'Bad Boys for Life' Review—An Entertaining Blast

Bad boys, bad boys! Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you...and I'll give you a million dollars if you can tell me the next lyric.

After a 17-year break in the franchise, the Bad Boys are back in town with Bad Boys for Life, the newest buddy cop action comedy starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in their iconic roles.

Michael Bay did not return to direct the third installment in the series, meaning that right off the bat, you should be expecting fewer explosions and perverted shots of women. Stepping into Bay's place are up-and-coming Belgian filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

This film follows detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Bennett as they go on a mission to catch a criminal who has been executing law enforcement members, all of whom are personal to our two leads.

I personally enjoy the first two Bad Boys films. I don't love them, but I think they're pretty badass action movies; the second one, in particular, wins me over with how ridiculously over-the-top the action sequences are—it's Bayhem at its finest.

But this film takes the title of my favorite Bad Boys movie. Bad Boys for Life effectively combines the best aspects of its predecessors and gives us a high-energy, hilarious ride with some great chemistry between Smith and Lawrence.

One of the numerous improvements this film has over its predecessors is the action sequences. When Bay helmed the first two, he would direct his action scenes with a lot of shaky cam and jump cuts, and while they're not Taken 3 levels of awful, they tend to be a bit incoherent at times.

However, from the opening car chase, you can see a shift in the way the action is approached—El Arbi and Fallah direct these scenes with a lot of wide shots, and they manage to keep these sequences thrilling without shaking the camera.

My favorite of the action scenes is a scene near the middle, where we have a high-speed chase where Mike and Marcus are on a motorcycle chasing the bad guys, and the action mixed in with the banter between the two leads is what makes these scenes entertaining.

The action is a bit toned down from Bad Boys II when these sequences were utterly insane and resembled a modern-day Fast & Furious movie. However, it is more exciting and large-scale than the original film, striking the perfect balance between both of the other films.

Smith and Lawrence step back into their roles excellently. They bring back their energy and charisma, and the amount of chemistry these two have together hasn't skipped a beat in seventeen years. Joe Pantoliano's reprisal of Captain Howard is also perfect in terms of his portrayal.

With a new installment comes a few new supporting cast members. Among our additions are Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, and Charles Melton as the members of Advanced Miami Metro Operations (AMMO). They are very entertaining, as is Paola Núñez as Rita.

The villain in this film is considerably better than the villains in the first two, who were highly forgettable and disposable. This movie's antagonist has a much more threatening presence, as his actions are directed towards the lead characters, and these actions make the audience hate him.

Near the end of the film, we have revelations about the villain, and the direction the writers take with him made him more interesting and nuanced than the villains of the first two films.

Since this film takes place years after Bad Boys II, the writers had to take into account how the characters of Mike and Marcus evolved over the years. They have aged and matured, but their personalities and dynamic are very much like they have always been.

Mike and Marcus have a conflict in this film, and it feels very realistic given the way their characters tend to butt heads. Because of this, this film explores our leads in ways the other two did not.

While this is my favorite of the year so far and it exceeds expectations for a January movie, the film has some problems. The story isn't memorable or unique for an action-comedy, and a character makes a decision near the end of the film that doesn't feel adequately set up.

And although the film makes the wise decision of not reusing the damsel-in-distress plot device of the first two, it has its cliché moments, such as a scene where a bad guy shoots a car, and it explodes.

Overall, this is a hilarious action film that is likely to satisfy long-time fans of the series. It doesn't feel toned down in terms of its comedy or banter, and there are references and jokes that Bad Boys fans will love.

But this film is very dark at times; some scenes are very jarring and depressing, and this film manages to incorporate these scenes into the story without having the tonal shifts feel abrupt. The comedy in this movie is hilarious, and I had a great time with it.

While it may not be the best that the genre has to offer, it shines above the first two with a perfect balance of comedy, drama, and action with some great performances and banter from Smith and Lawrence.

Final Score: Bad Boys for Life – 8/10 (B)

Before Mike and Marcus start their mission, they say it would be "one last time." Yeah, I am not falling for that again after they said the same thing in Fast & Furious 6.

And with the announcement of Bad Boys 4, I have to wonder what the next movie will be called. I personally feel like they should have saved the title of this film for the next one and called it Bad Boys 4 Life. You feel me?

I'd say if you like the first two, check out this movie when you can if you want to have a blast at the theater.