Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiered at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on May 22, 2024, and was released in the United States on June 7. The film grossed over $400 million worldwide against a production budget of $100 million, becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2024.
Plot
Four years after the death of Isabel Aretas,[lower-alpha 2]MPD Detective Mike Lowrey marries his physical therapist, Christine. During the reception, his partner, Detective Marcus Burnett, suffers a mild heart attack and goes into a coma, where he experiences a vision of the late Captain Conrad Howard telling him it is not his time.
When Marcus wakes up, he believes he cannot die. Soon after, a news report reveals that Captain Howard was tied to corruption with the drug cartels. With Captain Howard's legacy being posthumously tarnished, Mike and Marcus are determined to prove his innocence with the help of Captain Rita Secada and her new boyfriend, mayoral candidate Adam Lockwood. Mike and Marcus visit Mike's son, Armando Aretas, who is incarcerated for Howard's murder. Armando tells them that Howard was not corrupt, but knew who was, so the corrupted officials hired him and his mother to kill Howard because he was close to exposing the corruption and offers to help them identify the person responsible for Howard's murder.
When the conspirators try to access Captain Howard's computer, a fail-safe, pre-recorded video is sent to Mike and Marcus, warning them of corruption within federal and state law enforcement. Howard uses the phrase "Coke bottle" as a codephrase and it is revealed that he gave information to their former hacker colleague Fletcher. They go to Fletcher's club to retrieve the "files", which turns out to be a QR code hidden in wall art that unlocks a second video from Captain Howard. However, assassins hired by the conspirators tail them to the club and kill Fletcher.
Meanwhile, Armando is attacked by several of the conspirators disguised as prisoners, but he fends them off. Mike and Marcus arrange for Armando to be air-lifted to a more secure location in Miami. However, the conspirators sneak on board and kill the pilot and guards, causing the helicopter to crash. Mike, Marcus, and Armando survive but are branded as wanted fugitives by the conspirators. When the conspirators put out a bounty, the three are hunted by both law enforcement and opportunistic criminals. Conrad's daughter, U.S. Marshal Judy Howard, swears vengeance on Armando for killing her father.
With the assistance of AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations) members Dorn and Kelly, Mike and Marcus uncover the video clues behind the murder and setup. Armando identifies the man who hired him to kill Captain Howard as James McGrath, a former Army Ranger turned DEA agent. While undercover, McGrath got captured by the cartel and was tortured until he gave up his associates and has been working with them ever since. McGrath orchestrates the kidnapping of Christine and Callie, Judy's daughter. He then sends his men to get Marcus' family, but his Marine son-in-law, Reggie, single-handedly kills them all. Rita, Dorn, and Kelly apprehend Lockwood after he is exposed to be working with McGrath.
Using Lockwood as bait, the team engages in a fierce gunfight with McGrath's men at a former alligator-themed amusement park to rescue Christine and Callie, where Lockwood is devoured by an alligator after he attempts to double-cross the team. Mike confronts McGrath, who holds both Christine and Marcus hostage at gunpoint. McGrath then presents Mike with an ultimatum: he must pick either Christine or Marcus to die. Mike, alluding to Marcus' newfound belief that he "cannot die", shoots Marcus in his bulletproof vest. The chaos allows Christine and Marcus to break free before Mike shoots McGrath dead. Amidst the chaos, Judy finds Armando and Callie. Judy prepares to kill Armando, but Callie tells her mother that he saved her life. Begrudgingly grateful for his heroic act, Judy shows mercy to Armando and allows him to escape.
Afterwards, they and Howard are cleared of all charges and the corruption is exposed, Mike and Marcus celebrate by cooking food on a public grill with Reggie.
Cast
Will Smith as Det. Lt. Michael Eugene "Mike" Lowrey, Marcus' partner/best friend.
Martin Lawrence as Det. Lt. Marcus Miles Burnett, Mike's partner/best friend.
Joe Pantoliano as Captain Conrad Howard. The character was previously killed by Armando, but appears both via video footage, and via a near-death ghostly vision had by Marcus and Mike.[10]
Michael Bay, who directed the first two installments, makes a cameo appearance as a Porsche driver, after previously cameoing in the second two installments.
Production
Development
Following the opening weekend box-office success of Bad Boys for Life (2020), Sony announced plans for a fourth Bad Boys installment, with Chris Bremner returning to write the script.[11][12]
In April 2022, it was reported that development for the fourth film was being put on hold in light of the incident with Will Smith slappingChris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony. However, the following month Sony head chairman Tom Rothman confirmed the fourth film was still in development, despite the previous report.[13][14] In February 2023, Smith announced that he and Lawrence would reprise their roles for the film, which was in pre-production, with Adil & Bilall returning to direct.[15][16] In March 2023, it was revealed that Vanessa Hudgens would reprise her role as Kelly from Bad Boys for Life.[7] In April 2023, it was announced that Eric Dane had been cast, reportedly as the villain, and that Paola Núñez and Alexander Ludwig would also reprise their roles from Bad Boys for Life.[17] The same month, Ioan Gruffudd joined the cast.[18] In May 2023, it was announced that Rhea Seehorn had joined the cast.[19]Bad Boys: Ride or Die was originally the working title by co-director Adil El Arbi, before it was confirmed in early 2024.[20]
Despite his character's death early on in the previous film, Joe Pantoliano returned as Captain Conrad Howard thanks to Will Smith insisting on bringing him back to the writers, with producer Doug Belgrad contacting Pantoliano to reprise the role even though Smith haven't kept him informed about his plans for Howard.[21]
Filming
Principal photography began on April 3, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia and Miami, Florida.[22][23] On May 22, 2023, TMZ released behind the scenes clips of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence filming scenes of the movie in Atlanta.[24] Filming was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[25] In March 2024, it was revealed that Jacob Scipio would reprise his role as Armando Aretas from the previous film.[26] Filming wrapped on March 4.[27]
Post-production
Asaf Eisenberg and Dan Lebental served as editors on the film.[28]
Lorne Balfe, who composed Bad Boys for Life, has returned to compose the fourth film. Sony Classical has released the soundtrack, coinciding with the film's release date.
The first trailer of the film was released on March 26, 2024.[29] The final trailer for the film was released on May 16.[30] On May 28, Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Lionel Messi of Inter Miami featured in another trailer.[31]
Release
Theatrical
The world premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die was held at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on May 22, 2024,[32][33] and it was released in the United States on June 7, 2024. It was originally scheduled to be released on July 3, 2019,[34] but was moved up to May 24, 2019,[35] before being pulled from the schedule. In July 2023, it was announced that the film would be released on June 14, 2024.[36] In February 2024, the release date was moved up a week to June 7.[37][38]
Home media
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment announced that Bad Boys: Ride or Die was released on Digital HD and platforms on July 23, 2024,[39] and is scheduled to be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 24, 2024.[40] It includes a blooper reel, deleted scenes, and a brand-new after credits scene.
Reception
Box office
As of August14,2024[update], Bad Boys: Ride or Die has grossed $193.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $207.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $400.5 million,[4][3] becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2024.[41]
In the United States and Canada, Ride or Die was released alongside The Watchers, and was initially projected to gross around $40 million from 3,850 theaters in its opening weekend.[42] After making $21 million on its first day, including $5.88 million from Thursday night previews, weekend estimates were raised to $52 million. It went on to debut to $56.5 million, topping the box office.[43] 72% of opening weekend tickets were sold day-of, while 50% of the audience was under 35, with 44% being Black, 26% Hispanic and Latino, 18% Caucasian, and 12% Asian American/other.[44] In its sophomore weekend the film made $33.7 million (an "amazing" drop of just 40%, the best of the series), finishing in second behind newcomer Inside Out 2.[45]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 65% of 245 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.The website's consensus reads: "Will Smith and Martin Lawrence remain good company even when Bad Boys strains to up the ante, proving there's still life left in this high-octane franchise."[46]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[47] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, making the film the first installment in the series not to earn an A.[44]PostTrak reported a 90% overall positive score, with 84% saying they would definitely recommend it.[44]
The BBC was more mixed, stating, "Critics are sometimes told that we shouldn't analyse Hollywood blockbusters, we should just switch off our brains and enjoy them. Well, not many films are as dependent on our brains being on standby as Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The plot is nonsensical, the grenade-dodging stunts are even more nonsensical, and the internal logic is non-existent: the assertion that Marcus has to avoid stressful situations after his heart attack is forgotten within 30 seconds. But the film is fun enough in its chaotic, grungy, rough and ready way."[48]
Possible sequel
On June 7, 2024, Smith and Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly that they would be open to return for a fifth film in the franchise, as long as the younger cast members do more stunts and there's a story involving their characters worth being told, with Lawrence also noting it would depend on whether the fans demanded more films.[49] On June 11, 2024, producer Jerry Bruckheimer noted that there had been discussions for a fifth Bad Boys film, but they are primarily waiting to see how Bad Boys: Ride or Die performs at the box office.[50]
Notes
↑ Jerry Bruckheimer Films used the Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films logo in memory of Don Simpson, who co-produced the first film.
Bad Boys is a 1995 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his feature directorial debut, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Tchéky Karyo, Theresa Randle, and Joe Pantoliano. The film follows Miami narcotics detectives Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) who are investigating the $100 million stolen packs of heroin and must order to protect a murder witness from an international drug dealer.
Bad Boys II is a 2003 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and the sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys, in addition to the second film in the Bad Boys film series. Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Theresa Randle, and Joe Pantoliano reprise their roles from the previous film. New cast members include Jordi Mollà, Gabrielle Union, and Peter Stormare. The film follows detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey investigating the flow of illegal drugs going into Miami.
Roadside Attractions, LLC is an American production company and film distributor based in Los Angeles, California, founded on July 27, 2000, by Howard Cohen and Eric d'Arbeloff, specializing largely in independent films. Lionsgate bought a portion of Roadside in 2007.
Jacob Muntaz Scipio is a British actor and writer.
Bad Boys is a series of American buddy cop action comedy films starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as two detectives in the Miami Police Department, Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The series was created by George Gallo. Joe Pantoliano appears in all four films, and Theresa Randle appears in the first three films being replaced by Tasha Smith in the fourth film. Michael Bay directed the first two films and Adil & Bilall directed the third and fourth. Gabrielle Union, who starred in the second installment, later starred alongside Jessica Alba in a spin-off television series, L.A.'s Finest.
Bad Boys for Life is a 2020 American buddy cop action comedy film that is the sequel to Bad Boys II (2003) and the third installment in the Bad Boys franchise. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their starring roles in the film, which is directed by Adil & Bilall. Theresa Randle and Joe Pantoliano also reprise previous roles and are joined by Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Charles Melton, Kate del Castillo, and Nicky Jam. The film was produced by Smith, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Doug Belgrad, with a screenplay written by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig, and Joe Carnahan. In Bad Boys for Life, Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett investigate a string of murders tied to Lowrey's troubled past.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are Belgian film and television directors. The duo, collectively billed as Adil & Bilall, are known for writing and directing the feature films Image (2014), Black (2015), and Gangsta (2018), as well as directing both Bad Boys for Life (2020) and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), the third and fourth installments of the Bad Boys franchise starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Westbrook Inc. is an American multimedia and entertainment venture company founded by actor Will Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The company was founded in 2019, in order to execute the Smith Family's global content with Will Smith's production company Overbrook Entertainment becoming one of its subsidiaries. It is headquartered in Calabasas, California, with 80 employees as of March 2021.
The Watchers is a 2024 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan in her directorial debut, produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and based on the 2021 novel of the same name by A. M. Shine. It stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Oliver Finnegan, and follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist who becomes trapped in a vast, untouched forest in the west of Ireland. Seeking shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are stalked by mysterious creatures every night.
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