BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami Police Detectives Mike and Marcus, who must clear their names and rescue Mike’s new wife when they’re framed for killing some cops by an international drug cartel that’s infiltrated the Miami PD. The first half of BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE sets up a gangbuster second half and promotes family and justice, but the movie has excessive foul language, some very strong violence, graphic sex language in one scene, and comical New Age references to reincarnation and a monistic universe that directs people’s lives.

On the way to Mike’s wedding to his former therapist, Christine, Best Man Marcus gets an upset stomach and cajoles Mike into stopping at a convenience store for a ginger ale. Mike makes Marcus promise that that’s all he’ll be getting, but, of course, Marcus can’t enter a convenience store without getting a hot dog and some Skittles, despite health orders from his wife. While waiting for the clerk to rung up his order, a thief enters and holds them at gun point. Mike is on the job, however, and orders the gunman to surrender. Does he listen? No. Of course not. After laying the gunman out on the floor and handcuffing him, Mike and Marcus run out the door, with Mike telling the clerk to call 9-1-1.

At the wedding reception, Marcus gives a typically weird Best Man toast to the happy couple. Then, while dancing on the dance floor, he suffers a cardiac arrest. All those hot dogs and Skittles are finally catching up to him.

At the hospital, everyone is concerned about Marcus, who’s still unconscious. The movie sows him having a Near Death experience and seeing a vision of his and Mike’s former boss, Captain Howard, who was murdered by a drug cartel assassin in the last movie. “It’s not your time to die,” the Captain tells Marcus.

Marcus soon comes out of his coma and wants to get right back to work. His near death experience has made Marcus wackier than ever, however. For example, he tells Mike that he can’t die. He also tells Mike that they are eternal friends, or “soul mates.” He also says that, in another life, Mike was an annoying donkey. Has Marcus gone over the deep end, or is he having visions of the SHREK movies, where Eddie Murphy played an annoying talking donkey?

At any rate, Marcus leaves the hospital to return home. There, his daughter, Megan’s, husband, Reggie, is on leave from the Marines after finishing a tour overseas.

A news report on their former boss, Capt. Howard, shocks Mike and Marcus, and the whole Miami Police Department. A federal probe has found evidence that Howard was on the take with the drug cartel that had him assassinated. Of course, Mike and Marcus think their boss is innocent. They tell the authorities this but are told the evidence is just too strong. So, they vow to clear Capt. Howard’s his name.

However, the cartel has sent a team, led by a vicious, disillusioned former federal drug agent named McGrath, to keep tabs on the case against Capt. Howard. They also have an inside informant or two. So, they’re able to keep tabs on what Mike and Marcus are doing.

Meanwhile, Mike and Marcus uncover a video that Capt. Howard made before his death. In the tape, Howard says he suspected the cartel had compromised local and federal police officials. He didn’t want to alert Mike or Marcus, however, to protect them. He adds that he made the video to alert them about his suspicions in case of his death. The video also leads Mike and Marcus to some secret files he kept about his investigation.

As they get closer to the truth, McGrath and his henchmen frame Mike and Marcus and try to kill them. Mike and Marcus survive, but McGrath and the cartel put a $5 million contract on them. So, Mike and Marcus are now on the run from both the police and the city’s street criminals.

Eventually, McGrath kidnaps Mike’s wife and a U.S. Marshall’s daughter to exchange the secret files for their lives.

The first half of BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE is a bit hit and miss. For example, the comical banter between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence is a bit talky. It also involves some crazy notions from Lawrence’s wacky character that, happily, Will Smith’s character doesn’t take seriously. That said, the first half sets up a gangbuster second half that includes lots of exciting action, fun twists and strong jeopardy, plus two or three really funny sequences of varying size.

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE has a strong moral worldview with some Pro-American values. For example, it promotes family, justice and incorruptible police officers who fight the evil drug cartels that are poisoning American society. There’s also a really nice subplot that focuses on a Marine, home from a tour overseas, who helps the good guys in an unexpected, surprising way.

Sadly, however, RIDE OR DIE has abundant foul language, including many “f” words, more than 140 obscenities, and three strong profanities. One scene has strong The movie also has lots of strong action violence with many gun battles. Some of the action violence is a little over-the-top and excessive, but those parts of the movie are very few. Finally, Mike’s partner, Marcus, makes some goofy, comical New Age references after his near death experience. For example, he says that he and Mike have been partners in past lives. Marcus says that, in one past life, Mike was an annoying, stubborn donkey. There are also two or three times that Marcus refers to “the universe” directing things his way. These Anti-Christian, unbiblical New Age concepts are false and dangerous, even though the movie treats them comically.

All of this negative, gratuitous content in BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE could have been eliminated without hurting the movie. In fact, getting rid of it would greatly improve the movie and even boost its box office. Even more helpful would be some strong positive references to God, Jesus or the Bible.