Nearly 39 years after audiences were introduced to Miami, Florida, detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey (Martin Lawrence and Will Smith; respectively) in the 1995 action comedy Bad Boys (1995), a fourth entry in the series landed in theaters: Bad Boys: Ride or Die. While one can quibble on whether this and the third film, Bad Boys for Life (2020), should’ve switched titles (I’m in the camp that thinks they should’ve), one thing that can’t be argued is that the films are still fun, carried by the odd couple comedy of the leads and their willingness to acknowledge that these characters aren’t the same now as then. If you missed Ride or Die in the theaters or you’ve been a Bad Boy since ‘95, get excited as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases this latest installment on home video with a small collection of bonus materials *and* a brand-new post-credit scene not shown in theaters.
If you’re looking for a spoiler-free exploration of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, head over to EoM Contributor Gabe Lapalombella’s initial theatrical release review.
L-R: Director Adil El Arbi, Will Smith, and director Bilall Fallah on the set of Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi. © 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Sometime after the events of Bad Boys for Life, things are starting to look up for Marcus and Mike. Marcus is getting ready to be a grandfather again and Mike’s getting married to his physical therapist Christine (Melanie Liburd). Things start to take a downturn when, at the reception, Marcus suffers a heart attack, and, then, post-recovery, news breaks that the late Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) was on the take and working with the cartels. Determined to clear Howard’s name, Marcus and Mike reach out to Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio) to see if he knows anything, only to discover that there’s a larger conspiracy at work that threatens everything Marcus and Mike hold dear.
L-R: Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett and Will Smith as Mike Lowrey in Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi. © 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
With returning directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) at the helm and with a script by Chris Bremner (Bad Boys for Life) and Will Beall (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F; Aquaman), Ride or Die is allowed to go places that audiences wouldn’t expect, bringing it some pathos that’ve been lacking in the series since it started leaning into the comedy in Bad Boys II (2003). Of course, it’s only allowed to go to some dark and complex places thanks to El Arbi, Fallah, Bremner, and fellow Bad Boys for Life writers Joe Carnahan and Peter Craig, for their work in Life empowers Ride or Die to build off the bricks laid there: recognition of the aging of the actors/characters; expanding the central group beyond Smith, Lawrence, and Pantoliano to include the AMMO crew and introduce Armando; and shift from standalone adventures into a narratively-connected series. As a result, the connective tissue makes the world of these Bad Boys feel more realized than it has in some time, creating instances of worry within the audience and growth for the characters. Having Marcus endure a heart attack leans into how Marcus was less of the adrenaline junky that Mike was oft-accused of being, while also providing a twist on the shooting from Life which interrupted a foot race between Mike and Marcus to see who was still in better shape. Additionally, Ride or Die, for the first time, gives Mike a proper human weakness. Life gave the character tension by introducing more than a love interest in danger (Bad Boys 2) by creating a mystery that resulted in Armando’s birth (unknown to Mike), requiring Mike to navigate loyalty to the mission and that to his son. Within Ride or Die, this goes even further with Mike now wondering if he can handle all that’s happened in the past that he hasn’t taken time to properly address, now made manifest through panic attacks. Bad Boys II showed Mike in required therapy, but Mike just hooked up with his therapist, making it not so shocking that he married his physical therapist, a relationship we never see blossom, and never took it seriously. Here, it all comes crashing down on him. Sure, it gets handled in the usual Bad Boys style, but it’s enough that they address it, they utilize it not to shrink the character but to grow him. And while the entire Armando storyline in Life makes little sense as it rewrites a lot of what the first two films establish regarding the friendship and career paths of Mike and Marcus, with it done and etched in stone now, Ride or Die expands on it in a way that does satisfy and make one wonder where the films could go next should an idea inspire a return. If nothing else, seeing Dennis Greene’s Reggie — a character he’s played since 2003 and, as an actor, taken so much grief on-screen — get the spotlight sequence he deserves is perhaps the best thing in the entire film, seconded only by Reba herself.
In terms of expanding on the cinematic experience, be aware of the version you pickup in order to get the most out of your home viewing experience.
Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett in Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo and the Blu-ray edition possess the same bonus features as the digital edition, but the DVD lacks two of those included. The 4K UHD disc only includes the movie plus audio options (Dolby Atmos 7.1, English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, plus foreign language options), while the Blu-ray includes the film, the same audio options, and all the bonus features. The plus side for this is the 4K UHD version of the film is given the entire disc for optimum sound and picture, whereas new 4K UHD presentations often sacrifice space for bonus features and end up with a reduced home experience as a result. For the tech inclined, the video bitrate on the disc does bounce between 50 – 90 Mbps, but it generally hovers in the 70s, suggestive of being on the higher end for a 4K UHD disc presentation. Ride or Die does feature several nighttime sequences, one action set piece involving neon dayglow colors, and, despite the efforts of the directors to keep the action as frenzied as possible, the increased data and HDR provide natural blacks, bright colors, and just a solid picture overall. There’re a few sequences where you can tell that the actors are playing to a green or blue screen (confirmed in the bonus features), but the scenes remain marvelous to look at, so we’ll forgive it.
L-R: Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett and Will Smith as Mike Lowrey in Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi. © 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The bonus features in the 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray editions (and their included digital copies) are each brief in nature, but provide a solid sense of the energy of making the film, even if none go deeply into details on *how* the film was made. There are four featurettes, each averaging four minutes, which play more like marketing materials than a backstage pass to how the film was made outside of a brief moment that actually shows how they pulled off the first-person perspective sequence that required making both Smith (Men in Black) and Lawrence (House Party) cinematographers while acting. There’s insight into the general vibe on set, how the franchise influenced them (the actors), and how Lawrence and Smith are the stewards of the ship, seconded only by producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Bad Boys series). Surprisingly, no mention of original Bad Boys director Michael Bay (Bad Boys; Transformers), even with his cameo in this being far more fun than the one in Life. These four — “Will & Martin Chemistry, Legacy & Laughs;” “The Bruckheimer Legacy: Crafting Bad Boys & Beyond;” “Fights, Camera, Action;” and “Partners in Crime” — are the only bonus features on the DVD. Also included with the 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and digital editions is a three-minute blooper/outtake video that’s frankly a joy to watch and about seven minutes of deleted scenes across five sequences that, frankly, make sense as to why they were removed. Either they impacted pacing or their intent was better served by a different sequence elsewhere in the film.
About that post-credit scene that’s even got a fancy sticker on the slipcover, it’s super short and only ties to Ride or Die as a call-back joke. It does not lead to a thread for a new film to follow or otherwise imply a new story on the horizon. All it does is go back to highlight that the Bad Boys films succeed or fail based on the chemistry and comradery between Smith and Lawrence.
L-R: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi on the set of Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
At this point, while Bad Boys remains a special piece of cinema history, it’s no longer a story of two cops, one a family man, the other a player, trying to do right in Miami, involving relatively small stakes, with characters driving the drama and action being a natural by-product. Now, Bad Boys is about big action, big laughs, and a big world that keeps invading Miami. The Bad Boys series is in great hands with El Arbi and Fallah directing as they find ways to not only make the action engaging through oners and other immersive techniques, but they make sure to keep the relationship of Marcus and Mike at its core. For that reason, audiences will ride or die with Mike and Marcus whether this is the last tale or just the beginning of a bigger universe. Especially if it continues to include the AMMO team and series newbie Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul) as it expands.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Special Features:
4K UHD and Blu-ray™ Exclusive Bonus Features:
- Will & Martin Chemistry, Legacy & Laughs (3:44)
- The Bruckheimer Legacy: Crafting Bad Boys & Beyond (3:51)
- Fights, Camera, Action (4:00)
- Partners in Crime (5:23)
- Outtakes & Bloopers (3:13)
- Five (5) Deleted Scenes (7:11)
DVD Exclusive Bonus Features:
- Will & Martin Chemistry, Legacy & Laughs (3:44)
- The Bruckheimer Legacy: Crafting Bad Boys & Beyond (3:51)
- Fights, Camera, Action (4:00)
- Partners in Crime (5:23)
Available on VOD and digital July 23rd, 2024.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD September 24th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Sony Pictures Bad Boys: Ride or Die website.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
Share this:
Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
Leave a Reply