A surprisingly solid mid-January release that uses the foundation of Michael Bay’s chaos to create something exciting and mature.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return as bad boys Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett in the third film of the Bad Boys trilogy, Bad Boys For Life. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah, the Bad Boys trilogy concludes with a strong, mature, exciting final entry that wouldn’t be where it is without the accidental genius of Michael Bay.
The previous Bad Boys entries are chaotic and astounding creations of hyper-violent action through the lens of Michael Bay’s vulgar auteurism that has come to define his career. Leaving the Bad Boys franchise with the memory of it’s crazed incoherency left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. It’s resurrection was concerning, and it’s mid-January release date all but spelled doom and gloom for another studio cash grab for a legacy franchise. Surprisingly, Bad Boys For Life exceeds any and all expectations for a third Bad Boys film by being a gradual and deliberate evolution for its characters.
Beyond its larger than life action set pieces stitched together with sun-soaked lighting, the core of what makes Bad Boys work is the buddy cop duo of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. A duo that rivals, perhaps surpasses the likes of Riggs and Murtaugh because of their commitment to the roles. Their naive, childish, aggressive minds are realized through its shot composition and unstable structure. Bad Boys For Life reassembles those parts to make it a sturdy threshold for proper character progression by overcoming mental hurdles. Hurdles the respective characters have to face on their own, and together. Which is essentially the foundation for the emotional drive this movie has. An element that is sure to surprise hardcore fans of the mostly emotionless first two entries.
The film’s attention to confronting the toll that’s been taken on these men creates this stronger bond between the characters, and consequently, between the characters and the audience. The chaos that ensued, problems they’ve created, and legacy that’s been formed around the “Bad Boys of Miami” becomes a front for exploring mortality by way of making it mutual to the idea of having a legacy as an icon and a father. The dramatic circumstances of being someone present in the lives of their children or children’s children, and how that separation can create conflict, and closeness can create compassion. The writing here is quite spectacular as it takes these two iconic 90s, early 2000s action heroes and gives them more purpose and self-worth as heroes that are driven by human emotion rather than maniacal chaos. This choice gives Mike and Marcus just as much of a reason to confront themselves as much as the threat that they’re trying to stop.
For a January release, expectations being virtually non-existent, and fresh voices leading the way in the director’s chair, Bad Boys For Life is perhaps the best entry to the trilogy yet. It cuts some narrative corners, takes a while to really get going, and may bite off a bit more than it can chew, but it’s heart is in the right place. For a set of films that reveled in immaturity and vulgarity, the mature approach to this film is an overwhelming breath of fresh air. Robrecht Heyvaert’s cinematography captures the nightlife of Miami with a pulse, and the action sequences are assembled with clarity and coherence. Characters come face to face with internal and external forces. Balancing the life they want to live and trying to figure out the life they need to live. Partnerships evolve, characters join forces, and every character, whether primary, supporting, or ancillary, services the themes and story to profound effect. Bad Boys For Life is a refreshing, unexpected, and exciting studio action film that feels like a perfect merger between what audiences want, and what constitutes great storytelling. Although filled with bullet holes, Bad Boys For Life is a funny, thrilling, and incredibly rewarding action dramedy that is the first great film of 2020.