Bad Boys II

7/19/03 - Review

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back as Miami Detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett in the Michael Bay directed sequel to the 1995 hit, Bad Boys.  Together, the two of them are back in their old roles of causing mayhem and destruction with a few laughs along the way.

In the days since 9/11, the Miami Police Department has gone high tech in stopping the drug trafficking trade.  The dope pushers have gone to other channels to get their product to the streets because of this.  One drug in particular, Ecstasy, has been flooding the streets of Miami.  Burnett and Lowrey are assigned to a special task force to help take down the mystery kingpin.  This drug lord, Hector Tapia, (Jordi Malla) is a ruthless man destined to spread is empire and influence in “his town.”  He kills anyone that gets in his way, including his Russian business partners who start to have a bit of mind changing.  Unfortunately for the police, they have never had the proof to take him down. 

As Marcus and Mike track down this drug lord, they soon discover that Marcus’s sister, Syd (Gabrielle Union) is deep undercover within Tapia’s organization.  This does not help the matters with her over protective brother, Marcus, who has found spiritual enlightenment and a relaxing technique from the effects of working with Mike over the years.  Add the fact that Mike has been dating Syd for weeks has only added complications to a partnership that is already on thin ice.  They will have to put that all aside for the time being if they are going to work together to bring down Tapia.  After Syd’s cover is blown, the only choice Burnett and Lowrey have is to get the drugs and save the girl from an evil madman.  They ride together, they die together.  Bad Boys for life. 

Before you read any further, if you did not like the first movie, do yourself a favor and stop reading now.  You will not like this one either.  For those of you that did like the first movie, you are in for a treat.  The original Bad Boys was full of action, violence, guns, explosions, girls, and plentiful doses of humor.  This one has all of that, but ten times that much.  Bad Boys II is a buddy cop movie on steroids that does not let up until the credits roll, or until the lights come back on in the theater.  It could quite possibly be the most fun that you have at the theater all summer. 

Since 1995 I have been waiting patiently for a sequel to Bad Boys, the movie that basically reinvented the buddy cop movie.  Finally, eight years later the movie finally comes out.  Yes, it is worth the wait, I just wish it would have come out sooner.  This movie blows away the original, and for all you people out there that didn’t like the first one, well, you’re missing out. 

The story is simple.  Find the drug lord and stop the drug trade.  I know it sounds pretty deep but the movie never dulls down in worthless subplots or extended dialogue scenes.  I don’t think ten minutes passed when there wasn’t some kind of action sequence taking place.  The gunplay was incredible.  The detail and coordination that went into it really paid off.  It was always riveting and exciting.  The car chase scenes, three of them, including a spectacular free way chase (seems to be the theme of the summer) kept me on the edge of my seat.  The movie never lets up, not once.  It is pulse pounding scene after scene.  I was exhausted after watching it, and after 2 and half hours, I got my money’s worth two times over.   

Michael Bay is back doing what he does best, action.   Whether it’s The Rock, Armageddon, Bad Boys, or Pearl Harbor (minus the love story), explosions and bullets fill the screen.  This is exactly what a summer blockbuster should be about.  Bad Boys II is no different.  Bay’s directing of style over substance is breathtaking.  He knows what a movie goer wants: shit blowing up, gun fights, car chases, and pretty much anything that is loud.  The movie is not going to win any awards, but it is one hell of a popcorn movie.  His directing was flawless.  The way he showed the action sequences was stunning.  From the slow motion bullet tracks, to the circular camera movement, he continues to amaze.  He is one of the kings of action. 

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are the perfect actors for these roles.  They have such a screen presence when they are together that is a shame they are not in more movies together.  Together, the two of them pulled off some of the funniest moments in the movie.  One humorous moment after another, which never got old or tiring.  The way they welcomed the date for Burnett’s daughter caused the whole theater to erupt with laughter.  The same goes for when Marcus ingested ecstasy.  It’s priceless.  Without them, its just another buddy cop movie. 

It is good to see Martin back in a good role too because he has had some sub-par movies lately.  The original movie made them both movie stars even though Will has gone further than Martin.  They are not going to win any awards for their performances but they sure will show you a good time. 

The movie is all about being loud, and very violent at times.  There are decapitations, bullets going through heads in slow motion, and tons of F-bombs.  The death toll has risen sharply in this movie, as you would expect for a sequel.  Some of this may be over done, but it only helps to add to this experience. 

Bad Boys II delivers a great action/comedy that is worthy of repeat viewings.  It is not going to win any awards but that is not what it is about.  In a time when big budget summer blockbusters cave in on themselves, this movie is done right for a change.  Check it out because you will be pleasantly surprised, especially if you like it  loud.   It is one of the best movies of the summer.

12/31/03 - DVD Review

The two disc Bad Boys II Special Edition DVD looks and sounds great.  Video is bright and vivid with excellent black levels.  The picture looks stunning, but the real champ here is the sound.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is very aggressive and much like the movie, loud.  Pop in this DVD and go right to the freeway chase or the mansion scene and show off your stereo if you have one.  The soundtrack rocks but I expected that from a Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer production.  It is a good thing that the first disc is awesome because disc two begs for attention.  There are about seven deleted scenes on disc two, as well as trailers, a Jay Z music video, and some short featurettes.  The featurettes tell you a little about the movie but they really don't go into that much detail.  It is kind of weak for a movie of this magnitude.  There are also some shorter sequence breakdown featurettes for key scenes.  The movie earns kudos for the presentation but not for the special features, but that's what really counts when we buy a movie anyway. 

Movie Grade

DVD Grade

Video

Sound

Extras

What do you think?