Bad Boys: Ride or Die Review - Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Give Classic Movie Star Performances in this High Octane Fourth Installment

  The Bad Boys Duo is back and better than ever; Will Smith is still a movie star!

  By - Ubong Ekpo

In this day and age of cinema, we cannot escape the endless recycling of franchises, from reboots, sequels, prequels, and all in between, but every once in a while, we get one film that stands out from the pack, Bad Boys Ride or Die( Bad Boys 4), does just that and then some. It’s one of the rare instances where a franchise gets stronger as it goes on and I’d go as far to say that Bad Boys has reached its peak with its latest installment. 

 Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s chemistry is the strongest it has ever been, both men now in their late 50s,  grounded into the roles, Lawrence the comedic relief and Smith as star vehicle, primed for the most intense action scenes. Our two favorite Miami detectives, Mike Lowery ( Will Smith) & Marcus Barnett ( Martin Lawrence), are embroiled in a corruption, conspiracy case when their late beloved Captain Howard is framed as working for the drug cartels. The film managed to show immersive, thrilling set pieces that I didn’t think this franchise was even ready for, with heart-pounding action sequences taking place in a crashing plane and abandoned alligator amusement park, among other impressive set designs. The action scenes in this film were the best of the series yet. Martin Lawrence as the comedic relief was put front and center throughout the film to balance the serious and collected tone of Smith’s Lowery. I found the overall plot to be thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining, Eric Dane as the villain showcases his versatility, best known as Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy.

Let us address the elephant in the room that this will be Will Smith’s first high-profile film since the infamous slap incident with Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. I was intrigued by what impact it would have on moviegoers or if any the drama would seep into the film and I’m glad to say it 

didn't.. I attended an early access screening last Wednesday of the film to a packed theater and people couldn’t be in more awe of Will Smith.  His scenes of triumph were met with thunderous applause. While there will always be those who will hold that one moment of infamy against the Fresh Prince star, the film's opening weekend tells us that the general film-going audience is ready to embrace Will Smith again. The film opened to $56 Million domestically alone, and $104 Million globally, already making it one of the year's most successful movies, truly signifying the slap was only a mere speedbump in Will Smith’s career. The perceived “overperformance” of Bad Boys: Ride or Die showcases that Will Smith is still one of the last few movie stars who can still command an audience and monstrous box office numbers.