Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens
Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use
17 years after Bad Boys II, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return to the roles of Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, roles they first took on in 1995. Bad Boys For Life has detective Mike Lowrey (played by Will Smith) hunt down a killer who tries to kill Lowrey himself. Lowrey is also joined by his longtime friend and partner, detective Marcus Burnett (played by Martin Lawrence) and a new team, AMMO.
The first two Bad Boys films were directed by Michael Bay, a director who is known to have a certain style to his films. His films are filled with sloppy jokes, women, and pure action. But aside from a brief cameo, Bay does not have any involvement with the film and the film somehow succeeds. The first two films yielded mixed to negative reviews due to the directing of Bay, but directors El Arbi and Fallah make a new Bad Boys film that leaves out the terrible jokes and mindless action. But that’s not to say that the film doesn’t have jokes and action, but it is done well. For the majority of the time, the humor and action is done well, and this is mostly due to stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Smith and Lawrence have great chemistry as partners and lifelong friends. This film has the pair show a bit more range than a typical Bad Boys film. The pair not only show their comedic side, also a bit of emotion as well. We all know Will Smith knows how to show range, but Martin Lawrence surprisingly does this as well in a fantastic way. Also joining the cast is Paola Núñez as Rita, a former girlfriend of Mike and helps the pair in their mission. Nunez does well on her own and shows why she’s a great addition to the cast.
Bad Boys For Life does have its emotional moments, but its still fun and action packed. Smith and Lawrence are hilarious and rarely are there moments were the jokes don’t land. The rest of the cast are funny as well and work well with the pair. The action is top notch and fun to watch. The film is not your typical Michael Bay action where everything is exploding and sloppy. The action and choreography is well done and I applaud directors El Arbi and Fallah for their efforts.
Overall, Bad Boys For Life is fun and enjoyable addition to the Bad Boys series. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return to a role they last played over a decade ago, but they prove why they are still the stars of the film. I can say that Bad Boys For Life was a surprisingly enjoyable and we can only hope that the fourth installment is great as this film.
3/4
Edward's Film Reviews 