By Geno McGahee
In 1995, BAD BOYS was released and it was a hit. It was funny and action packed, featuring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The two actors proved that they could capture the same sort of magic that Mel Gibson and Danny Glover did in LETHAL WEAPON, mixing comedic timing and big time action sequences with a good story. Unfortunately, much like LETHAL WEAPON, the follow up wasn’t nearly as good. In 2003, BAD BOYS II was released and it was much bigger but wasn’t better.
Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla) is a big time drug runner that has been eluding the law for a long time. Every time that they think they got him, he sues and he wins. It makes it a tough chase for the cops. Marcus (Martin Lawrence) and Mike (Will Smith) begin to hunt down Tapia when a drug bust turns up empty, but there is another connection. Marcus’s sister, Syd (Gabrielle Union) is working for the DEA, undercover, and is also secretly dating Mike.
Syd gets close to Tapia and Marcus and Mike are watching closely, leaving destruction along the way. At one point, they are involved in a car chase that involves tons of cars blowing up and flying around on a highway. The bad guys are actually cutting the chains and throwing cars off of a tractor trailer. It is an unbelievable and fun action scene. The chemistry between Smith and Lawrence clicks really well in this scene and so does the great comedic timing of Lawrence.
In another chase, the bad guys are throwing dead bodies off of the back of a van. That is when it’s discovered that they are transferring drugs through dead bodies and another pretty funny example of the talent of Lawrence comes through as he struggles to deal with digging into cadavers.
A big showdown, much like the first, happens and the bad guy loses, Mike gets the girl, and the partners become buddies again. At nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, BAD BOYS II is an oddity in the action world. It is a rare occurrence that a film of the genre would go this long and it probably shouldn’t have. A 90 minute version of the film might have made it more enjoyable.
BAD BOYS II has its moments. It is due mostly to the chemistry and comedic timing of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Lawrence, even in a bad film, can’t help but to be funny and he was very funny here. Another notable performance was Joe Pantoliano as Captain Howard. He meshes well with Smith and Lawrence.
The film is incredibly shot. Some of the camera work in this film is inventive and interesting and, like the original, it has a smooth style that has been emulated by so many other films of the ilk. Unfortunately, one of the film’s biggest strengths becomes one of its biggest weaknesses. It’s too smooth. It almost plays out like a music video. The focus was on the visual side of it and it succeeds there, but like so many other Michael Bay films, the movie leaves you empty. The story and screenplay are lacking.
BAD BOYS II is worth a watch. It’s not a bad film. It’s more of a missed opportunity. With the 130 million dollar budget and the original actors returning, it’s too bad that they settled with such a mediocre screenplay to work with. In the end, it’s OK, but with talents like Smith and Lawrence, it wasn’t what it could have been.
Rating: 5.5/10
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