The reason audiences adore Bad Boys (and Bad Boys II to some extent) is not the Bayhem that explosively permeates both films. It is firmly the bromance at the heart of the Bad Boys franchise between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. It is so powerful that it makes the 17 year wait worth it just to see these two performers do their thing as Detective Mike Lowrey and Detective Marcus Burnett.
Michael Bay directed both flicks. For Bad Boys For Life, his contribution is solely as a cameo. The blockbuster helmer probably doesn’t want to hear this, but Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah step in to share the director’s chair and deliver what is arguably the best of the series. It would be easy to chalk that up to the epic camaraderie of Lowrey and Burnett and specifically what happens to both men over the course of the third film in the series that debuted in 1995. That’s an enormous aspect, yes … but there is much more to emotively cling to in Bad Boys 3 than was in the first two films combined.
As our story commences, Burnett and his partner (and an army of squad cars) are speeding through the sun-soaked streets of Miami in Lowrey’s Porsche. That’s pretty much standard fare for action movies since the early 1980s, what with a mini-action sequence to whet our appetites. In Bad Boys For Life, those fireworks are set off early (and often—after all, this is still a Jerry Bruckheimer produced endeavor). But when it is revealed why our favorite Bad Boys opened our third journey in such a hurry, it serves as an immediate reveal that this film is unique and possesses something that goes deeper.
Bad Boys has always been about family, what specifically comprises that and how it does not have to be blood that bonds solely. Decades have passed, and not only have Lowrey and Burnett become virtual brothers, but the latter has a clan that includes grown-up kids and specifically a daughter who may just marry before all the bullets shells hit the concrete in slow motion.
The action shifts from South Beach to Mexico, thanks to some sort of connection between Lowrey, a Miami judge, a prosecutor and a few other souls who wind up dead at the hands of a Mexican mom who broke out of prison by her raised to avenge son.
Here is something I never thought I would ever say: This script for a Bad Boys movie has a shocking amount of heartstring-pulling power that exponentially grows over the course of the film. As such, the already cemented connection between our two leads and the audience is enriched even further. There are countless sequels whose taglines have something to do with “and this time it’s personal.” Thanks to a richly laid out script by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan, Bad Boys For Life could not be more personal for all involved.
Some familiar faces return, including Joe Pantoliano as Captain Howard—who is as awesome as always. Filmmakers added a fresh unit of young police officers, known as Ammo, or as Lowrey says, “Ammo is a High School Musical boy band with guns.” Only thing, they’re not all boys—in fact the all-star of the group has to be Vanessa Hudgens’ Kelly. When adding new blood to a franchise, it is always a risk, but when it pays off, it’s adds priceless layers of authenticity (think Joe Pesci and the Lethal Weapon movies). This is a case where it does exactly that. It’s a four-person unit that aide our heroes in getting their bad guy and girl in such a manner that our family expands in righteous ways.
Also new to the landscape is Paola Nuñez’s Rita, who may or may not have a romantic history with Lowrey. She definitely is someone who he will have to work with (and maybe even for) if he is to get to the bottom of this case that feels a whole lot like a personal vendetta spreading its violence across borders.
Part of the joy of Bad Boys For Life is trying to decipher what exactly is the motivation for this Mexican drug lord’s wife and her son’s seemingly unending desire to clean house in Miami. We’ve got ourselves a true mystery here, folks, and while Burnett jokes about retirement (which he does for a spell at one point to hilarious results) it could not be more exciting for the audience when our heroes all come together, bump fists and set out to stop the insanity that has claimed so many lives and destroyed so much.
Arbi and Fallah (who made their big screen directorial debut with 2014’s Image) show incredible promise, range and storytelling panache—not to mention confidence stepping into a Michael Bay beast of a series and making their addition all theirs. What must be treasured is not simply the emotional richness that pervades this third film in the series, but how the filmmaking team made a Bad Boys movie that is inherently theirs. Bay is not going to want to hear this either, but for two hours, it was completely forgotten that this series even started as Bayhem on parade!
Smith and Lawrence haven’t lost a step. In fact, due to the truly personal connection that ties the conflict at the heart of this entire endeavor together, their cinematic chemistry—dare I say it—goes even deeper this time. They are great action sequence partners, something well documented over the first two films. But it is the little things in Bad Boys For Life that illustrate the progression of talent in both actors over the last couple of decades. They have always had their unique gifts and those are on full display. They take that emotive pull generated by the premise of this story and deliver something truly special. Audiences respond to what thrills them, sure, as the myriad of thrilling sequences tick all the boxes and up the action ante. But when viewers are invested in the characters beyond being glorified video game avatars, how those action sequences resonate is heightened. It is something to celebrate and the key to what moves us collectively with Bad Boys For Life.
Curiously, there are less LOL moments than was experienced in Bad Boys and Bad Boys II. Sure, there are hilarious moments, and aspects of the film are still lighthearted. But a concrete (and smart) decision was made by filmmakers and producers to enrich our emotional connection to these characters. They elevated their emotive risks and deep personal exposure. As such, the result pushes Lowery and Burnett’s inherent connection to a never-before-dreamed of place. That results in an audience payoff that goes well beyond cheap thrills and flippant jokes. Now, whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Give these guys a big hug, that’s what!
Grade: B+