Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Ride or Die shows that not only is there still life in this series, but as long as it stars Smith and Lawrence with skilled directors like Adil & Bilall, you could have Lowrey and Burnett wheeling themselves around the old folks’ home and have a blast.

It totally delivers.

At the core is Smith and Lawrence's chemistry and lived-in familiarity. Their easy jousting keep the 115-minute-long film chugging along. Lawrence's energy trumps a tempered Smith in a boisterous follow up...

At its best, Ride Or Die feels as wacked-out as later-period Bay, without the sense that its filmmakers are rage-directing their way through some kind of unspecified, omnidirectional anger issues.

The steady supply of adrenaline-pumping scenes gives action/comedy genre fans what they want.

The humor is so broad... everyone gets shot, stabbed, and blown up at least once; none of it has any impact.

The homophobia is toned down, the graphic violence is turned up, and Adil & Bilall prove they’re the heirs apparent to Michael Bay’s brand of controlled chaos.

A step down from its immediate predecessor but still a step up from the first two installments.

... one thing that can’t be argued is that the films are still fun, carried by the odd couple comedy of the leads and their willingness to acknowledge that these characters aren’t the same now as then.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die contains a lot of exciting action, and the sturdier plot goes a long way towards giving it a decent boost, but some rather inexplicable character developments end up hampering it a little too much.