With me covering the entire "Back to the Future" trilogy this past week, I thought I should finally wrap up the "Bad Boys" trilogy as well by finally getting to the sequel that outshined the original film for nearly twenty years. I'm not going to lie, this trilogy is probably the most consistent when it comes to being good action flicks with different strengths and weaknesses. Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey are put on the case to take down Hector Tapia, a Cuban drug lord who's distributing ecstasy into the city of Miami. As Marcus and Mike try to dig evidence and links to take down Tapia, Marcus's sister, Sydney, arrives in town as an undercover DEA agent. Tensions between Marcus and Mike build up as the former is planning to transfer, while the latter is secretly dating Sydney and is afraid to tell Marcus the news. The story is once again on the weaker side, which is not very surprising for the franchise. What is surprising though is the nearly two and a half runtime, making this the longest film in the trilogy. This is a really big problem when it comes to the pacing as the film tends to be a bit sluggish when it comes to finishing up the story. You'd think the film is about to end by the two hour mark, but they decide to extend to another half hour when Sydney gets kidnapped by Hector to allow an over-the-top climax to take place. While the story is lacking as usual, the tone is probably the most insane it's ever been, and it is mainly due to the heavy use of comedy. The first and third film is mainly reliant on the interactions between Marcus and Mike to get in the laughs, but the second one throws in some crazy scenarios to maximize the comedic potential on top of the dialogue. From the embarrassing live recording that makes the partners sound really gay, Marcus's cheap pool, Marcus being shot in his ass, the KKK shootout, to the morgue, and Marcus accidentally consuming ecstasy, the sequel goes all in with the comedy and it's probably the funniest film in the series because of it.
Will Smith as Mike is still charismatic as always. While Smith's character doesn't really go through much changes or development in the sequel, his womanizing playboy personality still tries to steal the spotlight from the cast. Martin Lawrence as Marcus is largely the same, hot-headed family man with an emphasis on large. Aside from him gaining more pounds and the sequel's focus on putting more attention to Mike rather than Marcus, Lawrence still works really well off on Smith and he still manages to secure the most laughs from the cast in regards to all of the things that happens to his character and his reasonable reactions to horrible situations. Gabrielle Union as Sydney Burnett is a nice addition to the cast, albeit her role is not as big as it seems, aside of her trying to take down Hector and ultimately getting kidnapped. While I love the sibling rivalry between her and Marcus when it comes to being protected and her career in the DEA, the romance between her and Mike is very underdeveloped as the relationship formed offscreen prior to the beginning of the film. They really needed a scene or two with her and Mike to sell their chemistry and it's a waste of potential by the end when they decide to call off the relationship. Jordi Molla as Hector is a step-up from Fouchet from the first film when it comes to being somewhat memorable. Molla hams up the screaming, larger-than-life villain who has odd quirks with his family members such as his mother and daughter. Honestly, Hector perfectly fits the tone and direction of the sequel, but he pales in comparison to Armando and Isabel Aretas from the third film when it comes to being developed and relatable. The side characters are strong as always. You of course got the returning characters such as Theresa Burnett, Marcus's wife, and Captain Howard, the boss of Mike and Marcus who doesn't stand the two's ability to always get into a crazy gunfight, but the sequel also adds some characters that stay memorable despite only appearing in this film. There's Detective Vargas and Reyes, the Hispanic officers who always joke stereotypes with Mike and Marcus, Alexi, a Russian drug dealer working with Hector played by Peter Stormare, and Floyd, a KKK member that's constantly bullied by Mike and Marcus, who's played by Micheal Shannon. That's not even including the various family and gang members that Hector surrounds himself in, who all manage to get a laugh just like the entire cast and leading stars.
Micheal Bay returns to direct the sequel, but with more than a hundred million dollars added to the budget due to his earlier box office hits. The first film had a small budget for his directorial debut, but Bay made sure that the sequel was the biggest film of his career in that time, which is kind of a double-edged sword. Miami still looks great with the sequel taking advantage of more neighbourhoods, car chases, and even the climax taking place in Cuba. One thing that I don't like about the film is the overall grungy look. The first film was shot on film and has the grain you'd come to expect, while the third film was shot digitally with crystal-clear image. This sequel was also shot on film, but there's a noticeable layer of tint or fuzz. It's hard to explain, but it resembles a lot like a music video from that time period, which feels glossy yet rough. With that said, the cinematography by Amir Mokri fits the style and flashy filmmaking that Bay is infamous for. While the non-action scenes feel like it's sitcom-esque with mostly standard shots that hold on and a few wrap-arounds, Mokri's camerawork really shines during the action sequences. From the spin-around gunfight in the drug dealer hideout, the zoom-ins showing the bullet firing out of a pistol, aerial shots, vehicle mounts, to so many more set-ups. Mokri makes the film feel like an aforementioned music video and that's not a terrible thing as long as the film looks great. The music by Trevor Rabin replaces Mark Mancina's memorable score from the first film, which would be brought back for the third film. Rabin uses more hip-hop and R&B music to fit the film's music video aesthetic and the popularity of the genre during the time it was released. Although Mancina's score is still superior when it comes to the music involved in the franchise, Rabin's composing works really well for this specific film along with a great soundtrack that was produced by P. Diddy and Dr. Dre. The last thing to really mention would, of course, be the action sequences. I'm not going to lie, it's a step up from the first film, but a bit of a mixed bag. The action certainly gets bigger from multiple car chases, the shoot-out with the KKK and the drug dealers, and of course, the climax at Hector's mansion. While there is great camerawork and visuals along with the chaotic energy, the editing is just unbearable at times. This is the film that spawned the cliches of Bay's trademark filming style, particularly with the editing and the flashy action sequences. For me, the smaller action scenes such as the shootouts are far more effective than the car chases, which is where the edit cuts start to multiply and they overstay their welcome. While this can prove to be a problem with some viewers and haters of his work, it's hard to say that Bay can't make an adequate and somewhat engaging film with a unique sense of style.
"Bad Boys II" is about as good as the other Bad Boy films with its own pros and cons. The issues come with the weak story, very padded runtime tied with a slow pace, Sydney's character doesn't do too much in the story, the overall look of the film is a tad unappealing at times, and the extensive action sequences can really start to be bothersome with the over-editing. However, the sequel manages to balance out these issues with an over-the-top tone and focus on humour, Smith and Lawrence being great as always, Molla as Hector gives out an entertainingly silly villain, the side characters still offer laughs and memorability, Mokri's cinematography is great in terms of style and ambition, the score by Rabin gives off a new fresh hip-hop soundtrack that fits with the film and characters, the smaller action sequences are frankly some of the best in the trilogy, and the directing by Bay does work in making an extravagant, almost music-video, film that creates its own identity and builds up many foundations from the first film. All three of the "Bad Boys" films are enjoyable in their own right, but has a type of flavour for certain people. The first film is more on the chemistry and situation comedy surrounding Marcus and Mike, the third film is the best made and strongest in terms of the story, action and evolution of the characters, and the second film is the funniest and most over-the-top action-comedy fest that is great to view with friends or in the background. I hope that more films in the series are made as it remains one of the most entertaining action franchises to date.
Verdict: 7/10. Good for the comedy, tone and bombastic action, which is probably what many were expecting out of the film. All of the films are a blast to watch, but the second film is the most memorable despite its problems.
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