Agent J : Wait, what are you doing?
Kevin Brown/K : I always do the driving.
Agent J : Oh, no...
Kevin Brown/K : I remember that.
Agent J : No, what you remember is that you used to drive that old busted jawn. See, I drive the new hotness.
Agent J [pointing at K] : Old and busted.
Agent J [pointing at himself] : New hotness.
This exchange between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in 2002’s Men in Black II is the perfect example of where things stand as we finally receive the latest entry into the Bad Boys series – old busted jawn vs. new hotness. After a nearly 17-year wait (preceded by an 8-year wait for Bad Boys II), the aforementioned Smith and Martin Lawrence rekindle their partnership in Bad Boys for Life. The film picks up with Smith’s Mike Lowery and Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett having aged in real time and trending in different directions. Lowery wants to continue enjoying a career that has been filled with shootouts, car chases, and plenty of women while Burnett is on the path to retirement. They put those differences aside for one more ride upon learning an unknown enemy from the past is trying to kill Lowery. With both actors (and characters) well into middle age, is this ride the old busted jawn that should have ended with the previous sequel or is it the new hotness that both Smith and Lawrence can use at this point to boost their careers? Answer – In the words of Agent K, old busted hotness
When Bad Boys was released in spring of 1995, Smith and Lawrence formed a duo that was nothing less than magic when they were on the screen together and that has not changed at all. The formula of Smith’s charming straight man with Lawrence’s comic relief actually proves to be better than ever in Bad Boys for Life despite the fact this is only their third film together in 25 years. The rhythm in their back and forth banter is a strong reminder of why they could easily be our and the next generation’s version of the Sidney Poitier-Bill Cosby duo that dominated the mid to late 1970s. Other than Lawrence seeming to stumble through one of the more serious moments early in the film, Smith and Lawrence did no wrong in this one. The supporting cast, which features Vanessa Hudgens, Charles Melton, and Alexander Ludwig, doesn’t have much to work with due to the dominance of Smith and Lawrence, but they do compliment them well as a task force of young police officers whose more technologically advance crime fighting tactics differ greatly from Lowery and Burnett’s old school approach.
Structurally, Bad Boys for Life is everything you’ve come to expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film – guns, explosions, and bodies to the point of absurdity with some humor sprinkled between the ammunition restocks, but there are some differences from the previous Bad Boys films that have varying degrees of impact. One of those differences is Michael Bay being replaced in the director’s seat by the soon-to-breakout directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. This change does not have much impact on the film as El Arbi and Fallah do not depart far from how Bay would have shot this film, which made them a good match with Bruckheimer. The big structural change is the script. Given its themes about aging and maturing, it was not surprising to see writers Peter Craig, Chris Bremmer, and Joe Caranahan incorporate heavier plot points centered around life events into Bad Boys for Life. This works because it added a hint of realism to the film. At the same time, there was a downside to this as well. One of those plot points goes way too far and threatens to derail the movie. However, in a strange twist, that plot point actually sets up what are arguably the film's best jokes.
Bad Boys for Life strikes the perfect balance between giving you everything you love about its predecessors while giving it the room to growing beyond what it was when you first fell in love with it. Smith and Lawrence are at the top of their game and do a fantastic job of handling the newer challenges posed by the natural progression of their lives and careers. Despite a slight misstep here and there, I guarantee you’ll want to purchase your tickets during your work day to see this one.
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