Bad Boys: Ride or Die review — The perfect blood-soaked return of Miami’s finest

Bad Boys: Ride or Die sees the return of two of Miami’s finest police officers as Martin Lawrence and Will Smith slip back into their iconic action hero roles.

After four years of waiting, Bad Boys fans will soon be able to watch the fourth outing of the franchise — and the stakes have never been higher.

Though Lawrence and Smith’s characters are always on the right side of the law, Bad Boys: Ride or Die puts them under a microscope going from heroes to America’s most wanted men.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die may not be the best action movie of all time, but it’s the perfect return for one of the big screen’s funniest duos and demonstrates why the franchise’s popularity is still going strong.

Return to form without skipping a beat

Bad Boys: Ride or Die wastes zero time reminding fans why Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) are one of the best pairings in Hollywood, with the first five minutes of the movie dedicated to a series of hilarious shenanigans only they would get into.

The movie is an irresistible blend of funny quips and hardcore action; even the most casual Bad Boys fans will be right at home, as it feels like no time has passed since Bad Boys 3 dropped in theaters in 2020.

Though the movie does a great job at making audiences laugh, some jokes fall flat or fail to gel with the film’s darker tone, which can make it a tonally confusing viewing experience.

The franchise’s dedication to keeping things on the lighter side so the action can truly pack a punch is admirable, but sometimes they go a bit overboard with it.

However, on the opposite side of the coin, Bad Boys: Ride or Die steps seamlessly into its shoes of being one of the most brutal action franchises still around. Bad Boys for Life allowed their action movie crown to slip a little bit, but its successor has no trouble picking it back up.

This is a series that rarely shies way from raw action; for example, Bad Boys II’s gunfight between Mike, Marcus, and the Haitian gangsters. In the fourth entry, returning directors Adil & Bilall (who took over from Michael Bay on the threequel) raise the stakes even further — and it pays off.

Nostalgia done right

Shockingly, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a great example of how a long-running franchise can utilize their well-known characters without the movie feeling too pandering or bloated.

Every character from other movies is used in a way that furthers the plot; nobody feels like they’re dragging the story down.

The stand-outs of this nostalgia crew are AMMO workers Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig), head of the Miami Police unit and Mike’s ex-girlfriend Rita Secada (Paola Núñez), and Mike’s estranged son Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio).

Each of these characters, along with other familiar faces, never overstay their welcome and actively work with the main duo to solve the conflict at the heart of the movie — they’re utilized so well that you feel their absence any time they’re off-screen.

The movie’s use of nostalgia even extends into its plot, tying in past entries’ stories in a way that feels meaningful rather than cheap. In a time when audiences often get tired of seeing old characters come back for no reason, Bad Boys 4 sidesteps that faux pas with ease.

A little blood never hurt anyone

The first two Bad Boys movies were filmed in a way that made them look very gritty and real but, thanks to Bad Boys 4’s higher budget, the directors (supported by longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer) have gone for an extremely sleek and polished aesthetic.

However, to counteract its smoother visuals, Adil & Bilall go all in on showing some of the most intense and gory action scenes this franchise has ever seen.

There are more than a few scenes (especially one set in a prison) that had me squirming in my seat — however, while they’re hard to watch, you don’t want to look away, lest you miss the creativity and ingenuity on display.

Sony Pictures

Bad Boys has always been an R-rated franchise, but it’s especially needed in this case, with fights coming equipped with visceral splatters of blood and broken bones; you may feel queasy if you don’t have a strong stomach.

While the violence may be turned up to the max, it doesn’t feel out of place. In fact, its brutality intensifies the tension, leaving you wondering whether or not certain characters will make it to the credits. The directing duo’s decision to double down on bloody spectacle allows Bad Boys: Ride or Die to build upon its roots in a way that feels very natural.

It’s all about the family

The best thing about Bad Boys 4 is how it emphasizes the importance of family. The franchise started nearly 30 years ago, with the first movie coming out in 1995 — since then, Lawrence and Smith have always shown dedication to these roles. As such, Ride or Die focuses on the highlight of all four movies: the unwavering brotherhood of Marcus and Mike.

Sony Pictures

There’s been a lot of tension between the partners over the years; Mike has always been a gung-ho Bad Boy, and his habit of ‘bringing the noise’ often gets Marcus into all sorts of wild and dangerous scrapes. This time, it’s refreshing to see them overcoming all of of that, with nothing but love and support as they face the deadliest challenge ever put at their feet.

While Marcus and Mike may use a lot of humor to cover their true emotions, at the end of the day, they ride together and they’ll die together — because they’re Bad Boys for life.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die review score — 4/5

Putting aside a few missteps, Bad Boys 4 is the perfect vehicle to get Lawrence and Smith back into the saddle as the comedy-action stars fans want them to be, while also delivering some of the most tear-inducing moments in the franchise.

It does leave the door open for a potential sequel, but if this is how the Bad Boys bow out, it’s more than a worthy sendoff.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die hits theaters on June 7. In the meantime, check out the new movies and TV shows streaming this month, or dive into all the new true crime documentaries around right now. If that’s not enough, you can find out what’s in store this year for K-dramas coming to Netflix.