What do you get when you take a famous director, who after 8 years returns to Miami for a gritty sequel to a 1995 smash hit? Also, worth mentioning that said director is only 4 years away from a robot alien franchise. Well, the answer to that question is Bad Boys II. Rather than its predecessor, this film feels like a Michael Bay, right from its opening frames. The cinematography from Amir Mokri is one of the strongest aspects leading into this sequel. Visually, Bad Boys II, helps lay the foundation for what Bay would later go onto do in the world of Transformers. As much as Bay as grown, at this time, so as the film’s stars in Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.
Lawrence is starting to lay the groundwork elsewhere for another franchise in the Big Momma’s House movies. While Will Smith is fresh off an Oscar nomination for his role as Muhammed Ali in 2001’s Ali, a biopic based on the famous heavyweight. As much as it’s interesting to watch, historically, how the three of these careers have grown off screen it carries over with their characters in Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. Bad Boys II picks up a few years after its predecessor, expanding the world a bit wider and deeper. The film ushers in a new layer to the Lawrence and Smith relationship. Showcasing how all the years of Mike’s boyish charm has taken on Marcus’ mental health. Turning to a life of mediation and reassignment in the process.
Being a cop is hard enough, when you have a partner like Smith, you’re bound to need that outsource. That’s one of the most refreshing aspects of this movie. It genuinely feels like these characters have grown and that they are far from the recycled parts of the first film. This time around the Miami cops are chasing down a drug kingpin (Jordi Molla) who has managed to escape police over a dozen times. The bad boys are bringing him to justice once and for all. Much like its predecessor, there is a natural evolution to the story. Sure, with new characters and grown there can be some distractions. This sequel grows at a beautiful pace, taking its time and brilliantly raising the stakes from the first film.
The world opens us up to the extended Burnett family with new addition in Gabrielle Union, portraying Lawrence’s younger sister. Union plays Syd, an undercover DEA agent going after the same target as the boys. These two arcs have this beautiful collision that allows the film to tell more rounded stories, while also balancing both arcs extraordinarily well. Never, ever feeling like the film is too busy. Union is a terrific addition to throw into the chemistry of Smith and Lawrence, who once again carry the film with utter grace. Though, not everything carries well from its predecessor. Much like the villain before him, Molla while he can command the screen, feels cliché and forgettable. Even the addition of secondary villain in Alexei (Peter Stormare) isn’t enough to keep this boat afloat.
Overall, Bad Boys II¸ grows the world of Miami with natural grace. The refreshing relationship of Martin Lawrence and Will Smith once again proves their natural chemistry and deeper connection. The sequel is a prime example that Lawrence and Smith are deeper than cops, fathers, playboys and husbands. The mental health element and domestication of both characters allows the characters rejuvenating and more profound. The addition of Gabrielle Union into that mix allows for new electricity for both actors. Unfortunately, while the world of Bad Boys grows, its antagonistic element does not. Turning in yet another two dimensional and cliché drug lord makes the refreshing nature of the film feel a bit polluted and repeated. Still, Bad Boys II, builds its foundation with fun, depth and adrenaline.
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Music by Beggars. Bad Boys II is property of Columbia Pictures and Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Productions. We do not own nor claim any rights.