Bad Boys (1995)

Overrated

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Bad Boys is the directional debut from Michael Bay and one of the films in which helped launched Will Smith's career. The film has been somewhat panned by critics but adored by fans alike. As a film, it does bring a certain entertainment lead by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as their chemistry and slick talking dialogue is the main reason for their constant back and forth. The plot is somewhat thin but there is enough action, explosions and gun shootouts for action fans to enjoy. Although predictable completely, some parts of the film seem off and forced. Such as, the need for Martin Lawrence's character Marcus Burnett in pretending to be Will Smith's character Mike Lowrey to impress Tea Leoni, since she specifically asked for Mike. Which was somewhat confusing at first but dragged on a little too far. Overall, the film does feel fresh even in today's day and age after decades since its release but something did feel somewhat missing.

Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are two Miami narcotics cops. Mike is privately wealthy and has a reputation as a ladies' man; Marcus is a family man. When a gang of thieves break into the police evidence room and steal $100,000,000 worth of heroin they are put on the case. Mike asks various contacts including former girlfriend Max to keep an eye open for anybody who has suddenly come into money. Max finds one but doesn't live to tell anybody; her murder is witnessed by her friend Julie. Julie gets away from the killers and tries to contact Mike; unfortunately he is out of the station when she calls so Marcus is ordered to pretend to be Mike. Now he must keep her safe and find out what she knows while the real Mike has to play Marcus… something that isn't easy when he has taken Julie and her two dogs to Mike's luxury apartment! It isn't easy for Marcus either as Mike is staying at his house. The level of danger increases for all of them as they close in on the killers.If you are looking for a film with lots of great action, plenty of laughs and fun characters you could do a lot worse than this. The central story is interesting and Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have a great chemistry as Mike and Marcus respectively; it is easy to believe they have been partners for years. Téa Leoni is also impressive as Julie; a spirited character rather than just a damsel in distress. The rest of the cast are pretty solid too; most notable Tchéky Karyo as the villain Fouchet and Joe Pantoliano as Captain Howard, Mike and Marcus's under pressure boss. As one might expect from a film directed by Michael Bay there is plenty of action including an explosive finale. Thankfully this action is not the obvious CGI we get in more modern films. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting a fun cop movie with loads of action.

Bad Boys is a film directed by Michael Bay, and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as two buddy cops. The film revolves around a drug heist from the vaults of a police station, and encompasses a related double murder, that needs to be solved by Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence). Fortunately for our buddies, one witness, Julie Mott (played by Tea Leoni) survived and will only assist Lowrey in his investigation, for fear of retribution from the criminal gang responsible for the heist and murders.This is a typical '90's action film, with buddy cop comedy, gun fights and explosions, and incomprehensible "switched identities" confusion. This film is pretty muddled where the plot is concerned, to say the least. The acting is typical Smith/Lawrence. They are funny and the buddy drama is well done, but it is difficult to take the two seriously, as they are often pursuing a punch line over any criminals. The heroes feel invincible, as they drop one liner after one liner during gunfights and car chases. This isn't always a bad thing, but leaves the viewer craving more of that, and less of the muddled Lowrey/Burnett swapping, or the wife who mistakes the switch for a cover-up affair with Leoni's character. Leoni herself was pretty good, but her character had little to do throughout the film, besides being the maguffin of the film.As you can see above, my opinion on Bad Boys is mixed. It's fun, and good for a laugh or two. The action is solid, if clichéd and a bit dated, but this is no complaint. The story, however, is a befuddled mess. The side characters are useless, and Lowrey and Burnett's buddy cop routine is strained during much of the film, due to incomprehensible identity swapping. The film is fun at times, and trying at others. It's worth a watch because it's fun, but for very little else.

Back in the nineties there was one name that was becoming synonymous with big, loud action movies. And that name was Michael Bay. How times change! However, don't be put off by seeing the man responsible for Megan Fox and Transformers' name in the credits. 'Bad Boys' is actually quite a fun film.It's nothing new, i.e. two bickering cops do their best to protect a material witness while fending off various attempts on everyone's lives courtesy of 'the mob.' But it's fun and its two stars (Martin Lawrence and Will Smith – believe it or not, back then Martin Lawrence was the 'star' and Will Smith just the supporting cast member. Again, how times change!) play off each other nicely. They shoot, they playfully berate each other, while watching each other's backs at all times. There are car chases and shoot-outs, plus a load of wise-cracks to keep you entertained.I would almost say this is the perfect loud, dumb action movie. However, the only downside (in my opinion) is the film's length. It doesn't really need to be nearly two hours. The 'extra' plot lines revolve around the witness to the murder believing that Martin Lawrence's character is really Will Smith and vice versa. A lot goes into this plot line and I couldn't see the need for any of it (it almost degenerates into 'farce' at some stages). I'd rather the writers had played the film – a little – straighter and had more serious stuff with just the odd one-liner to keep things a little happy.But that's a minor gripe. The film is still fun and should be enjoyed with a big (bad) bag of popcorn.http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/