‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ movie review: This Will Smith, Martin Lawrence ride is a thankless slog

Bad Boys: Ride or Die - Buddy action comedy with shootouts, crocs, and a lackluster plot. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence star.

The adrenalin runs high and there are insane shootouts in a chopper and abandoned alligator park (abandoned by all except the toothy reptiles). Despite all this, the fourth installment of the buddy action comedy does not have the secret sauce to keep one engaged.

Mike (Will Smith) from the Miami Police Department, has finally grown up and is marrying his therapist (physical, not mental therapist, the film makes a point of noting), Christine (Melanie Liburd). At the wedding, his partner in the force, Marcus (Martin Lawrence) has a heart attack. After a near-death experience, where he gets advice from the great beyond, Marcus is a new man and not very happy when his wife, Theresa (Tasha Smith), has trashed all the salty snacks and turned vegetarian to support him in his recovery.

Then it is time for the bad boys to ride again (forget Marcus’ dickey heart), when their dead captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is accused of being crooked and accepting money from the cartels. In a message from beyond the grave, Conrad tells Mike and Marcus that there is someone dirty within the police. The two decide to investigate further and clear the Captain’s name.

Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens), Dorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Rita (Paola Núñez) from the Miami Police Department and US Marshall Judy (Rhea Seehorn), who is Conrad’s daughter, are also in the hunt for truth. Lockwood (Ioan Gruffudd) is running for mayor and Rita’s latest boyfriend. Mike’s son, Armando (Jacob Scipio), who is in jail for killing Conrad, holds a crucial bit of evidence. And there is an Army ranger, McGrath (Eric Dane) whose teeth-gnashing sneers mark him out to be a truly horrid chap.

Smith and Lawrence’s riffing is fun up to a point, especially the bit about Smith being a donkey in his last birth. It however, quickly becomes stale and there are those slaps, which will bring back horrid memories of the Oscar slap-gate. The video game shoot ‘em up style of the action sequences captures the eye as do the jolly crocs, but then soon enough, your mind wanders to the action sequences in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo, which were much more edge-of-the-pants and a whole sight more thrilling.

It is time for the franchise, which started almost 30 years ago (1995 to be precise) directed by Michael Bay, who has a cameo in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, to be laid to rest in peace or pieces — the choice is in the Hollywood bean counters’ hands.  

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is currently running in theatres