BAD BOYS: Ride or Die on Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from directors Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of BAD BOYS: Ride or Die.

Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) is finally married to Christine (Melanie Liburd) and during it all, partner Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) has a medical emergency. Waking up, Marcus has a new outlook on life but it’s interrupted by the news that Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) has been dealing in corruption with the drug cartels. Mike and Marcus aren’t about to let that go and two other people that are going to help are Captain Rita Secada (Paola Nunez) and Adam Lockwood (Ioan Gruffudd).

Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio) was charged with Howard’s murder gets a visit and he tells the duo that Howard didn’t have anything to do with it. He also tells his father Mike what really happened and wants to help. Those who are responsible are still in action and it sets off a message for Mike and Marcus about where to go next. Following the leads left behind from Howard, Mike also has to worry about his son’s safety. That doesn’t stop bad things from happening!

Coming in to try and help are AMMO Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig) and they are up against former DEA Agent James McGrath (Eric Dane). What is actually happening is much deeper than either Mike or Marcus could have imagined as following the trail becomes more and more dangerous. The thing is – the bad guys have no idea who they are up against and what lengths they are willing to go to clear their beloved captains name!

Smith as Mike is back to a different life of marriage but the same with partner Marcus and dedication to Captain Howard. He hasn’t changed the portrayal of his character and follows it through the entire film. Lawrence as Marcus has a bit of a life change once his heart lets him know that Skittles is not a food group. Back out on the street, he believes as Mike does that there has been a big mistake and wants to find out who is responsible for the lie.

Nunez as Rita knows that Mike and Marcus are going to be affected by the allegations but is going to follow through the investigation. Nunez plays tough up against Smith and Lawrence and it works. Gruffudd as Lockwood is working with Rita and knows that Mike and Marcus are protective of their friend. It’s nice to see Gruffudd by on the screen again as he takes his role to the bad side.

Hudgens and Ludwig are the younger dynamic due and it works. They want to help and are going to be just as diligent in finding the truth than Marcus and Mike. On a side note, it’s good to see Ludwig on the screen once again. Scipio as Armondo is still behind bars but wants to help the dynamic duo solve the mystery. Scipio has the moves and the muscle to stop anyone from messing with his character.

Dane as McGrath has literally turned white in the hair and it gives him such a scary look. His character is calm, cool, collected and never in a hurry to do anything. Portraying that gives him the edge to being a real bad boy.

Other cast include Tasha Smith as Theresa Burnett, Tiffany Haddish as Tabitha, John Salley as Fletcher, DJ Khaled as Manny, Rhea Seehorn as Judy Howard, Dennis Green as Reggie Norman, Bianca Bethune as Megan Burnett, Quinn Hamphill as Callie Howard, Jason Davis as Agent Grice, Derek Russo as Lintz, Jenna Kanell as Nicole and a cameo by Michael Bay.

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Bonus Features include Outtakes & Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Will & Martin Chemistry, Legacy & Laughs, The Bruckheimer Legacy: Crafting BAD BOYS & Beyond, Fights Camera Action, Partners in Crime and a Post Credit Scene.

The duo is back together to do what they do best – be Bad Boys. They do look like they are having fun being back together in their respective roles. The film is filled with action, verbal sparring, intense fight scenes and, if you have a sound bar, can be extremely loud! Smith and Lawrence have joined the buddy-cop hall of fame with its franchise and they haven’t let the wind out of their sails quite yet.

For all the fans who wanted to see Mike and Marcus back together, then this is going to be the film they expect. Filled with chaos and gunfights in the street, Marcus sees the world as freeing and Mike sees his world change being a married man. Although the story is easy to follow, it is clear the film follows the same formula that made BAD BOYS a success in the first place.

In the end – on the run Bad Boys style!

 

 

They are Simple BAD BOYS FOR LIFE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD, Digital and 4K Ultra from directors Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings our BAD BOYS FOR LIFE.

Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) are still together after all these years fighting off the bad guys. Life is about to get a little more excited at Marcus awaits the birth of his first grandchild. Mike isn’t so impressed, but he is there for his partner and joins in the party to celebrate with the other officers. Maybe the timing isn’t so great, but Marcus tells Mike he’s ready to hang up his badge.

Challenging Marcus to a race to change his mind outside the party, within minutes Mike is brutally gunned down! After months in the hospital, Mike goes to Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) and lets him know that he tends to find out who is responsible. Driving over to Marcus, he begs him for one last go around against the bad guys but is let down with the answer.

The only thing in there was is AMMO, the Advanced Miami Metro Operations and to make matters even more uncomfortable, it is run by Mike’s ex-girlfriend Rita (Paola Nunez). Off the duo go to find Booker Grassie (Rory Markham), an arms dealer who Mike knows has his ear to the pavement about everything that goes on in Miami.

Mike gets a harsh talking to by Captain Howard about needing to move on with his life and, for a second time, gunfire erupts and another officer falls. Marcus now realizes he can’t just walk away from all of this. When Grassie leads them to Zway-lo Rodriguez (Nicky Jam), a chase begins that puts Mike almost face to face with the man, Armando (Jacob Scipio), on a lethal mission and realizes in the phrase “hasta el fuego” that he knows what is happening.

He confides in Marcus and Rita’s team that it was a phrase said by himself and love Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo) when he was doing undercover work in the Aretas cartel in Mexico. Now they know where they have to do and who they are looking for to end all of this. But there is so much more to the secrets and lies for the Bad Boys.

Smith is back and raring to go as Mike Lowrey who still thinks about women, never thinks about marriage and is happy being a cop. Of course, being shot will slow a man down and for Mike it’s a shock to the system to be so vulnerable. Smith jumps back into the role with ease and even makes the action sequences look flawless.

Lawrence as Marcus is realizing his age and wants to be comfortable with it. Now being a grandpa, he adjusts his priorities which doesn’t make Mike happy. Even wife Theresa gets annoyed having a retired Marcus under her feet. Feeling needed by Mike is what gets him back into service, even if he doesn’t hesitate to call for back up.

Scipio as Armando has a bone to pick with Smith and it’s like an obsession that is fueled by his parental unit. There is a plan here and Armando isn’t going to be sway by anything. When it’s time for him to know the truth about everything, it becomes a he-said-she-said moment. Nunez as Rita has the same itch as her son against Mike and she is going to do whatever it takes to make sure he is brought to his knees. This is a vicious woman in expensive clothing to be sure!

Shout out to Ludwig for seeing him in a totally different role. He may be quiet, he may be thoughtful but he’s absolutely brilliant.

Other case includes Alexander Ludwig as Dorn, Charles Melton as Rafe, Ivo Nandi as Carver Remy, Jay Amor as Rodrigo Vargas, Bianca Bethune as Megan, Happy Anderson as Jenkins, DJ Khaled as Manny, Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly, and Theresa Randale as Theresa.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are film of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bonus Materials include Extended & Alternate Scenes including an Alternate Ending, Outtakes & Bloopers, Ride or Die: Making BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, Partners in Crime: Behind-the-Scenes, It’s About Time: Go through 25 years of BAD BOYS history with Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the cast and crew, Easter Eggs: Directors Adil and Billal take us on a tour of a few of the Easter Eggs and callbacks to earlier BAD BOYS FILM and more.

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE is filled with the action everyone has come to love about the BAD BOYS franchise. There is a solid story that has its twists and turns but never forgets to give Lowrey and Burnett a chance to go at one another. They definitely seem more like brothers than they do police partners at times.

The addition of the under story here has the possible makings of another BAD BOYS film and I’m sure fans wouldn’t mind that. This time don’t wait ten years because no one wants to see the boys both become grandpa’s still fighting crime – but from behind a desk!

In the end – ride together, die together!