“Miami Najs”, or Michał Walkiewicz’s review of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”
Two films directed by Michael Bay were part of the canon of high-octane action cinema at the turn of the century. The first opened with a panoramic view of Miami as it slept. Thanks to Marek Mancina’s dark orchestral score, it was easy to see the juggernaut devouring his victims in the city, the titular police boys as knights in dirty armor challenging him. However, since then, much has changed in the genre: self-irony, excess, and choreography have crept into it. In the new film, Mancina’s remixed song returns with a funky twist and is a great example of comedic demolition fest.
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” — as the title suggests, which is also a favorite saying of the Toretto family patriarch — is more “Fast and Furious” than ’90s action cinema, balancing on the edge of seriousness and thrills. Miami is transformed from a dark maze into a glowing neon theme park, and old-timers are supported by a cheeky team of youngsters, while the action defies the combined laws of logic and physics. Some people will be offended by this comment. I think some ships have sailed and the original films were also popular “sports” films of their time. Belgian directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah understand this perfectly, because in their new film they are going crazy. Show me an “action movie” with a journey into the afterlife scene, where instead of Virgil a man in Bermuda shorts and a colorful parrot wanders around? In what mainstream film did you recently hear a conversation about the existence of the human soul outside of sex? Read: “He doesn’t have a penis
What is the movie “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”?
When Captain Howard is wrongly accused of drug crimes, the Bad Boys vow to clear his name. But as they get closer to discovering the truth, Mike and Marcus find themselves involved. The police chase them, the gangs target them, every gang in the city is after them…
The production stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The cast included veterans of other series: Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, and Paula Nunez. New additions are: Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, and Rhea Seehorn. Tasha Smith also appeared on the set, replacing Teresa Randle as Marcus’ wife.
The whole thing was directed by “Bad Boys for Life” creators Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah.
