As one of the biggest fans of the original "Bad Boys", I have been eagerly awaiting this movie for a very long time.
My expectations dropped somewhat in the days leading up to it's release, when I read early reviews of the movie, most of which described it as an overblown peice of movie making excess, concerned only with blowing things up and crammed with gore. So when I went into the theater on opening night, I did so with lowered expectations, and that might be a good thing. Because when I came out of it, I was left not feeling let down. And that rarely ever happens with me in the case of sequels to old favorites.
There's lots of great things here, but it's the presence of those great moments that make you realize that it could be so much more.
I have mixed emotions on this movie, mostly which result in comparisons relative to the classic original. But before I dive into cranking those thoughts out, I would like to officially state that this is, simply put, a good movie.
When they are allowed to get going, Lawrence and Smith are absolutely hysterical, recapturing the magical chemistry they had 8 years ago. Lawrence is particuarly hilarious, playing the beleaugered sidekick to Smith's non-stop carnage parade. The duo's egually beleaugered Captain, played by Joe Pantoliano, is also hysterical this time around, drawing more laughs in less camera time.
The movie is jam-packed with massive action sequences, as the producers cram as much as they can into the near 150 minute marathon. The action that is there is very impressive, but it is too much. Half of that time could be spent just eaves-dropping on conversations between Smith and Lawrence, and be far more entertaining. After all, it was the special dynamic of those two actors that made the original stand out above all other buddy-cop action-comedies. Big budget action is a dime a dozen at the multiplex these days, but the chemistry Smith and Lawrence have is truly special. Something that only comes along, oh, say once every 8 years.
But you almost get the feeling that the filmmakers felt pressure to deliver a box office smash (an $150 million price tag will do that to you), and took the easy way out. They filled the movie with the action sequences, the gun fights, the special effects, the explosions, and all that good stuff that lands you at #1 when the weekend's grosses are counted.
In reference to what many critics have been saying, this move is decidely more violent than the original, and almost seems to revel in it. Smith's carachter seems to take on a dark sinister tone in several combative sequences, as he effortlessly kills off bad guy after bad guy, in increasingly violent fashion without a trace of remorse. It's not pretty. And by the time the movie climaxes, with a near-war on forgein soil, the duo (Smith, especially) seem more like super-soldiers and unstoppable killing machines, than the average cops (well, maybe "super cops") we grew to love the first time around.
But on the whole, this flick is a great ride. And though some moments in the film truly deserve an explanation from director Micheal Bay (such as a scene in which two rats are seen fornicating -- is this Austin Powers or Bad Boys?), I had a fun time and left the theater smiling.
I hope there is a part 3, and if so, I hope it returns more to the tone of the first movie than this one. Sadly, that probably won't be the case. But that's why the first movie is a classic. It's so special because it rose to a level that most movies can't. Bad Boys 2 doesn't attain that level, but it's still a good time.
My expectations dropped somewhat in the days leading up to it's release, when I read early reviews of the movie, most of which described it as an overblown peice of movie making excess, concerned only with blowing things up and crammed with gore. So when I went into the theater on opening night, I did so with lowered expectations, and that might be a good thing. Because when I came out of it, I was left not feeling let down. And that rarely ever happens with me in the case of sequels to old favorites.
There's lots of great things here, but it's the presence of those great moments that make you realize that it could be so much more.
I have mixed emotions on this movie, mostly which result in comparisons relative to the classic original. But before I dive into cranking those thoughts out, I would like to officially state that this is, simply put, a good movie.
When they are allowed to get going, Lawrence and Smith are absolutely hysterical, recapturing the magical chemistry they had 8 years ago. Lawrence is particuarly hilarious, playing the beleaugered sidekick to Smith's non-stop carnage parade. The duo's egually beleaugered Captain, played by Joe Pantoliano, is also hysterical this time around, drawing more laughs in less camera time.
The movie is jam-packed with massive action sequences, as the producers cram as much as they can into the near 150 minute marathon. The action that is there is very impressive, but it is too much. Half of that time could be spent just eaves-dropping on conversations between Smith and Lawrence, and be far more entertaining. After all, it was the special dynamic of those two actors that made the original stand out above all other buddy-cop action-comedies. Big budget action is a dime a dozen at the multiplex these days, but the chemistry Smith and Lawrence have is truly special. Something that only comes along, oh, say once every 8 years.
But you almost get the feeling that the filmmakers felt pressure to deliver a box office smash (an $150 million price tag will do that to you), and took the easy way out. They filled the movie with the action sequences, the gun fights, the special effects, the explosions, and all that good stuff that lands you at #1 when the weekend's grosses are counted.
In reference to what many critics have been saying, this move is decidely more violent than the original, and almost seems to revel in it. Smith's carachter seems to take on a dark sinister tone in several combative sequences, as he effortlessly kills off bad guy after bad guy, in increasingly violent fashion without a trace of remorse. It's not pretty. And by the time the movie climaxes, with a near-war on forgein soil, the duo (Smith, especially) seem more like super-soldiers and unstoppable killing machines, than the average cops (well, maybe "super cops") we grew to love the first time around.
But on the whole, this flick is a great ride. And though some moments in the film truly deserve an explanation from director Micheal Bay (such as a scene in which two rats are seen fornicating -- is this Austin Powers or Bad Boys?), I had a fun time and left the theater smiling.
I hope there is a part 3, and if so, I hope it returns more to the tone of the first movie than this one. Sadly, that probably won't be the case. But that's why the first movie is a classic. It's so special because it rose to a level that most movies can't. Bad Boys 2 doesn't attain that level, but it's still a good time.