Review of Bad Boys for Life (2020) by Davrosdaleks1 — 17 Jan 2020

Being both a third installment and a sequel made a long time after the last one, there's reason to worry that this wouldn't work out. I'm happy to say this is pretty entertaining.

This is the first time Michael Bay isn't directing, so the movie doesn't have quite the director's level of action and style. However, it's not too much of a gap. Directors Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah prove competent at taking the reins. There are some pretty good action ideas and scenes, especially in the finale. The movie just looks good in general. I'm glad that the regime change didn't result in darker lightning; Miami really pops in this.

The bright side of Bay no longer being behind the wheel is that the movie isn't awash with his overindulgences. (I'm sorry but Bad Boys II had way too much of the guys arguing with each other and just randomness in general.) The plot here is definitely the strongest of the trilogy and tries something new and interesting. I felt that Martin Lawrence got a better material to work with than he has had in the series. The villains are probably the best asw well which is saying something since the last two weren't half bad.

The movie could be shorter. Some scenes drag. In this, Lawrence and Will Smith's characters work with a younger police squad called AMMO. I like the new characters and their actors, but some of them aren't given enough time to let them develop.

I'd rank this above BBII and on about the same level as the first one. I think this is one of the better action movies of the last few years.