Bad Boys: Ride or Die
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)
This year, like it or not, we are graced with the return of many ageing franchises and the potential resurgence of some iconic careers. Bad Boys, a series that takes us back 30 years when Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Michael Bay were the epitome of Hollywood, is making a comeback. A time when police officers driving luxury sports cars and gun fights were the norm on the streets of Miami. Now, in the present day, Smith and Lawrence have faced career challenges, and Michael Bay has taken a backseat. However, in this writer’s strike-induced cinematic void, the revival of the Miami detectives might be the breath of fresh air that theatres need.
Detective Michael Eugene “Mike” Lowrey (Smith) has finally committed to getting married, and his best friend, Detective Marcus Burnett (Lawrence), is right by his side to celebrate. Yet, during the reception, Marcus has a heart attack, and this takes him on a spiritual journey that reconnects him with their deceased Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano). Since their former boss has been framed for colluding with the drug cartels, the unorthodox methods of the Bad Boys must work to clear their mentor’s name. However, they couldn’t have anticipated that this would mean needing help from Michael’s illegitimate son, Armando (Jacob Scipio), who happened to be the assassin who killed their beloved captain.
As expected of this franchise, the bullets fly, there is only one speed for the chases, and the villains have a vendetta against our favourite buddy cops. Co-directors Adil & Bilall (Gangsta) decide to lean into the genre and unapologetically give audiences everything they have come to expect from this crime-fighting pair. Yet, they manage to rely on the gaming POV form of fight sequences that give this action-packed journey a fresh spin while capitalising on the chemistry and comedic stylings of the legendary actors. A chapter that is better than Bad Boys for Life, but doesn’t offer anything new to the cinematic landscape. Granted, Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy) delivers a convincing performance as the lead adversary, reminiscent of an anti-Reacher role.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die will provide for its stars and cinema owners precisely what they had hoped, a lifeline. Fans will enjoy the newest escapades of these throwbacks to a cinematic different era. Smith and Lawrence should get some needed love from viewers, and this film could help break the slump the cinema season has been in.
REEL DIALOGUE: What does the Bible say about reincarnation?
Definition of reincarnation - Being reborn in another body. Several religions, including Hinduism, believe that the human spirit returns to Earth in different forms repeatedly as it strives for perfection.*
Hebrews 9:27 - And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment
Who would have thought that a buddy-cop film would delve into the afterlife as a source of humour and dialogue? Reincarnation, a central theme, is worth pondering over. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that 25% of American Christians believe in reincarnation, despite it contradicting the teachings of the Bible.
From the teachings of the Bible and most theological textbooks, we understand that man is a unique creation of God, made in His image with a material body and an immaterial soul and spirit. He is distinct from all other creatures—angels and the animal kingdom. This means that after death, we do not return as another human, a donkey, or the next movie star. The lesson extends further. While man’s body is mortal and returns to dust at death, our souls and spirits continue on, either in a place of torment for those who reject Christ or in paradise (heaven) in God’s presence for those who have trusted in the Saviour.
