I was in high school when the first Bad Boys movie came out and it was a huge deal. Will Smith was one of the biggest stars on the planet at the time and it pretty much perfected what a 90s action movie was. One of the things that I find fun about the Bad Boys series is the way that the movies are all so far spread out. With four years between this and Bad Boys For Life, that is actually the shortest period of time between movies in this series.
How to Download Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Bad Boys: Ride or Die was released on June 7, 2024. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform two months from this date. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the availability.
The Movie Review
Bad Boys is a series that I really enjoy. The first two movies especially are so freaking cool and I even thought the third movie was a lot of fun. Bad Boys Ride or Die is going to be a fun time if you like the characters of Mike and Marcus and enjoy their crazy shootouts, arguments, and drama from the other movies.
Once again the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence is fantastic, but the dynamic between the two is a little different this time around. Martin Lawrence’s Marcus is far more chilled out in this movie than he has in past movies. In a way, this is great character growth for him, the way he is in this movie feels like it makes sense.
Character Development and Plot
On the other hand, Will Smith’s Mike Lowrey is no longer the cool, calm, and collected super cop playboy. Mike has a wife and a son and he now has anxiety when in a dangerous situation due to having so much to lose if something happens to him. Look, I get it, it makes sense from a character growth point of view. However, in an action movie like this with a character that I love for being cool, I am not sure I needed to see an emotionally vulnerable Mike Lowrey.
Main Plot and Subplots
The main plot of the movie is that their old captain is being framed for being involved with the cartel and Mike and Marcus go on the run to try and clear his name. As a main plot, this works and it is really all we need. However, Bad Boys Ride or Die adds in a bunch of these subplots that feel like extra “missions” that are just tacked on for the sake of more action scenes.
Action and Cinematography
To be honest, that is great, the action scenes in this movie are the main event and there are some super fun shootouts. The way that they play with the camera with these dynamic angles and camera movement is so much fun and makes the already exciting action scenes even more fun and exciting.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, this pretty much ticked all of the boxes for what you would expect in a movie with the Bad Boys name. The character growth is really the only thing that has changed here. Also, just like the other movies, this is a “turn the logical part of your brain off” kind of movie.
You just have to watch this and go with the flow, if you can do that, you will find this to be a fun time. I would probably rank this fourth if I were ranking the Bad Boys movies, but that does not mean I disliked this. I had a fun time and I will probably pick this up when it is released physically, but I would probably wait until it drops in price a bit. If you like the franchise, I am sure you will enjoy this.
