Despite the 17 year gap between Bad Boys II and Bad Boys for Life, the latest installment proves there is plenty of life left in the unlikely franchise.
The rapport between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence remains intact. Add in some newcomers to the franchise and Bad Boys for Life is a fun two hours at the theater. There’s a better attempt by the screenwriters as well as directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to create villains that have real personal stakes to the characters.
The Cops in Bad Boys for Life
Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) are entering Lethal Weapon 4 territory. Burnett is eager to retire, while Lowrey wants to continue playing the game with abandon. A night out at a Miami bar honoring the birth of Burnett’s granddaughter ends with Mike taking some bullets to the chest in a drive-by hit. After Mike survives, he’s hell-bent on finding the shooter and must work with a new team in order to catch the shooter.
Paola Nuñez and Vanessa Hudgens are the standout newcomers. Joe Pantoliano makes a welcome return as Captain Howard. He’s constantly on the verge of a heart attack or brain aneurysm.
The ease of which Smith and Lawrence slide back into these roles allows the film to succeed. Smith has the tougher task in the film as he has to develop chemistry between the new cast members and it’s his relationship to the primary villains, which forms the narrative of the film
Absence of Michael Bay
Arbi and Fallah do an excellent job carrying over the explosive Michael Bay elements.
In the third installment, the action elements are well-staged and executed. The script by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan ensure that each of the action setpieces serves a purpose. On the downside, while the action is enjoyable, none of the set pieces are memorable and aren’t in the same league as the Mission Impossible, John Wick or MCU films.
Villains
In a nice change of pace, Bad Boys for Life opts for a mother-son duo as the primary villain. The mother is played with menace by Kate del Castillo. She controls the overall plan from Mexico. The plan is to take out the people that were involved in sending her to prison. Her son played by Jacob Scipio carries out his mother’s plan in Miami.
The connection between the villains and Burnett-Lowrey provides the film with personal stakes. Unfortunately, those already established relations are taken to soap opera level heights towards the end of the film that is unnecessary.
Final Thoughts on Bad Boys for Life
Overall, Bad Boys for Life was a lot of fun. There’s no shortage of cliches, the action scenes aren’t anything you haven’t seen before and the late in the film change to the villain backstory is unfortunate. However, the chemistry between Smith and Lawrence combined with the additions to the cast makes the return to Miami ultimately a winning one that sets the stage for more.
What did you think about the film? Sound off.
The Review
Bad Boys for Life
PROS
- Chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence
- Vanessa Hudgens and Paola Nuñez are fun additions to the franchise.
- All of the action has a story purpose.
- Personal connection to the villains adds stakes that previous films lacked.
CONS
- Action is fun, but nothing that hasn't been seen before.
- Soap opera twist with the villains.
