Bad Boys Ride Or Die Review: Will Smith-Martin Lawrence's buddy cop relies too heavily on action and banter

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, directed by Adil and Bilall and starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence among others, plays at a theatre near you from 6th June, 2024. Read our review.

By Rishil Jogani

Updated on Jun 05, 2024 | 08:17 PM IST | 1.2M

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is benefitted largely by the chemistry of its leads (Credit: Columbia Pictures)

Name: Bad Boys: Ride Or Die

Director: Adil and Bilall

Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens

Rating: 2.5/5

Where To Watch: In Theatres

Plot:

The story of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die follows Miami police department detectives Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence), as they try and investigate a trojan horse in the police department, responsible for framing their murdered captain, Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano). Conrad, being well aware that his life is under threat, leaves a few pre-recorded video messages directed at Mike and Marcus, to help them find the culprit.
Will the cop buddies be able to track down the ones responsible for framing and murdering their captain? Watch Bad Boys 4 to find out.

What works for Bad Boys: Ride Or Die

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die benefits greatly from the fun banter between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Martin is effortlessly funny and Will Smith plays along. The action portions in the movie are spectacular. The makers have certainly upped the ante of action with the fourth installment of Bad Boys. The revolving camera shots in the action portions are truly remarkable and it largely helps elevate the theatre experience. The background score is solid throughout and the visual effects are reasonably good too.

What doesn't work for Bad Boys: Ride Or Die

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die feels very generic and formulaic from the get go. It relies heavily on the chemistry of the two leads to see it through. The chemistry, luckily, is still as organic as it was in Bad Boys 1. The screenplay often feels wonky. The bridge that connects the fun banter with the outrageous action is missing and that results in a movie trying to appeal to two quadrants, but not as convincingly as it should. Bad Boys 4 ends up being a forgettable popcorn flick instead of something you would want to revisit as guilty pleasure.

Watch the Bad Boys: Ride Or Die Trailer

Performances in Bad Boys: Ride Or Die

Will Smith as Mike essays his role well. The actor doesn't experiment much and is as he is expected to be.
Martin Lawrence as Marcus is at times fun, at times silly, but always hilarious to watch. He makes the movie much more enjoyable than it is.
In the supporting cast, Vanessa Hudgens as the weapon expert Kelly, Alexander Ludwig as tech expert Dorn, and Erin Dane as the antagonist James McGrath, essay their roles well.
Also, watch out for some fun special-appearances.

Final Verdict of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die relies heavily on the banter between its leads, and the outrageous action sequences. The generic story and the intermittently engaging screenplay don't let Bad Boys 4 become a movie you would wish to revisit, once in a while.
You can watch Bad Boys: Ride Or Die at a theatre near you from the 6th of June, 2024. Go book your tickets for the movie, now.

ALSO READ: Will Smith Hypes Up His Upcoming Bad Boys: Ride Or Die As The Perfect Summer Movie; DEETS