“BAD BOYS FOR LIFE” — 2½ stars — Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Alexander Ludwig, Vanessa Hudgens, Kate del Castillo, Jacob Scipio, Joe Pantoliano, Paola Nunez; R (strong, bloody violence, language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use); running time: 124 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — When you’ve got a 17-year gap between sequels, the biggest question isn’t “will it be good?,”, but “will it be embarrassing?”
“Bad Boys for Life,” the new third installment in the “Bad Boys” series, is a throwback to a different era of action movies, that is well aware of the limitations of its middle-aged stars. But even if this buddy cop action drama rises well above the level of embarrassing, its violent, bombastic chest-thumping style feels limited to fans of the first two films.
The story jumps right in with an over-the-top high-speed chase through downtown Miami that has the leads driving so irresponsibly, it isn’t clear if the other squad cars are chasing them. Eventually, though, detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) reach their unlikely destination: a maternity ward. Detective Burnett is officially a grandfather.
Almost 25 years into their careers, Mike and Marcus are at very different points in life. The call of family has lured Marcus into retirement, but career bachelor Mike still hasn’t evolved past the hot-headed, live-wire, agitate-your-captain stage, even if the gap between he and his younger peers is becoming increasingly obvious.
It’s a traditional setup for a “one last ride” movie — and that’s pretty much what we get when Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo), the widow of a former Mexican drug kingpin, busts out of prison and decides to reestablish the family business in Miami. Her first task is to send her son Armando (Jacob Scipio) on an assassination spree to eliminate all the key parties behind her first incarceration, and wouldn’t you know it, Lowery is at the top of her hit list.
The trajectory is pretty routine, even if a few twists try to liven things up. Mike survives an early attempt on his life, but struggles to convince Marcus to take up the mantle with him and go after the baddies. Mike says Bad Boys are for life, but Marcus thinks they should put more value on the “life” part.
Marcus isn’t the only one who thinks his partner should stay out of the investigation. Mike’s captain (Joe Pantoliano), his ex Rita (Paola Nunez), and a hotshot team of young upstarts would all prefer the detective hang it up while he still has the option. Will they convince him? Of course not.
The first two films in the series were directed by a pre-“Transformers” Michael Bay, and though his more extreme tendencies are toned down, new directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah still pack “Bad Boys for Life” with plenty of content that defined the big dumb funny action extravaganza. The awkward blend of action, comedy and drama has its moments, enough to be entertaining in a guilty pleasure kind of way, but the back and forth creates a tonal mess, and overall the film feels like a throwback to an era that passed its expiration date.
“Bad Boys for Life” also ticks most of the usual R-rated boxes, peppering in consistent profanity and vulgarity alongside a good deal of bloody action violence. Maybe it’s a sign of our post-#MeToo times, but the film’s sexuality feels muted, limited to a level of scantily-clad background extras that stay beneath the PG-13 level of the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
There are a handful of truly funny moments, some big action pieces, and Smith is really trying his hardest — which at times makes Lawrence’s stilted delivery more obvious. But at no point does “Bad Boys for Life” ever really answer the big question: why? It’s really only a fit for fans of the first two movies — and even then, it will probably fade from memory as those fans decide rewatching the originals is a better option.
Rating explained: “Bad Boys for Life” draws a solid R rating for ample profanity and vulgarity, along with consistent bloody violence and some sexuality. The comedic tone tempers things a bit, but not much.