Viewed – 28 January 2020 Cinema

I can’t say the prospect of a third Bad Boys movie filled me with excitement. I’d lost interest in Will Smith as an actor a while back, and who had seen much of Martin Lawrence? Also it felt like a concept that was relegated to the past. However on seeing the positive buzz surrounding this I thought I’d give it a go. Smith and Lawrence return as the streetwise Miami detectives who following the escape of a dangerous Mexican cartel woman from prison, learn of a hit list targeting various cops and officials, including Smith’s Mike Lowrey.

Initially some of the dialogue and humour, that focuses on growing older and family commitments, felt a bit forced … but once the narrative hit its stride this observational humour began to gel better. The focus like previous movies, on Smith and Lawrence’s buddy chemistry was again the star and even 17 years later they still work great together. Smith proves heroic, reckless and layered rekindling my liking of the actor all over again. Also Lawrence proves at times hilarious with some perfectly timed one-liners – and that motorbike side car sequence is just gold.

Although series director Michael Bay isn’t behind the camera this time (but appears in a brief cameo) the visuals are stylish and the action particularly slick and visceral making this equal parts funny and exciting whilst not shying away from the violence. It feels very much like the older movies but brings it up to date with some genuine emotion and pathos amidst the pyrotechnics. Check it out.

Verdict: Recommended