Bad Boys For Life (2020) Film Review: Bad Boys Become Good Men

25 years have passed since Mike Lowrey and and Marcus Burnett partnered up, with Marcus considering to retire for good after his grandchild is born. When Mike gets involved in an attempted assassination on his life, the two of them have to work together yet again to find out who is after Mike, while also teaming up with a new division of the department known as AMMO. I'm not too familiar with the "Bad Boys" franchise. I remember specific scenes in the 2nd film, but I don't recall much of the plot with the previous films. The plot for the third installment is for the most part generic, as it follows the tropes of the case where the protagonist is trying his best to find out who is after him, only to learn that it's someone from his past. It can however be enjoyed for what it is, since the "Bad Boys" films were always made to be like typical, action, buddy-cop films. While it's not as tonally ridiculous as the previous films, it's still very over-the-top with the action and specific plot elements. I found the part where the villain posts a video of him shooting Mike six months later that still manages to break the news really silly to me, as much as a guy smashing through a stone pillar with his body. However, the comedy is still pretty good as I managed to laugh quite a bit in the film, although there are instances where jokes didn't land.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are great as ever, reprising the roles of Mike and Marcus. The sense of friendship and comradery is both believable and charming as their personalities enjoyably clash together, with Mike acting like the hotshot playboy despite his age, while Marcus is trying to turn a new life with his retirement and refusal of violence. The antagonists, Isabel and Armando Aretas are also pretty good as they prove to be more of a threat to our leads compared to the generic villains from the previous films, which helps since they are acting more serious in the toned-down over-the-top franchise. I bought their motivation and their desire for vengeance against Mike, which is a step-up from the previous villains who never connected to the characters in a personal level. While the protagonists and antagonistic duo are well done, the side characters are very forgettable. Outside of Marcus's wife, who can't stand her husband's goof-ups, and Joe Pantoliano's Captain Howard, the rest of the characters aren't able to make me laugh or enjoy their personalities. I don't despise the characters that make up the AMMO team, but they are practically pointless in the story and just add to the theme of old vs new. Overall, the film is most fun when the old cast and villains are onscreen, but the new characters they try adding in to the team was completely unnecessary and distracted the focus on the strongest elements of these films, the chemistry between Mike and Marcus.

Micheal Bay doesn't return to direct the third film of the franchise he started, instead handing off the keys to Adill El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, a duo of Belgian filmmakers. While the limited filmography might be a red flag for some, the directors do a surprisingly good job. Although I do have a soft spot for the over-the-top direction that Bay gives out, it can prove to be very messy as a viewing experience. That's not to say that the directorial duo hasn't tried to emulate the infamous director as there are plenty of explosions and choppy editing. While I enjoy the explosions fine, the editing is the reason why I don't like Bay's films as they can be too quick and awkward, even when it's just two people talking. Despite the editing style being present, it doesn't override the film the longer you watch. The cinematography is really good, making Miami and Mexico City look gorgeous day or night.There is a great one-shot moment where it pans to a rooftop and as Mike and Marcus engage, it pans out for a good while. The action scenes are also very well-made and shot. It's easy to spot what's going on and the editing doesn't ruin the enjoyment in these sequences. The soundtrack is extremely good, with majority of the songs being a mix of hip-hop and Reggaeton, which is not only fitting for the locations present in the film, but great to listen to. If there is one thing I'm not a fan of the directing outside of the editing, it would be the effects during the action scenes. As much as one can make fun of Micheal Bay, you can't deny that he tries to make his action look really good, and the earlier films of the franchise try to be as on-camera as possible while being overly directed as Bay does. While Adill and Bilall have a sense of flair in their action sequences, there are plenty of uses of CGI that can take you out of the film, mainly the greenscreen in driving sequences. The climax has a unique use of lighting and setting that tries to emulate an almost suspenseful horror-esque effect, but the fake fire pulls you out of the film. I can tell what they were going for and it does look a bit cool, but the fact that they couldn't just use real pyrotechnics gives off a sense of cheapness to the viewer. Despite all of the issues, the duo manages to make the film their own with their talents, which allows us to not worry about Bay returning to the franchise alongside his choppy, flashy filmmaking.

"Bad Boys For Life" is not about to transcend the action genre. With some extremely over-the-top moments, a generic storyline, forgettable cast of new side characters, use of choppy editing and CGI, the film ain't going to be known as the best of the action genre. However, it should be known for continuing a 25-year old franchise and managing to still keep it fresh with the pure sense of enjoyment and humour, Smith and Lawrence retaining the same charm, much better villains that prove to be a threat to our protagonists, the action sequences, the cinematography, the soundtrack, and the introduction to the directing duo that hopefully surprises us even more in the future for their talent in the industry. The third film has gone through development hell and back, but the final result proves that it's never too late for a sequel to any franchise.

Verdict: 7/10. Simply good. Watch it if you still haven't had a chance to see it yet, regardless if you are a fan of the franchise or not!