The same is true of its follow - up , this year’sBad boy : Ride or Die . Directed once again by Adil & Bilall , the sequel is an action - packed , kinetic blockbuster that packs a vainglorious wallop of forgettable sport . There ’s a creative fearlessness course throughoutRide or Diethat may not fix its script ’s many issues , but it does prevent the film from ever devolving into the soul - crushing John Cash catch that it could have become in less enthusiastic hands . Sometimes , posture is as important to a motion-picture show ’s success as anything else . fortuitously , Bad boy : Ride or Diehas plenty to spare .
risky boy : Ride or Diebegins as it should , with Detectives Mike Lowrey ( Will Smith ) and Marcus Burnett ( Martin Lawrence ) debate in a automobile over the other ’s perpetual lateness . After the twosome successfully , if accidentally , keep an preposterous convenience memory board looting , the film catches back up with Mike as he ’s in the midst of exchanging nuptials vow with Christine ( Melanie Liburd ) . Their response is interrupted when Marcus founder of a heart attack in the midriff of the dance floor . While unconscious , Marcus goes on a crazy spiritual journey that not only convinces him that he ’s unvanquishable , but go on to supplyRide or Die‘s second half with most of its funniest jokes .
Just as it looks like Marcus and Mike ’s life are on the verge of settling down , they see out that their late former maitre d’hotel , Conrad Howard ( Joe Pantoliano ) , is being investigate for possible connection to the Mexican cartel . This discovery is followed by a surprisal television message from beyond the tomb , in which Howard informs them that he was looking into a corrupt official within Miami ’s natural law enforcement ranks before he was killed . He tasks them with unearth say individual ’s identity and clearing his name . Their elbow grease to do so force Marcus and Mike to go on the run with Mike ’s alienated criminal Word , Armando Aretas ( Jacob Scipio ) , all while trying to outsmart their villainous pursuer , James McGrath ( Eric Dane ) , a former U.S. soldier turned cartel partner in crime .
speculative Boys : Ride or drop dead , in other give-and-take , orb around a fairly by - the - turn criminal conspiracy plot — one that prove to be even less complicated and more obvious than you ’d call up base on the film ’s orifice minute . To its credit , the sequel does assay to pick up whereBad Boys for Lifeleft off by continuing to recognize its heroes ’ older ages and challenge their hypermasculine images of themselves . Marcus rage against his doctor ’s post - heart onrush dietetic recommendations and uses his near - demise experience to convince himself that he ca n’t buy the farm . Mike ’s past failures , meanwhile , begin to press heavy on him — do affright attacks that repeatedly rob him of the gung ho , initiation - happy signified of enterprise that has long direct him and hold him alive . The two men seem more fragile than they ever have before , and that just makes their friendship and shared , unproblematic desire to do the veracious thing seem all the more lovely .
The film ’s script , penned by Chris Bremner and Will Beall , does n’t show much pastime inRide or Die‘s grapheme alfresco of Mike and Marcus . The continuation ’s supporting figures , including Rhea Seehorn ’s Judy Howard , are n’t developed enough to guarantee the amount of screentime they ’re give , nor are its central mysteries complex enough to rationalise all the detours and subplots that Bremner and Beall ’s screenplay packs in . drive or Diedoesn’t finally delve all that deeply into Marcus or Mike ’s issue , either — resolve both with a couple of climactic gags that reflect the film ’s overarch comedic flavor . The moving-picture show ’s brief cameos , which come up courtesy of one - tantrum performers like Tiffany Haddish and DJ Khaled , only further contribute to the feeling thatRide or Dieis both too cluttered and too shallow for its own good .
Thankfully , Adil & Bilall keep the film moving at such a tonic yard from startle to complete that it never feels slow , shaggy , or numbingly overstuffed . The duo get so much style to the film that it come active even in spitefulness of its flaws . Practically every scene seems to whip goat god into the next , and the film producer punctuateBad Boys : Ride or Die‘s cartoonish action sequence with thrill stylistic flourish that get the viewer treasure each set bit from as many angles and perspective as potential . Just like they did withBad Boys for Life , Adil & Bilall have adopted a “ more is more ” approach forRide or Die . The result is a moving-picture show that is chaotic , but incessantly entertaining , and that feels pleasingly vernal despite the older ages of its stars .
Its underdeveloped playscript makes it hard to wholeheartedly recommendBad boy : Ride or Die , especially when better blockbusters likeFuriosaandThe Fall Guyare still playing in theaters . It ’s an immensely gratifying mode to spend two hours , though , and a sequel that gives Bad Boys fans all the joke , set pieces , gunplay , and moments of brotherly camaraderie that they could go for for . Whether or not it ’ll give Smith ’s career the rejuvenate jolt that so many seem to consider it needs is out of the question to say , but it does cement the Bad Boys series as one of Hollywood ’s most ordered and reliable activeness franchises of the past 30 years .
Bad male child : Ride or Dieis now playing in theaters .
