REVIEW #376 Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

After their late police captain is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, Mike & Marcus go on the run to prove his innocence.

The fourth instalment in the Bad Boys franchise is one of the most enjoyable yet! They have turned up the humour but in the best kind of way and the movie gives Martin Lawrence the limelight to shine! Will Smith and Martin’s chemistry is one of the best in the business and they could work wonders with any material put in front of them. But I also want to shine a light on the directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Farrah who hold nothing back here! Their ambitious camerawork and editing style combined innovative technology with an early 2000’s action vibe and it worked really well! As with any excessively creative style, there are some hits and some misses but for the most part it helped spice up the action and it certainly pumped Marcus’s humour full of adrenaline. I loved how the story flipped the script on the two characters, having Mike as the unsure one with his panic attacks and Marcus with his newfound confidence, it mixed it up and provided a new dynamic to their partnership. This movie is a whole lot of fun and sure you could over critique it, but it’s one general audiences will absolutely love and that’s evident through its successful opening weekend. Will Smith proves yet again that he’s still one of the biggest draws in the business and nothing can change that.

Overall (8/10)

Thanks for reading.

Callan