Bad Boys for Life

With Michael Bay giving directing duties to Belgian duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah after helming the first two film, with the first being his directorial debut, Bad Boys for Life sees Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. After Lowrey is nearly killed by a shooter in a motorcycle, he becomes obsessed with the assailant that is going after him and others associated with a case from when he fist became a cop in the early '90s. Needing to convince Marcus to get out of retirement after the birth of his grandson, the two must work with a team of tech based young officers who must find clues and leads that get them closer to a dark part of Mike's past. Right from the get go, you can tell this isn't done by Bay due to a more focused style and direction, more polished editing, and balanced action scenes. Smith and Lawrence's performances are powerful in not only making their characters believable but also the strong chemistry they share in making us believe they've worked together for over twenty years. While the story is nothing new, and can sometimes feel cliched, it is well told and lands some great surprises. Another indication of Bay's absence is the humor is better than what he offers in many of his films, mainly how juvenile and immature they can be. Though not all of the jokes land and at times can either feel a little forced or don't work that well as running gags. The action scenes are captured a whole lot better than Bay's usual frenetic, over editing, and shaky cam style, but many of them lack more music to it that makes it less exiting. Bad Boys for Life is a fun throwback to over the top action films of the '80s and '90s, much like Bay's early films, but doesn't reach the same heights. Over all: 85%
2020 top list so far:
1. Bad Boys for Life