Bad Boys: Ride or Die Review – Big Action and Maturity

One of the biggest selling points of the previous Bad Boys films was the chemistry between stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Their goofy dynamic, silly interactions, and relatable humor were complimented by the big action scenes they would find themselves thrust into together. This is why the fourth film in the series, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, ends up becoming a fun watch for those who have seen this pairing work together throughout the years. While not always hitting its target with jokes and plot points, it doesn’t falter in maintaining the excitement and fun times that fans have gotten from watching all the Bad Boys films. Luckily, the movie is well aware that its characters, and ultimately its stars, are aging and approaches it thoughtfully.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die picks up some time after the previous film, with Mike Larry getting married. After an emotional rollercoaster that leads to his partner Marcus having a heart attack, the two of them see that recently deceased Captain Howard is being accused of working with drug cartels on the news. Both Mike and Marcus set out to prove their late Captain’s innocence, but the secrets of who is involved and why go bigger up the government chain of command than either one of them could have imagined. This leads to Mike seeking the help of his son from prison and forcing everyone into a situation where Mike and Marcus need to go on the run.

While the stakes of the story are not bigger than any of the previous Bad Boys movies, much of the bigger changes lie in the relationship between Mike and Marcus. Both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence bring their signature wit and banter to the roles once again, with a lot of jokes about each other and the situations they find themselves in. In some cases, it doesn’t land as well as they may have hoped, but the majority of the time ends up being funny and well-timed. The jokes that don’t land as well often come from Martin Lawrence, which are delivered poorly. The one-liners he has probably sounded a lot funnier in the script than in the way he delivers them during the film. There are a few moments where his comments about Will Smith’s Mike are very funny, but the setup and reactions from Will sell the joke far more.

What Bad Boys: Ride or Die does for the aging Mike and Marcus is clever and interesting. The two of them are now entering different stages of their lives, with Marcus having a near-death experience and needing to watch what he eats, while Mike is on the precipice of starting a family. Unfortunately, portions of Marcus’ side of the story are a bit too exaggerated than they need to be. The scenes that involve him explaining what he saw during his heart attack and his visions are the worst parts of it. These spiritual moments might feel a bit too far removed from the rest of the series, especially with its surface-level approach to discussing death or what might come after. Getting to see specific characters from the series again is great, but their inclusion in this way might go a bit too far. Most of this is played solely for laughs, but a lot of it would fit better into the tone of the Bad Boys series if approached very differently. Marcus just comes off too much of a cartoon character during these moments, when he hasn’t been acted like that beforehand in previous movies.

Mike on the other hand has to deal with something his character never really tackled before in previous films, anxiety. A few scenes have Mike dealing with a panic attack following a major action scene, as well as during some critical moments in the plot. Rather than play it for laughs, it’s handled with a level of care that feels genuine. Mike doesn’t even want to acknowledge it while those around him point out something may be wrong. But by the end, we see it become a factor in Mike’s situation that forces him to deal with it and eventually overcome it. It’s something interesting for the character who we’ve only seen within each movie to feel like a super cool superhero. But growing older comes with different things that we all have to deal with, no matter how in control we might often feel.

But as usual, the humor and dialogue in a Bad Boys film are almost always complimented by some very solid action. And Bad Boys Ride or Die is no exception. There are a lot of shootouts, explosions, car chases, and fights that keep things going fast. Some of the best parts come from the great cinematography, using very interesting point-of-view shots from Mike and Marcus during big shootouts. In some cases, it looks like bodycam footage, but quickly switches into a reaction from Mike or Marcus, keeping the tension high and the momentum going full force. However, there are also some humorous shots of Marcus in and out of action scenes, which look hilarious when paired with the scenario he finds himself in. One involves him getting a snack during a firefight in a club, which leads to more bullets flying through the air. It’s fun humor with great action that works out very well.

The weakest part of the movie lies in the villains we meet. There are multiple bad guys in various forms, but they aren’t as well-written as previous baddies we’ve seen before. While there are connections to Mike and Marcus, as well as the Police Department, they don’t have a strong personal connection to the duo themselves. The reveals towards the end of the film might be a little obvious for some viewers, especially if you pay attention to the screen time of some characters who appear early on. But the ringleader of the Cartel in this film, James McGrath played by Eric Dane, feels more like a generic bad guy than a personal threat to Marcus and Mike. He doesn’t bad guy things that one would expect in a movie like this, but not much else. That doesn’t mean he isn’t active in making things difficult for both Mike and Marcus nor does it mean he doesn’t get to be part of some good action scenes. But all of this would have looked better in the film if his relevance to the main plot involved something much more personal to them. His worst deed is something done off-screen before the events of the movie, which may have been stronger if we actually got to see it done in some way.

Other secondary characters we meet throughout the film are a mixed bag of quality. A few familiar faces from previous films make an appearance, which is nice to see. Unfortunately, some of them end up having a rather disappointing end. Others also don’t have much relevance until the latter half of the film, despite being some being important to Marcus and Mike’s lives. The two that end up being more significant throughout the film are Kelly and Dorn, played by Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig. They help out Mike and Marcus multiple times in figuring out what is actually happening, and end up getting involved in some of the big shootouts. It’s a far better handling of side characters which feel like they contribute to the whole of the movie, as opposed to just being around.

At the same time, there are also a few very pointless cameos that might pull viewers right out of the movie. The worst ones are with Tiffany Haddish and DJ Khaled, both happen immediately after one another. They are overacted, come out of nowhere, and have honestly no real impact on the main plot. At the same time, they don’t reappear later in the film, making them feel like wasted screen time just to show a big name. Another involves TikTok star Khaby Lame, who just shows up randomly and does literally nothing for the sake of a quick joke. The only cameo that is relevant to the series and humorous at the moment involves director Michael Bay. It’s a quick gag that plays off a scene between Marcus and Mike, while also goofing on the craziness of Miami traffic.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is an entertaining movie, despite some of the small flaws it has throughout. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence remain a fun duo to watch interact on-screen together, bringing their A-Game chemistry to another film in the series. The action is fun to watch and has some great moments that will stand out enough for long-time fans to compare to the previous films. It might not be the best Bad Boys to date, but that doesn’t take away from how fun it is to watch. If you had to choose on whether to ride or die with this fourth Bad Boys film, you’d be wise to ride with it.