Will Smith has lost his luster. Bad Boys Ride or Die is not the much-hoped-for triumphant return to cinema

Culture news Will Smith has lost his luster. Bad Boys Ride or Die is not the much-hoped-for triumphant return to cinema

Published on 06/06/2024 at 9:15 p.m.

The most iconic cop duo of the late 90s/early 2000s is back in 2024 to carry out one last investigation. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their respective roles in the fourth episode of the Bad Boys saga, but this comeback is clearly not to everyone’s taste. Bad Boys: Ride or Die has everything to prove.

Everything you need to know about Bad Boys: Ride or Die

The Bad Boys franchise began in 1995 with the director addicted to pyrotechnic effects and testosterone at the helm… the explosive Michael Bay. This American filmmaker subsequently distinguished himself on Pearl Harbor, the Transformers saga and more recently Ambulance. Two decades earlier, he returned to action alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in a sequel to Bad Boys soberly titled Bad Boys II, which finished establishing the film series before finally abandoning it.

We have to wait until 2020 to find Sergeants Marcus Miles Burnett and Michael Eugene “Mike” Lowrey in Bad Boys for Life, which is a hit at the box office. This third adventure pocketed 426.5 million US dollars for a budget estimated at 90 million. Four years later, they put on their law enforcement uniforms again for a manhunt in the streets of Miami. In Bad Boys: Ride or Die, directed again by the duo Adil & Bilall, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence become fugitives following allegations of corruption against their former captain Conrad Howard and by extension themselves.

The synopsis of Bad Boys Ride or Die:

The world’s favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic blend of jaw-dropping action and outrageous comedy, but this time with a twist: Miami’s finest are now on the run. -Sony Pictures

The cast of Bad Boys Ride or Die:

Alexander Ludwig (Vikings) – Dorn
Eric Dane (X-Men: The Last Stand) – McGrath
Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) – Lockwood
Jacob Scipio (Besieged) – Armando
Martin Lawrence (Big Mamma) – Marcus Burnett
Paola Núñez (Resident Evil, The Purge) – Rita
Vanessa Hudgens (Spring Breakers) – Kelly
Will Smith (I Am Legend, Men in Black) – Mike Lowrey

What do the press think of Bad Boys: Ride or Die?

The press is divided. Bad Boys: Ride or Die has convinced a large part of the critical world without achieving unanimity among insider circles. The fourth installment in the franchise boasts a solid 70% on RottenTomatoes, but can’t keep up on MetaCritic with a disappointing 53%. This is in no way surprising. The previous installment “Bad Boys for Life” has similar notes. The franchise has somewhat lost its splendor over time without having to be ashamed of its performance.

Professionals above all salute the efforts made by the duo of directors and their teams to make Bad Boys: Ride or Die a high-level entertainment. They particularly highlight the action scenes as evidenced by Kaely Monahan’s comment for Arizona Republic: “Lots of shootouts, spectacular stunts (with killer drone camera work)”. Kevin Maher takes it a step further for the Times by describing this film as “magnificent” in a summer context. However, others are less enthusiastic. Nicholas Barber for BBC.com says: “The plot is absurd, the stunts are even more absurd, and the internal logic is nonexistent”. For another colleague from the Detroit News, “there is only sizzle and no meat”.