Bad Boys for Life Review

An unknown assassin is after the lives of Mike Lowrey and those who have worked with him. Time for the Bad Boys to ride or die one last time.

The original Bad Boys was a classic 90s film: it was funny, action-packed, and Joe Pantoliano yells at people. It’s been 17 years since the last Bad Boys movie, and whether you like it or not, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have gotten older; they’re not as spry as they used to be. Themes of age and mortality run rampant in this newest installment, especially in its more somber first half – there’s a surprising amount of death. Marcus (Lawrence) has a wife and newborn to attend to and remaining in the police force is becoming an increasingly unviable option for him as retirement begins to peak over the horizon. Mike (Smith) may be stuck in his ways, but even he is showing signs of age in his goatee. The film contrasts the “experience” of the buddy cops with the tech-oriented innovation brought on by the younger AMMO team within the Miami police department, not to argue for or against old dogs nor new tricks, but to present what can be accomplished when both sides put together what they bring to the table.

Bad Boys for Life is a movie fans of the original films can sink their teeth into, as the chemistry between Martin Lawrence and Will Smith doesn’t skip a beat and despite director Michael Bay not being at the helm for this one, there is still a healthy amount of violence and action. It’s over the top like a Fast and the Furious movie, and while I wasn’t able to buy into the villain arc, the bad guys are still able to produce some rather sobering moments. Looking to escape at the movie theater? Look no further than Bad Boys for Life, but I also highly recommend you see the first one if you haven’t. If early box office returns are any indication, resurrecting this franchise was a smart business idea; expect Bad Boys 4 within the coming years. Bad Boys for Life is not only proof that its two main stars can still lead a blockbuster action movie, but is also a testament to one of the ultimate bromances ever on screen. 7/10

Author: Teddy Frederick

Movies have been my passion since I was a young teenager. I had realized how much I loved going to the theater and watching something on the big screen, and I wanted to feel that sensation as often as possible. I began seeing as many movies as my schedule and wallet could allow, and in wanting to give back to the film community and myself, I wrote film reviews. I first posted them under the audience reviews of Rotten Tomatoes; if I ever go back to those posts now I cringe at the writer I used to be. In 2018, I had the idea to start my own space to post my content and thus Movie Reviews Today was born. I am a film and media studies student at Arizona St. University. I am also a three-year shift supervisor with Starbucks. My hope is to soak up as many movies and movie knowledge as I can moving forward and to share my passion with my readers. View all posts by Teddy Frederick