Bad Boys is reminiscent of Beverley Hills Cop - it showed off LA, beautiful women, blue skies and palm lined boulevards, and this shows off Miami and looks impressive, it's shot expansively and affectionately... it's a show piece. A blockbuster - no expense spared. Lowry and Burnett (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence) are Miami PD and working on a drug bust heist from within the PD itself. It's a big film, even on a small screen you get the impression of scale, and everything is impressive. You are treated to slow motion shots accentuating our heroes in grand cinematography-style, long chases with Will Smith's shirt wide open, model-esque women everywhere, and everything is just glamorous. Tea Leoni is the "love interest" but in a messed up sort of way because she's in the middle of a subterfuge and Lowry and Burnett have switched roles... she witnessed her best friend get shot and is now the target, and Lowry is looking after her, except it's Burnett and his wife is MAD. It's typical action-adventure stuff; huge scenes, car chases, big stunts, car chases, explosions, wanton disregard of realistic police procedure, respect for human life or property and thinking nothing of blowing up a motorway etc ... very similar in feel to Speed, which incidentally has a very similar theme tune to Bad Boys (along with The Rock), and all three are exciting and ramp up the feeling of action. There's a lot of comedy - between Smith and Lawrence, in their fast talking brash way, then there's the sarcastic humour of their boss Joe Pantoliano (Matrix) in similar fashion to John C McGinley in Point Break, then there's the situational comedy of things being silly and going wrong and you really get the connection between Smith and Lawrence as actors - they play it well. There is a really good chemistry between them, and it's quite a bromance movie as well as action (I have no idea whether the two are friends in real life but their relationship is believable on screen). The plot is of course the least of importance in this film and is rather flimsy, but films like this are about visuals and Bad Boys is a great watch that you can watch again and again. It hasn't aged too badly - except in terms of technology (pagers and large in car phones) - and Will Smith is always a joy to watch. Tea Leoni is very good, and oddly believable in her role and her chemistry with the two actors was fun. It's a sexy film; Smith just is as he is so assured of himself, but also the chemistry between Leoni and Smith, although it's not at the forefront of the plot. It's clichéd left right and centre, of course, nothing original, or particularly challenging but not mindless, and I wouldn't be giving out any Oscars but everything comes together to create something you want to go to the cinema to see. It's a very entertaining action film with the added and lightening aspect of comedy. Generally speaking action films like this are for the boys in the audience but there is most definitely plenty in it for the girls so a win win for everyone.
