BAD BOYS II (2003) - Movie Review

Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Jordi Mollà, Gabrielle Union, Theresa Randle, Joe Pantoliano, Peter Stormare, Jon Seda, Michael Shannon, Yul Vazquez
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Writer: Ron Shelton, Jerry Stahl
Runtime: 147 min
Rated: R for strong violence and action, pervasive language, sexuality and drug content
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), 4K Ultra HD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Hang on for maximum mayhem, full-on fun and the wildest chase scenes ever put on film! The action and comedy never stop when superstars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunite as out-of-control trash-talking buddy cops. Bullets fly, cars crash and laughs explode as they pursue a whacked-out drug lord from the streets of Miami to the barrios of Cuba. But the real fireworks result when Lawrence discovers that playboy Smith is secretly romancing his sister, Gabrielle Union (Bring It On). Director Michael Bay (Transformers) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer (The Pirates of the Caribbean films) deliver a high-speed, high-octane blockbuster that will blow you away!

Review:

Michael Bay returned to direct the 2003 sequel to his 1995 directorial debut "Bad Boys". Armed with a massive $130 million budget, Bay set out to outdo everything about the first film and proceeded to throw in everything but the kitchen sink, as they say, and the result is a dizzying action blockbuster that is very bloated, yet surprisingly entertaining.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are still amazing as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, and their character dynamics are vastly improved. Their friendship is strained by Lowrey's loose cannon behavior, and Burnett is undergoing a nervous breakdown, which opens up the movie for more comedy. Gabrielle Union could have been a great addition to the cast, but despite taking part in some of the action, she's quickly reduced to being another damsel in distress, and comedically she never quite fits in as well as Tea Leoni did in the first film. Joe Pantoliano also returns as the bad boys' neurotic captain, and he gets a couple of hilarious scenes. Unfortunately, the villain played by Jordi Mollà is a let-down, too cartoonish to be truly intimidating, a tonal issue that plagues most of the movie.

The sequel leans harder into comedy that the original, and a lot of it is actually funny, mostly thanks to Smith and Lawrence's performances. It does tend to get too silly at times, and I have mixed feelings on a couple of scenes that probably made a lot of people squirm in their seats, as well as some off-colour humor that would never fly today. I can't say it's particularly offensive, but I certainly believe a little more restraint could have gone a long way.

It's a great looking movie, with fantastic cinematography and some truly inventive camerawork. That early 2000s "Matrix" influence is strongly felt here with the use of slow motion, bullet time effects and physics-defying camera movements through and around the action. It really is some of Bay's best work. The set pieces are jaw-dropping, especially a lengthy scene of vehicular mayhem that wrecks an insane number of cars, and a wide assortment of firefights, fistfights and chases on land, air and sea.

The action is some of the best you'll ever see even by today's standards, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. By the time the unnecessarily convoluted third act comes along, I was already tuned out. All the gunfire and explosions can actually make you numb after a while. At 2 hours and 13 minutes, the movie is just too long, and almost all of it is non-stop action with very little story to justify the excessive running time.

I can't in good conscience say that "Bad Boys II" is a good movie. But as far as action, creative visuals, sheer audacity and filmmaking craft go, it's one hell of a guilty pleasure. It's over-the-top, excessive and bloated, but it's not a lifeless cash grab like many sequels today. There's real passion behind every frame of this movie, and with a wonderful pair of actors leading this, it's a must-see for all action fans.

SCORE: 7/10