Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Mike and Marcus are back, and since the captain calls from beyond the grave to tell them he has another case for them, they won't be bored. But you might be a little. The fourth outing of the Bad Boys attempts to build on previous installments not only in style, but more importantly in story, and sometimes overdoes it with the nostalgia, references and recalling small details from twenty years ago. The heroes haven't moved anywhere, they repeat what they've always done, just with a lot of new completely useless characters and the most boring villains of the series around them. The action, however, is top-notch. It just needs a little more care next time, even in the scenes where no one is shooting at anyone. (06/05/2024)

It probably wasn't entirely convenient to go to see Bad Boys: Ride or Die when I hadn't seen the previous film, which is referenced quite a bit, but it happened. Despite my initial disorientation with the characters and the relationships between them, I did enjoy the film in the cinema. Compared to the first and second parts, the characters of Mike and Marcus definitely struck me as more likeable, and their age-related vulnerability had a lot to do with that. I also enjoyed the action sequences, which often alternated shots of action with character perspectives, making it feel like a PC game at times, but in a good way. While I didn't outright roll around laughing, I did chuckle more than once, so the comedy level was also functional. Now all that's left to do is watch the third one! (06/24/2024)

If you like this series, if you liked the third part, you should be satisfied here too. It's not a significant shift in quality, it's just a standard solid action comedy, where the mutual banter between Martin Lawrence and Will Smith works, but above all it's pulled by well-done action, which at times takes your breath away. Adil el Arbi and Bilall Fallah know their job. There are nice Miami visuals, a decent bad guy played by Eric Dane (Euphoria), decently brutal R-rated action with engaging camera forays, top visuals, some twist and turns and working one-liners. The whole film paces well with no deaf spots and it's exactly the right action entertainment that's missing in cinemas and you can take anyone to see it. If you expect a film with a well thought out plot, you won't be satisfied here, but if you know what to expect from a film, you can't be disappointed. 8/10. (06/06/2024)

Bad Boys for Life was surprising with its fresh screenplay, which put new wind in the franchise’s sails. But without input from Joe Carnahan, the screenplay for Ride or Die gets sloppy. Forced jokes and a moderately interesting plot, routine action without a single memorable scene. The overwrought scene with a helicopter seems to have been flown in from the Fast & Furious franchise.  The fierceness and polish of Bay’s action style is history. However, Bay appears in one shot, DJ Khaled in a whole scene, and the central duo are still cool even without good jokes. The nostalgia, bolstered by Mark Mancina’s musical motif and the setting of Miami skyscrapers with Caribbean beaches and palm trees, simply works. And young Reggie rulez! (06/24/2024)