BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE
I'm not sure what I expected from my first exposure to the Bad Boys franchise but what I got in Bad Boys: Ride or Die was definitely different. Whether it is in keeping with the rest of the franchise I'll obviously leave for others to determine (my friends who are fans seem very happy with it so I guess so?)
I suppose I was anticipating a lot of action and pithy banter between our two leads. What I got instead was a lot of shouting, an existential crisis with a near-death afterlife experience and only momentary action that was shot in the most bizarre ways. When it leans into the friendship dynamic it can be quite enjoyable but most of the rest of the movie felt tonally discombobulated with one of the most predictable plots of the year.
In particular if you don't know a character is a villain within the first 5 minutes of meeting him than you need to watch more movies. Some of the humor works like a sequence involving a Reba McEntire song but a lot of it falls flat and then the same joke that didn't work the first time is repeated multiple times. Why are skittles so funny in this world?
Like I said, the movie should be saved by the action but it was shot in the strangest ways that took me out of the movie. For example, the director decides to shoot major action from a first person shooter perspective like we are all the sudden playing Grand Theft Auto instead of watching a movie. I've been told this was a stylistic choice for this movie and not a part of the franchise but it made the entire scene feel artificial; thereby taking away any stakes that might have been there.
Again, Bad Boys: Ride or Die was my introduction to this franchise so take my response with a grain of salt. If you enjoyed it I'm happy for you. I gave it a shot but it wasn't for me. Oh well. On to the next Summer blockbuster.
Frown Worthy
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