Bad Boys Ride or Die: An enjoyable, but uneven ride!

 

    Hi again, HeJaWolf (Hector) here with another blog post here! For today's topic, I'm here to do another movie review, and the movie I saw recently was Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which is the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise. The series has been going on for nearly 30 years, but surprisingly, I'm not too familiar with the franchise beyond who stars in it and who directed it, with Michael Bay handling the first two, while the next two (including Ride or Die) was done by Adil and Bilall. I did see the first movie, but it was years ago when I saw it, and aside from some things here and there, I don't remember much (The most I remember was a crazy death scene, and the two leads saying "Now back up, put the gun down, and get me a pack of Tropical Fruit Bubblicious. And some Skittles"). What compelled me to see the new movie despite not being too familiar with the franchise was its directors, Adil and Bilall, who were involved with Ms. Marvel, which is one of my favorite Marvel shows, and hearing how good the last Bad Boys movie was, so you could say it made me curious on what the hype was about. Coming out of the new installment, I can safely it was enjoyable, but kind of uneven. 

    For the film's plot, set some time after the events of Bad Boys For Life, detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are dealing with a case where their former police captain is accused of conspiracy. Things get more out of control as due to this, the two detectives don't know who to trust, and are dealing with their own personal struggles on top of that, which involves family drama. On paper, the story is great, as the two are on their own, as they can only rely on themselves, trying to figure out who is pulling the strings. And it is well executed, at times. Other times, I found myself kind of checking out.  The script for the movie is uneven, as my biggest issue with the movie is it doesn't utilize the story idea to its fullest potential.

   The idea of not knowing who to trust and how high the stakes sound is compelling, yet in execution, it feels kind of shallow. Occasionally, the movie does dabble in the idea, and it's actually well handled, but it's not as compelling as it could have been. It sadly feels safe in the grand scheme of things, as aside from a couple of misdirections, I never was much in doubt on who was on the good or bad side. The two leads do struggle with some of their own personal issues and thankfully, that is compelling and fares better than the main plot, but even then, it felt like they could have delved into it a bit more. And I wish certain characters had their arcs better fleshed out, particularly with the characters Armando and Judy, as their roles felt undercooked to some degree.

    Having said all that, despite the plot and certain arcs lacking in depth, what made the movie work ultimately is the two lead performances and the movie's humor and direction. Whenever Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are onscreen, it's an absolute joy as the two have chemistry with one another, they deliver on their performances, their arcs are well executed, and clearly are having a fun time, which is probably why the Bad Boys franchise has lasted for almost 30 years! They genuinely feel like they're good friends and due to that, the movie's strongest points are when the two are just interacting with each other. They could be doing anything onscreen, and it would be compelling, no matter what. Some of it is a bit ludicrous, especially with the many things Martin's character does, but because of the direction and writing, it actually works! Speaking of which, Martin Lawrence stood out to me as my favorite of the two as he came off as the heart of the movie and really delivers on the humor, but Will Smith is also great! 

    In fact, I say all of the cast was solid, even if some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. I will say the highlight of the supporting cast is Reggie (played by Dennis McDonald), who has a fun dynamic with Martin Lawrence's Marcus, as well as a standout sequence in the movie that legit blew me away, as well as the audience I watched it with.  The villain of the movie, played by Eric Dane, was effective, as he was quite manipulative and there was a sense of dread whenever he popped up since that usually meant something bad was going to happen, and part of it was due to Eric's performance and elevating the material. While I wasn't into Armando as much as I like to, I will say Jacob Scipio played him well as he brought a lot of physicality to the role and his chemistry with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith is solid. Everyone else provides a decent performance and fit their roles well within the movie. 

    What also impressed me was some of the action set-pieces and the cinematography. The framing of the sequences were inventive, you can tell what's going on, and the stunt work is incredible! The imagery is visually stunning and effective, and it shows that the directors have a good sense of direction and eye for visuals. It's by no means the best-looking movie ever or the most thrilling action movie by any means, but it's clear that the directors are talented, and have a sense of style. The finale was a highlight of the movie as it showcased the directors at their strongest, with a fun set, exciting cinematography, and incredible stunts, along with how they directed the leading duo, but the other sequences and such are also enjoyable.

    The score in the movie is nothing special, as I can't recall any memorable pieces, but it's nothing bad. However, I really enjoyed the soundtrack, as the songs fit the scenes well, and had a lot of energy. Speaking of energy, the humor was another highlight. I did go into it earlier, but the humor was genuinely funny, as Martin and Will have good comedic timing, and some of the other cast also have their funny moments, but it never overshadows the story or their characters. I was surprised by how much humor there was, but in a good way, as most of the jokes landed for me, and nicely blends with the action. 

    Overall, it's by no means a great movie, but for what it was and what I expected, I say it was an enjoyable experience. The movie is held back by not using its main premise to its best effect, making the film feel uneven at times, and certain aspects leaving a lot to be desired, particularly with certain characters. But what saves this movie are the action set-pieces, the direction, and the two leading performances, and because of that, I do recommend it. I wouldn't say go out of your way to see it, but if you're interested, I say give it a watch. If you love the Bad Boys franchise, you will more than likely enjoy it, but I will say while I wasn't in love with Ride or Die, I am interested in the rest of the series and what the hype is all about.  

    I'm not sure yet whether or not I will do reviews or talk about the previous Bad Boys films in the future, but if they actually capture my attention, I may do it. No promises, but we'll see. Hope you enjoyed my review of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and stay turned for more of my shenanigans in the near future. Thank you.