Bad Boys: Ride or Die — Review

Hollywood has never been short of a buddy cop, action comedy duo, but if ever one such franchise was suspended solely by the force of its movie star co-leads, BAD BOYS would be it. RIDE OR DIE sees Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return for their fourth outing as Miami PD’s hotshot detectives, and neither has lost a step. Sharp banter fizzes back and forth while their chemistry remains palpable as they stumble from one high-energy scenario to the next. Co-directors Adil & Bilall infuse the film with plenty of style, slick choreography and intelligent camerawork, but for the most part, they step back and let Smith and Lawrence do their thing.

Adil & Bilall continue to build upon the world and the characters they brought to life in 2020’s BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, imbuing their sequel with colour and combustive action that almost always remains comical. RIDE OR DIE imitates its predecessor by providing our protagonists with further emotional depth, allowing the movie to transcend its high-calorie, fast food visage. Personal drama is reserved as cinematic salad dressing, used primarily to punctuate full-tilt action and quintessential BAD BOYS squabbling. RIDE OR DIE doesn’t take itself too seriously, instead it posts up as vintage summer popcorn fun that looks good and goes down easy.