A blast from beginning to end, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a fun, wild ride with directors Adil and Billal returning in full force.
In Bad Boys: Ride or Die, when their deceased captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is accused of being corrupt, Miami detectives Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) embark on a major conspiracy. However, when the two are accused of corruption themselves, Lowery and Burnett must go on the run. Thus, forcing them to join forces with Armando (Jacob Scipio) – Mike’s estranged son and Howard’s killer. All the while, Lowery and Burnett deal with getting older, as they approach the twilight years of their lives.
Directing Duo Adil & Billal Returns in Bad Boys: Ride or Die
After branching out to different projects and the cancellation of Batgirl (which was a tragedy), directing duo Adril El Arbi and Bilal Fallah return to the franchise. Thus resulting in a bigger and better film with Ride or Die. This time around, Arbi and Fallah crafted a fun and wild ride from beginning to end. With the help of returning cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaret, the duo brings out a vibrant energy as the camera is always moving. This is evident during the action sequences, in which they never felt stale or conventional.
Moreover, the script by Chris Bremmer and Will Beall continues the relationship between Mike and Marcus, comparing and contrasting their personalities to great comedic effect. As for the plot, Bremmer and Beall incorporates elements of melodrama, with allows the film to have mindless fun with itself. This is supported by editors Asaf Eisenberg and Dan Lebenthal delivering a tight edit, balancing the insane fun action with heartfelt character moments.
Likewise, production designer Jon Billington decks out Miami as an energetic and animated environment. Both within the cityscape, but also out outside of Miami as we see a nice swampy lush with the Florida Keys. This adds to a much more realistic feeling along with the animated environment. It extends to the score by Lorne Balfe, with Balfe keeping the original theme originally composed by Mark Mancina. But uses it as a motif throughout the score. And courtesy of music supervisor Gabe Hilfer, the soundtrack contributes to the realistic feeling by incorporating a ton of techno and Latin hip-hop, and pop.
Performances in Bad Boys: Ride or Die
As for the performances, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence lead the cast expertly. As Mike and Marcus, and without a sweat, both Smith and Lawrence’s chemistry is pitch perfect. From their humorous to their more serious moments, Smith and Lawrence just delivers. Additionally, Jacob Scipio continues to shine as Mike’s estranged son Armando. Scipio plays off Smith and Lawrence very well as the three matching a trio-like element that hasn’t been seen since the first movie.
Regarding the rest of the cast, Paola Nuñez, Alexander Ludwig, and Vanessa Hudgens all deliver solid performances. Also, Eric Dane as the main antagonist McGrath is menacing, delivering a performance that feels right. However, if there was a weak link, it’s Rhea Seehorn’s Rhea Howard. But, this is mostly chalk up to thin motivation and weak dialogue from the script.
Final Thoughts
With Bad Boys: Ride or Die, directors Adril & Billal crafted a fun and wild ride. Not only with inventive camerawork, but also with tight editing. In addition, Bremmer and Beall’s script continues to explore Lowery and Burnett’s relationship, while also giving them new challenges to overcome. What’s more is that its supported by Smith and Lawrence, who have great chemistry throughout. Overall, Ride or Die is a blast from beginning to end. One that fully kick off the summer movie season.
