by ECI Released : 2024-06-07
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth installment in the nearly 30-year-old Bad Boys franchise and is directed by Adil & Balall who directed the previous installment Bad Boys for Life. The film is a direct follow-up and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. It also sees Paola Núñez, Vanesa Hudgens, Jacob Scipio, and Alexander Ludwig reprising their roles.
For a fourth installment in the franchise, the film is fantastic. It's well-paced with a great blend of action and comedy. The film does an overdone storyline where the protagonists are falsely accused of a crime and go on the run however it does so entertainingly and hilariously.
Martin Lawrence was hilarious in the film and I enjoyed his storyline in this film more so than the previous one where he briefly retired. He and Will Smith feel lived in these characters after having played them for so long and I enjoyed the callbacks and references to previous films in the franchise.
My biggest criticisms of the film are the forgettable villain and predictable twist but overall it is a worthy addition to the franchise and I look forward to more films.
