Ride or Die has a better tonal balance. The rest of the cast are good too. The film brings back Jacob Scipio, who was revealed as Lowery’s son in the last movie. He’s great and shines again, especially when paired up with the two leads. Most of the AMMO agents from the previous film also return in Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Nunez and Alexander Ludwig and are really good.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Falla really top their last Bad Boys directing effort with Ride or Die. Following on from a director who has such a distinct style like Michael Bay isn’t easy. However, Adil and Bilall play very close to Bay’s style while also doing their own thing., and they double down on the technical aspects from the last movie. On the whole it looks really nice, but the film shines the most in its action. It really amps up the insanity from the last movie, especially with its kinetic and creative camerawork, including great use of drones, and even first person POV shots with guns. All the action is an absolute blast to watch. Finally, Lorne Balfe’s score is great, especially during the scenes of action.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is an entertaining action comedy, with an enjoyable cast, energetic and stylistic direction, and creative action. I would say that this is the second best of the franchise, and was some of the most fun I had watching a movie from this year.