When someone tries to kill Mike Lowrey (Will Smith), he and his partner Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are forced to work with A.M.M.O. - the Miami Police Department's new investigative team - in order to catch the killer. But will their old-school methods fit in with A.M.M.O.'s high-tech approach to crime fighting?
That's right, they're back. Miami's baddest, most foul-mouthed cops are back, and they're just as much fun as they always were. New directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have managed to inject new life into the franchise without forgetting where it came from. Bad Boys For Life is just as funny and action-packed as previous instalments, with all the gunfights, explosions and chaos you'd expect of an investigation led by Mike and Marcus - the shootout in a mechanic's workshop being a perfect example. But Adil and Bilall have tweaked the mix just a little. Essentially, they took the "Bayhem" out of the equation and replaced it with regular action movie type mayhem. Which might sound like an odd move, but after Bad Boys II - a movie which I do enjoy - the idea that the only way is up is apparently wrong. Going bigger than Bad Boys II can only lead into Fast & Furious territory, and thanks to Michael Bay's '6 Underground' we know how ugly that can get!
What really makes Bad Boys work, all throughout, is the central duo. Smith and Lawrence have always had the perfect chemistry. Watching them bicker with each other - often at inappropriate times - is hysterical, even after 25 years and three movies. They are quite literally like an old married couple, and in that respect the relationship feels very genuine. Never more so than in this third instalment, in fact I'd say this is the story that has the most heart. There are even some moments here that will tug - albeit lightly - on the old heart strings. The movie also doesn't shy away from the fact that the two stars are getting older, with their ways of doing things not necessarily gelling with that of their younger colleagues. It is highly amusing watching the two sides clash, even if only to see it give Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) heart palpitations.
Bad Boys For Life is guilty of a little fan service here and there, but not to the point that it's excessive. There are some good call backs to the first two movies, including a couple of surprising cameos. Watch out for the scene where the A.M.M.O. team (Vanessa Hudgens, Charles Melton, Alexander Ludwig) start singing the "Bad Boys" song, much to the chagrin of Mike and Marcus. I was pleased that the original score from Bad Boys was brought back for this movie, as were a couple of the signature shots/camera angles used by Michael Bay previously. It was disappointing however that despite bringing back Theresa Randle as Marcus' wife... Theresa, she was given very little to do. And despite having a pair of mysterious villains (Kate del Castillo and Jacob Scipio) who prove worthy adversaries, it was odd how their back story seemed to mess with the established history of the main characters. It's not really a big deal, especially considering this is an action movie, but it just felt unnecessarily messy.
Bad Boys For Life is one of those sequels you don't really need, but when you see it, you're really glad you did. It's an exciting bundle of sheer action-packed anarchy, as Will Smith and Martin Lawrence dish out what is Hollywood's idea of police work. In fact, it's so much fun, I'm looking forward to seeing them do it again in Bad Boys 4!
7.5/10
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