Movie Review - Bad Boys for Life

Bad Boys for Life *** (out of five) (R) Martin Lawrence and Will Smith resuscitate their roles from the beloved first two Bad Boys flicks (and it’s memorable theme song). This edition again runs about two hours, but seems longer. That’s due to an overdose of exposition and setup in the first half, before roaring into the comedic goodies, and over-the-top chases and shootouts every fan is there to relish. One’s early patience will be rewarded long before it fades to black.

Once again our titular Miami detectives quibble amusingly over little things while saving Southern Florida from all menaces (other than election irregularities), with an emphasis on cartels and killers (rather than candidates). Lawrence becomes a grandfather and is leaning towards retirement. Smith has nothing besides work in his life that matters to him, so he urges his long-time partner to stay on the job. A touch of Riggs & Murtaugh and other typically different characters essential to virtually all cop-buddy pairings, whether comedic or dramatic. This time, their foe turns out to be a remnant of Smith’s distant past, with all the psychoses and skills needed for bloody revenge on him, and chaos for their city.

Franchise fans should be pleased with the mix of laughs and thrills (other than the above-mentioned slow spots in the early going). There’s very little, if any, of the normal sequel drop-off in the product. Be sure to stick around for the credits, in which further sequel possibilities are teased. Bad Boys for Life may include ours along with the characters, competing with Marvel and the Fast and Furious parade of pictures, hoping to become the Simpsons of the silver screen. (1/17/20)