Bad Boys, Bad Boys, what you are going to do, what you are going to do when they come for you? We’ve all been singing that jam for over three decades, and it has been almost thirty years since the release of the original Bad Boys movie starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. As a massive fan of the franchise, I hoped that the latest installment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die would catapult the summer season with its first summer action blockbuster. Below, I share my review of the film and let you know if you should check it out in theaters.

After their late Captain Conrad Howard is accused of being involved with the Romanian Mafia, Detective Mike Lowrey, and Marcus Burnett have to hunt down the truth to free his name. The film sees the return of Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Alexander Ludwig, Vanessa Hudgens, and the directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah return to direct the film.

The summer blockbuster season has been filled with some massive disappointments for fans worldwide, but I can promise you the return of our foul mouth, comedic detective duo Mike and Marcus will have been seated for the must-see blockbuster of the season. Not only is Bad Boys: Ride or Die everything you could’ve wanted, but it raised the bar for the franchise.

Heading into this film, all I wanted was a fun story, good action, and Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to make me laugh like they have for over thirty years. They checked the boxes, but the most impressive thing about this movie was Adil & Bilall’s fantastic direction. The action sequences in this franchise have always been filled with wild set pieces and outlandish stunts, and this was no different. However, several sequences are elevated because of the work of Adil & Bilall. Towards the end of the film, they shot this like a damn video game, and it put you in the shoes of Mike and Marcus, and it was the best action sequence I’ve seen in a long time.

Everyone plays their part in this film, but of course, Will and Martin stand out with their impeccable comedic timing, which has some fun ancillary pieces. The connection between Mike and Marcus takes a unique turn (no spoilers) that causes an extra level of comedy that these two have yet to face. As a result, writers Chris Bremner and Will Beall do a brilliant job of sprinkling in little things with great callbacks throughout the film.

I don’t know where this franchise will go, but with Will and Martin getting up their in age, I can’t imagine we will see many more Bad Boys movies, and if this is the last one, they went out with a BANG. Overall, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the PERFECT action summer blockbuster, and I hope audiences around the world show up to give this film the support it deserves. Go see this on the big screen and enjoy the ride.