Film review: "Bad Boys For Life" - it could have been worse

One thing first: there are no spoilers in this review. You will only read what is known from the trailers that have already been released.

17 years. That's how much time has passed between the first and second sequel. My expectations: more of the same, but much too late. Surprisingly, the film was not directed by Michael Bay, who directed the first two films, but by the unknown Belgian directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. They achieved limited fame in 2015 with "Black", a critically acclaimed Romeo and Juliet adaptation set in modern Brussels.

The fact that "Bad Boys For Life" doesn't feel like "more of the same" is thanks to the two young directors. That would probably have been different with action veteran Bay: His "6 Underground" on Netflix does show that no one stages action more bombastically than he does - but also that Bay rarely ventures out of his comfort zone. Clever films such as 2013's "Pain & Gain" remain a rarity in the American's creative repertoire.

Adil and Bilall, on the other hand, are new to the Hollywood action business. And "Bad Boys For Life" is a pleasantly fresh bad-boy experience. Not such a bad recommendation for future films, I think.

Bad boys for life

It's no longer 1995 and Detective Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), now a grandfather, is thinking about retirement. Detective Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) wants no part of it, but as a new member of a Miami Police Department unit made up of youngsters, he finds himself confronted with modernity: Computers and drones are taking over good old-fashioned police work in Miami's drug milieu.

When an unknown, nefarious cartel boss, who seems to have a personal score to settle with Mike, appears on the scene, the two old warhorses have to team up - one last time.

A bit of the same old story...

Michael Bay is not completely out of the picture. To ensure that the third instalment of the franchise never feels like anything that couldn't be "Bad Boys", Bay still has his fingers in the pie - as a producer.

Update 20.1.2020: Is complete chabbis. Jerry Bruckheimer is in as uber-producer, not Michael Bay. Thanks @benmzungu for the tip.

So it's no surprise that directors Adil and Bilall were allowed to direct "Bad Boys For Life" as a kind of cross between "Miami Vice" and "Fast and Furious": Generic drug cartels with equally generic leaders whose sinister plans need to be stopped are also present in the third instalment. Plus escalating car chases, wild shootouts after failed handovers and detective work in Miami's glitzy nightclubs. And lots of half-naked women in bikinis.

"Bad Boys" at its finest.

Repeating old bad-boy platitudes is not really necessary. The fact that this is not as bad as the description above makes it sound is due to Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's all-encompassing chemistry: the two of them are still goofing around and bickering like an old married couple. It's still hilarious to watch; they never get boring. Especially not when poor Reggie is once again the target of jokes from the Miami PD detectives, who might as well be brothers.

Then there's the directing talent of the Belgians. Not only do they capture the action with pleasantly calm camerawork - they also surprise with constantly inventive scene transitions. Sometimes even in the middle of the action. For example, when the pan away in one shot is simultaneously the pan into the next.

This sets "Bad Boys For Life" apart from its predecessors, at least visually. Even if Bay's 360° tracking shot filmed from below with a slightly tilted angle is back on board.

Interim conclusion? Loud, brutal and sexist. Nothing new, then.

...but then also unexpectedly adult

What is new, however, is that the tone of the film is much more serious than the trailers suggest. At least for two thirds of the film. And when things aren't getting rowdy, the scenes are surprisingly mature. At times, "Bad Boys For Life" is even courageous, almost mature. The film even moves out of its comfort zone in a way that would never have been possible under Bay. Clownish humour and snappy jokes make way for final consequences and drama on a personal level. Meanwhile, Smith and Lawrence show that they can actually act.

Sure: With Smith, this is no surprise - "Ali", "The Pursuit of Happyness" or "Seven Pounds" have already shown his talent in the past. But it is with Lawrence. While watching, I was already writing my film review in my head. Something along the lines of: Hey, that bad boy thing there - for a Bay brand action romp, that's really good!

But then comes the last third of the film.

It's as if Michael Bay's seriousness had become too colourful; as if he wanted to intervene to correct things. Perhaps I'm wrong to accuse him of that.

Update 20 January 2020: I'm actually wrong to accuse him of that. Jerry Bruckheimer is the over-producer, not Michael Bay. Thanks @benmzungu for pointing that out.

So I can't really explain why the film throws all the credibility it had previously built up overboard: suddenly the seriousness is gone and the character developments that would have made the characters so interesting are gone. It's back to shooting, blabbering and phrase-mongering. Things explode for the sake of exploding. Of course, the obligatory CGI thunderstorm at the end is also a must.

There it is again, the familiar Michael Bay formula from the first two films. Yawn.

Conclusion: Not as bad as expected

Who am I kidding? Anyone who goes to see "Bad Boys For Life" in the cinema knows what they're in for. Especially when DJ Khaled is in it. No, you haven't misread the film. But to be honest: not entertaining is different. I feared worse.

Because Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are old hands, they could have easily carried even more brain candy on their shoulders without it getting in the way. The Belgian directing duo of Adil and Bilall also manage to lend the film something like credibility - at least for two thirds of the film. For most of the time, "Bad Boys For Life" is a well-functioning, albeit not overly ambitious action binge.

Nothing more, nothing less.

"Bad Boys For Life" will be released in German and Swiss-German cinemas on 16 January 2020. In French-speaking Switzerland, the film will be released on 22 January, in Ticino one day later. <p