Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)
Director: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah
Screenwriters: Chris Bremner, Will Beall
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd, Tasha Smith, Rhea Seehorn, Joe Pantoliano, Quinn Hemphill
With the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise, one clear question drives the story: what will our heroes do when everyone is out to get them? Action franchises often include an episode where the central characters are hunted, forced to survive on the run, and Ride or Die places Mike and Marcus firmly in that situation.
This entry leans into globe-trotting, high-stakes set pieces reminiscent of big action series while keeping the buddy-cop core intact. Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) attempt to clear the name of Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) after explosive new evidence suggests he had ties to cartels over several decades. To neutralize the pair, their enemies frame Mike and Marcus as accomplices and place a five-million-dollar bounty on their heads, turning every gang in Miami into a potential threat.
Following the previous film’s attempt to add maturity and introspection to the series, Ride or Die shifts some focus away from Mike and toward Marcus. This time, Marcus grapples with an existential crisis—questioning his role as a cop, his sense of purpose, and the weight of past losses. The film includes several surreal, dreamlike sequences that offer inventive transitions and visual flourishes rarely seen in broad-action blockbusters. These moments give Lawrence room to explore vulnerability and grief, particularly relating to the events of the last movie, though the script often pivots back to comic beats rather than allowing sustained emotional depth.
The film fully embraces its transformation from a buddy-cop comedy to a full-scale action spectacle. It borrows the grandiosity and globe-trotting energy of franchise fare—think high-concept espionage and adrenaline-heavy chases—but filtered through the established dynamic of two familiar leads. Familiar franchise trademarks remain: late-night car rides, banter, and comic meltdowns in public places, plus the signature slow-motion moments that showcase the pair’s chemistry. Yet much of the film adopts the modern blockbuster language of jump cuts, rapid editing, and spectacle-driven scenes.
The comedy that once defined the franchise is less reliable here. Earlier entries found balance because the actors’ timing made even immature jokes land. By the fourth installment, many lines feel recycled and predictable; attempts at crass humor are sometimes inserted mechanically, without the spark that made earlier moments memorable. There are a couple of genuinely funny or affecting lines, but they’re scattered amid material that aims for laughs and often misses.
Action-wise, the film delivers the required set pieces—explosions, vehicle wreckage, and neon-lit shootouts—though some sequences are shaken together in a way that sacrifices clarity for intensity. The choreography and visual design occasionally offer striking images, but at times the camera work and editing make the action feel rough around the edges. Small touches of stylistic flair help, but they don’t fully compensate for uneven execution when you examine scenes closely.
What ultimately holds Ride or Die together is its supporting cast and a handful of well-staged moments. Rhea Seehorn delivers a quietly powerful turn in a beach scene near the film’s end, which stands out as one of the production’s most emotionally resonant beats. An elevator sequence featuring Paola Núñez’s Rita and Ioan Gruffudd’s Lockwood is notable for its controlled direction and unexpectedly dark undertones; these scenes provide texture and raise the stakes beyond slapstick and spectacle. Several supporting players contribute energy and credibility to the action, keeping the story cohesive when the lead humor falters.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is not a disastrous film; it contains enjoyable moments, strong performances, and competent set pieces. But it rarely rises to the level of exceptional. The movie seems content to coast on franchise familiarity and star charisma rather than pushing itself into truly memorable territory. If this marks a fitting conclusion to the series, it’s an acceptable one: entertaining enough to satisfy fans but not ambitious enough to redefine the franchise. If more sequels follow, the series may need a bolder reinvention to avoid creative decline.
Score: 14/24
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Recommended for you: Bad Boys Movies Ranked