The return of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise, "Bad Boys: Ride or Die," is creating buzz ahead of its June 7 release date, with early reviews offering high praise. The film finds the dynamic duo setting their sights on vindicating the posthumously tarnished reputation of their former superior, Captain Conrad Howard.
Echoing the excitement surrounding the movie, Drew Taylor from The Wrap asserts the latest installment is a 'total blast'. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, according to Taylor, continue to excel in their trademark witty interactions, providing the ideal blend of humor and thrill. Not only the veterans but new additions to the cast also received applause for their performances.
Endorsing similar sentiments, the online platform Atom rated "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" as the finest in the series. The legacy characters, played by Smith and Lawrence, they felt, were 'magical', emphasizing the unparalleled chemistry between the two that has defied time.
Maurice Moyer followed suit in his rave review, rating the film a resounding 10/10. Moyer hailed it as ticking all the boxes for a genre movie with the perfect combination of comedy, action, and a fusion of the old with the new.
However, some critics, including Bill Bria from SlashFilm, highlighted that the movie holds appeal beyond just action and comedy. Bria felt the directors managed to seamlessly weave strong emotional elements into the narrative without compromising on its adrenaline-pumping essence.
Despite the widespread acclaim, there were a few mild misgivings like Russ Milheim from The Direct who acknowledged that the movie did not cater to his preferences. However, he opined that fans of the franchise and the moviegoers present in the screening seemed to relish the experience.
With critics predominantly banking on "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" to be a hit, fans of the franchise have much to look forward to when it debuts this summer. In the meantime, a trip down memory lane with the first three Bad Boys films is just a Hulu subscription away.
