The 'buddy comedy' genre is fairly well-known, there have been plenty of them, all of them primarily based on the basic idea of having two main characters who are, well, buddies; they act like friends to each other, they get in fights, they help each other out, they compliment each other. It's a fairly easy genre to master, and an easy way to make a good movie. This is one of the best examples, since Smith and Lawrence really do compliment each other so well; Smith's the sleek, cool one who is popular with the ladies, while Lawrence is often nervous, and pretty much a direct opposite of Smith. They have pretty good on-screen chemistry, too; you believe that these are good friends and partners. My only real problem with the film is the way the comedy almost all is generated by stereotypes, and, worse, the age-old complications that arise from certain situations. I think that's a little unoriginal, but, hey, that's the only complaint about it, and the film does have some very entertaining comedy parts. The plot is pretty good, it keeps the film going and supplies every single scene with comedy, action, or both. It takes off immediately, and keeps a good pace throughout the 2 hour duration. The acting is all pretty good. The characters are well-written, well, for stereotypes at least(because, lets face it; they are). The comedy is well-done and often made me laugh out loud, and, believe me, I am not, in any way, shape or form, a Will Smith fan. The action was well-done too, intense and exciting. The film, all in all, was pretty good, very entertaining. For a buddy comedy, it's good. For an action comedy, it's good too. I recommend it to all fans of action comedies, and buddy comedies. 7/10
284 Reviews
Although Full of Clichés, An Excellent Action Movie
claudio_carvalho16 November 2004
The honest and efficient Detective Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is a married cop with three children, having difficulties for the payment of his mortgage and for having sex with his wife. His partner is the also honest, efficient and wealthy Detective Mike Lowrey (Will Smith), who inherits a large amount from his family and although living like a playboy, has not resigned to his position in the police department. After a daring robbery of heroin from the police department stores, the two detectives try to find some clue about the gang. The chance appears with the hooker Julie Mott (Téa Leoni), the witness of the murder of a 'working girl' friend of her. The detectives are assigned to protect her and chase the killers. Although full of clichés, 'Bad Boys' is an excellent action movie, in the same line of 'Lethal Weapon'. There are lots of funny parts, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are excellent as the two partners with different behaviors and Téa Leoni is gorgeous. I saw this movie a couple of years ago, when Will Smith was an unknown actor, and now I saw it again on DVD, with the intention of watching 'Bad Boys II'. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): 'Os Bad Boys' ('The Bad Boys')
Title (Brazil): 'Os Bad Boys' ('The Bad Boys')
Nearly 25 years later, still one of Michael Bay's better movies
justin-fencsak19 October 2019
As a protege of Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, who died after the movie came out before The Rock was released, Michael Bay made his directorial debut with this modestly budgeted buddy comedy that spawned a sequel and another one coming out next January, all starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. THe title of the movie is based on a popular song used for the classic tv show COPS, and both movies including this one have a killer soundtrack. Will Smith got his big break with this movie before getting into an even bigger movie with ID4 (soon to be dwarfed by others including Alladin). Martin Lawrence, fresh off from his hit tv show Martin on fox, is the buddy of will smith.
Michael Bay: The Next Big Thing
Casa200024 February 1999
I had no high hopes when I walked into this film. I like Will Smith, I like Martin Lawrence, so I figured this film will at least be funny. And it was funny, and then some. It was action packed, thrilling and a helluva good time. I came out of the theatre thinking that the guy who directed that movie is going to be huge.
Michael Bay, former music video and commercial director, has made an incredible directorial debut. The film never stops. When it isn't action-packed, it is funny. It is sexy, fun and always moving. Christian Wagner's editing is phenomenal. I love action movies that really try to be action movies. A lot of action films know that they are action films so they try to incorporate other genres to make the film more complete, but they often fail miserably. They try so hard to be something they are not that they forget what they are in the first place. The essence of the action film is the action. It is a necessary component, it needs to be there otherwise it loses its edge. "Bad Boys" doesn't just throw in the occassional action sequence to meet the expectations of the genre, but instead uses the action to help tell the story. It is this use of filmmaking that allows an action film to remain an action film and still go beyond.
Watch "Bad Boys" again and every time there is an action sequence, ask yourself why that was there and what did it accomplish. You will find that each sequence took the film to another level; it introduced an new conflict, it increased the present conflict, it eliminated a key character, it introduced a new character, and so on. There are a lot of action films out there that sacrifice story for spectacle, and the audience notices this. At the centre of all films lies the story and if it comes to a halt so does the interest of the viewers.
"Bad Boys" of course isn't the greatest story on film, or even in the action genre, but what is so appealing and memorable about "Bad Boys" is that it is just as entertaining with its story as it is with its action by combining the two without sacrificing either. Michael Bay understands the importance of the story within the structure of the film. He tells a visual story, entertaining and complete, and leaves you very satisfied. Watch for Michael Bay because he is here to stay.
Michael Bay, former music video and commercial director, has made an incredible directorial debut. The film never stops. When it isn't action-packed, it is funny. It is sexy, fun and always moving. Christian Wagner's editing is phenomenal. I love action movies that really try to be action movies. A lot of action films know that they are action films so they try to incorporate other genres to make the film more complete, but they often fail miserably. They try so hard to be something they are not that they forget what they are in the first place. The essence of the action film is the action. It is a necessary component, it needs to be there otherwise it loses its edge. "Bad Boys" doesn't just throw in the occassional action sequence to meet the expectations of the genre, but instead uses the action to help tell the story. It is this use of filmmaking that allows an action film to remain an action film and still go beyond.
Watch "Bad Boys" again and every time there is an action sequence, ask yourself why that was there and what did it accomplish. You will find that each sequence took the film to another level; it introduced an new conflict, it increased the present conflict, it eliminated a key character, it introduced a new character, and so on. There are a lot of action films out there that sacrifice story for spectacle, and the audience notices this. At the centre of all films lies the story and if it comes to a halt so does the interest of the viewers.
"Bad Boys" of course isn't the greatest story on film, or even in the action genre, but what is so appealing and memorable about "Bad Boys" is that it is just as entertaining with its story as it is with its action by combining the two without sacrificing either. Michael Bay understands the importance of the story within the structure of the film. He tells a visual story, entertaining and complete, and leaves you very satisfied. Watch for Michael Bay because he is here to stay.
What you gonna do?
Pjtaylor-96-13804422 May 2021
'Bad Boys (1995)' is your typical orange-and-teal, hyper-sexualised 90s action flick. It owes practically all of its success to its two stars, with Lawrence and Smith's constant banter being pretty much the only interesting thing in the entire affair. I mean, it's not like the movie is boring or anything. It's just very by the numbers and isn't all that compelling. It's entertaining enough, I suppose, for a bit of brainless fun, and I will admit that it has one or two genuine laughs. Most of it is just pure nonsense, though. The plot, for instance, is all over the place. It's almost impossible to follow, in a sense, because it just sort of happens. At the same time, it isn't all that important. The flick's focus is certainly on the odd 'in disguise as each other' dynamic that keeps its charismatic leads on their toes. Their relationship is a decent amount of fun, but it's a bit frustrating because it never really evolves (and barely has any consequences). Still, it gives the movie an undeniable charm. Ultimately, the picture is relatively enjoyable when it's underway. It's quite forgettable, though, and it isn't exactly a genre defining experience. 6/10.
A funny, thoroughly entertaining action comedy
LG723877 August 2003
Bad Boys is a great action comedy from producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It features Will Smith (in his breakout performance) and Martin Lawrence, an unlikely pair who quite simply are the best movie duo I've seen since Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour. The film features incredible action sequences (i.e. the Ether truck chase scene featuring massive explosions and pervasive gun fights) which all lead up to the film's action-packed climax which could only be done in a Jerry Bruckheimer film. The film also stars Tea Leoni (who is pretty good in playing the damsel in distress), Joe Pantoliano (whom we all know as Ralphie on The Sopranos, as a police captain) and Tcheky Karyo as the villain. (He was also the French officer opposite Mel Gibson in 2000's The Patriot) The movie features comedic one-liners from Smith and Lawrence as well as a few by Leoni. It also features a few sex jokes and just plain "disses". However, the characters are so underdeveloped that all we are left with is action and comedy. This formula is also seen in the recent summer blockbuster Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, in which we could care less about the characters and just look for the action. However, Simpson and Bruckheimer's Bad Boys succeeds where T3 does not. By the end of the movie, we care about the heroes because they are fun to watch. In T3, the great Ah-nuld is just a figurehead for a movie romped with action-packed sequences and jaw-dropping stunts. This is one of only three good Michael Bay films (right next to Pearl Harbor and The Rock) and should seen by any action movie fan.
Lenny's Grade: B
Lenny's Grade: B
Great buddy cop duo
SnoopyStyle6 April 2014
Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) is a single playboy cop with lots of family money. Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is strictly a family man. Together they are a fast-talking smart Miami buddy cop duo. Fouchet (Tchéky Karyo) is a wily ruthless criminal leading a crew that robs the police evidence room of a large stash of heroin. The guys need to recover the heroin before others come in to take over the case. Mike's hooker CI encounters one of the crew. She is killed while her roommate Julie Mott (Téa Leoni) witnesses the murder and escapes. She is willing to only talk to Mike, and Marcus ends up pretending to be Mike.
This is Michael Bay's big screen directorial debut. He already has much of his bombastic style. The best thing in the movie has to be the brash comedy duo. The movie sizzles every time they are together. The biggest problem is the switched identity gimmick. It's stupid and the movie struggles under the premise. There is some comedy derived from it but somebody needs to come up with a better excuse for the switcharoo. This is loud. This is cool. This has a great duo. But it's also overblown.
This is Michael Bay's big screen directorial debut. He already has much of his bombastic style. The best thing in the movie has to be the brash comedy duo. The movie sizzles every time they are together. The biggest problem is the switched identity gimmick. It's stupid and the movie struggles under the premise. There is some comedy derived from it but somebody needs to come up with a better excuse for the switcharoo. This is loud. This is cool. This has a great duo. But it's also overblown.
Not Oscar award material but damn entertaining
rtifak14 September 2019
Average rating is 6.9? What do people expect? This is one of the most entertaining cop movies ever along with Training Day and Enof of watch. I'm so disappointed in the people who gave poor ratings. Action and comedy are adeqately packed in a 2 hour film. Although It was made in 1995, it is still stylish. You wouldn't feel it's outdated a bit. And, Porsche 964 turbo gets me so excited every time i watch this.
99% of all action movies is pure rubbish, but there is 1% that's not that bad at all.
philip_vanderveken18 October 2004
I don't like action movies, 99% of them is pure rubbish. All you get in this kind of movies is an army of bad guys being shot with more bullets than were used in World War I and II together, all fired by our beloved hero. He comes out of the fight without a scratch of course and quickly spits out some bad one-liners when standing over all those dead bodies (think of all the movies with Seagal, Schwarzenegger, Stallone...) They make me sick!
If you have seen one, you've seen them all. So why did I watch Bad Boys then? Well, as I said, 99% is pure rubbish, there is still 1% left and I consider Bad Boys to be one of this percent. OK, the story isn't very original, but the acting is OK and I had a good laugh from time to time thanks to Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Don't expect an intellectual movie when renting or buying Bad Boys. Just go for the action scenes spiced up with a nice dose of humor, which certainly make it worth a watch.
When watching a movie I look for some quality time and a good and original story has a lot to do with that of course, but having a good laugh from time to time doesn't hurt either... That's why I reward it with a 7/10. I liked it.
If you have seen one, you've seen them all. So why did I watch Bad Boys then? Well, as I said, 99% is pure rubbish, there is still 1% left and I consider Bad Boys to be one of this percent. OK, the story isn't very original, but the acting is OK and I had a good laugh from time to time thanks to Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Don't expect an intellectual movie when renting or buying Bad Boys. Just go for the action scenes spiced up with a nice dose of humor, which certainly make it worth a watch.
When watching a movie I look for some quality time and a good and original story has a lot to do with that of course, but having a good laugh from time to time doesn't hurt either... That's why I reward it with a 7/10. I liked it.
One of my all time favorite best action buddy cop films of my childhood, I love it to death!
ivo-cobra817 October 2016
Bad Boys (1995) is the best Michael Bay's buddy action movie, my all time favorite buddy cop film starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. This is a film that I really do believe that it is a classic action movie of the 90's. This is my childhood movie my all time classic action buddy cop films honestly? I think it is MILES way better action movie than Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop, but that is just me and my opinion. I love this film to death it is my all time favorite Michael Bay film along with The Rock (1996), Transformers and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I saw this movie probably over 10.0000 times more than the sequel, my mom bought me a VHS tape which I still have it. I bought this movie on Blu-Ray years ago and no I don't have (Mastered in 4K) I have a normal Blu-ray disc. The only thing that bothers me is a green cover which does not fit to this film. This is my all time favorite Will Smith movie I grew up watching his TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990 - 1996) and Bad Boys become my favorite Will Smith film along side Bad Boys II and Independence Day, these are my all time favorite Will Smith movies that he did. Someday I am going to re watch Men In Black trilogy.
Plot: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are Miami Police Department detectives who find themselves protecting a murder witness while investigating a case of stolen heroin from a dangerous drug lord.
The basically plot for this movie is about a 100 million dollars Heroin is stolen from the police headquarters. Two police officers have 72 hours to reclaim the heroin before the Internal Affairs Division gets involved and close their department forever and everyone on the force will lose their job. Their is a lot on stake and only one witness is ready to identify a drug dealer in return to get a justice for her murdered best friend.
Why I love this film: This movie has practical everything has ton's of action, great dialogues, a few comedy scenes and a great babes including great theme scores by Mark Mancina. The chemistry between the lead is well written and I love the story off the two unlikely heroes who protect innocent people. It's filled with non-stop action. Michael Bay did a great job, it has awesome action with gory gun fights, fast car chases, massive explosions, but is still funny with Will and Martin.
This is a prototypical "good" action movie -- intense, perfectly executed, original action, shown to the tune of a forgettable and occasionally insulting story.
The final shoot-out in the airport hanger is one of my favorite action scenes from Michael Bay and it's all beautifully shot.
Téa Leoni is hot, gorgeous and sexy as Julie Mott a murder witness she is so charming and beautiful heart in this movie.
This film is dark and sometimes is really scary when the moment like Will Smith is attacked in pimp's dark house and thrown out of the window.
Mark Mancina gives his second best score (after Speed) which also is very similar in tone. You can tell it's from the same guy. It's got a great theme tune, screeching electric guitars and some funky hip hop beats too.
Tchéky Karyo almost steals the movie as the villain Fouchet; he just oozes menace and when he's on screen there is a constant threat of impending violence. Tchéky played another bad guy villain in Jet Li's Kiss of the Dragon (2001), so i saw him twice as a bad guy.
The heroes in this movie are two Police Officers Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) who are well written and they are very likable. My favorite character is Mike Lowrey. I love the switch identities that was really hilarious and funny, I laughed my ass off on Martin's character.
There's no shaky cam or CGI here but real explosions, Hard-R fight scenes and some nice one-liners.
I love Bad Boys song on the end of the title credits performed by Inner Circle.
Of course, this wouldn't be an action movie without some action. There's plenty of it, and it's perfectly done. The gunplay in this movie is delivered in a perfect Bay-Lawrence-Smith style (as opposed to the slo-mo John Woo-style) -- you'll see a lot of hand guns and heavy automatic weapons, and you'll see them used well. Hard explosions and an awesome bad ass car chase on the end of the movie! The film is violent, and bloody, but ALL of the mean-spirited violence is dealt by the evil characters, not the ones you root for (Quentin Tarantino fans: sorry). And then the truly amazing scenes that bypass acting are shocking and memorable -- just wait for the bad guy (Tchéky Karyo) been shoot to death by Will Smith on the end sequence.
Splitting the difference, I am giving an 10/10 -- an outstanding score.
Bad Boys is a 1995 American buddy cop action-comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as two narcotic Miami detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey. The first in the Bad Boys franchise, the film was followed by a sequel, Bad Boys II (2003).
10/10 Score: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Columbia Pictures Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Tchéky Karyo, Theresa Randle, Joe Pantoliano, Frank John Hughes, Nestor Serrano, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Kim Coates, Marg Helgenberger Director: Michael Bay Producers: Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer Screenplay: Michael Barrie, Jim Mulholland, Doug Richardson Story by George Gallo Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 59 Mins. Budget: $19.000.000 Box Office: $141,407,024
Plot: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are Miami Police Department detectives who find themselves protecting a murder witness while investigating a case of stolen heroin from a dangerous drug lord.
The basically plot for this movie is about a 100 million dollars Heroin is stolen from the police headquarters. Two police officers have 72 hours to reclaim the heroin before the Internal Affairs Division gets involved and close their department forever and everyone on the force will lose their job. Their is a lot on stake and only one witness is ready to identify a drug dealer in return to get a justice for her murdered best friend.
Why I love this film: This movie has practical everything has ton's of action, great dialogues, a few comedy scenes and a great babes including great theme scores by Mark Mancina. The chemistry between the lead is well written and I love the story off the two unlikely heroes who protect innocent people. It's filled with non-stop action. Michael Bay did a great job, it has awesome action with gory gun fights, fast car chases, massive explosions, but is still funny with Will and Martin.
This is a prototypical "good" action movie -- intense, perfectly executed, original action, shown to the tune of a forgettable and occasionally insulting story.
The final shoot-out in the airport hanger is one of my favorite action scenes from Michael Bay and it's all beautifully shot.
Téa Leoni is hot, gorgeous and sexy as Julie Mott a murder witness she is so charming and beautiful heart in this movie.
This film is dark and sometimes is really scary when the moment like Will Smith is attacked in pimp's dark house and thrown out of the window.
Mark Mancina gives his second best score (after Speed) which also is very similar in tone. You can tell it's from the same guy. It's got a great theme tune, screeching electric guitars and some funky hip hop beats too.
Tchéky Karyo almost steals the movie as the villain Fouchet; he just oozes menace and when he's on screen there is a constant threat of impending violence. Tchéky played another bad guy villain in Jet Li's Kiss of the Dragon (2001), so i saw him twice as a bad guy.
The heroes in this movie are two Police Officers Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) who are well written and they are very likable. My favorite character is Mike Lowrey. I love the switch identities that was really hilarious and funny, I laughed my ass off on Martin's character.
There's no shaky cam or CGI here but real explosions, Hard-R fight scenes and some nice one-liners.
I love Bad Boys song on the end of the title credits performed by Inner Circle.
Of course, this wouldn't be an action movie without some action. There's plenty of it, and it's perfectly done. The gunplay in this movie is delivered in a perfect Bay-Lawrence-Smith style (as opposed to the slo-mo John Woo-style) -- you'll see a lot of hand guns and heavy automatic weapons, and you'll see them used well. Hard explosions and an awesome bad ass car chase on the end of the movie! The film is violent, and bloody, but ALL of the mean-spirited violence is dealt by the evil characters, not the ones you root for (Quentin Tarantino fans: sorry). And then the truly amazing scenes that bypass acting are shocking and memorable -- just wait for the bad guy (Tchéky Karyo) been shoot to death by Will Smith on the end sequence.
Splitting the difference, I am giving an 10/10 -- an outstanding score.
Bad Boys is a 1995 American buddy cop action-comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as two narcotic Miami detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey. The first in the Bad Boys franchise, the film was followed by a sequel, Bad Boys II (2003).
10/10 Score: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Columbia Pictures Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Tchéky Karyo, Theresa Randle, Joe Pantoliano, Frank John Hughes, Nestor Serrano, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Kim Coates, Marg Helgenberger Director: Michael Bay Producers: Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer Screenplay: Michael Barrie, Jim Mulholland, Doug Richardson Story by George Gallo Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 59 Mins. Budget: $19.000.000 Box Office: $141,407,024
So Good!
baba-066224 October 2019
Loved it as a kid
djfrost-4678611 October 2018
Karyo is the only reason to suffer through this movie
Jasmine Jade13 January 2003
It's hard to figure out what this movie's biggest flaw is: bad script, bad director, too predictable. The intro is excellent, but it goes downhill quickly. Will Smith is charismatic, but he hasn't got much to work with here. Tcheky Karyo gives the strongest performance as the ruthless villain, but one actor can't save an entire film.
Bad Boys, Good Film.
tfrizzell6 July 2002
Detectives Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have three days to find $100 million worth of heroin from a crazed drug-dealer in Miami in this fast-paced and comedy/action thriller. The witness to a murder (Tea Leoni) of one of Smith's best friends is also along for the frantic ride that is fun, clever and highly entertaining. Watch for then-NBA star John Salley in a great cameo as an imprisoned computer hacker. A rare winner from a sometimes trivial cinematic genre. 4 stars out of 5.
visually exciting, amusing and entertaining - a sexy action film
HelenMary1 February 2013
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.
Miami Vice for the Nineties... not at all!
PredragReviews14 June 2016
Hilariously enjoyable as any black comedy and full of fast paced action, "Bad Boys," as a 'slick flick,' stars Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett and Will Smith as Mike Lowrey playing two cops who fall on to the trail of millions of dollars of Heroin stolen by a criminal mastermind named Fouchet (Tcheky Karyo) and try to recover it as well as rescue Julie Mott (Tea Leoni) who is also involved. Personal matters appear to Marcus Burnett who is obsessed with getting "quality time" with his wife Theresa (Theresa Randle) and almost loses his marriage when he is forced to switch names and use Mike Lowrey in front of Julie. The comedy works unmistakeably well, however, the only mistakes I find in here are the heavy profanity and the violence used. But I keep saying this to myself, how can you pardon the profanity if it works well with the script? Really many actors would probably have the problem with making the jump from TV to film, especially when their primary job had been comedy, with very little drama and no action, but Will Smith and Martin Lawrence succeed brilliantly. The comedic timing between these two actors is outstanding, and both pull off the dramatic scenes very convincingly, and the action scenes are well played and laid out thanks to the adrenaline charged directing of Michael Bay and the athletic prowess of the actors. Jerry Bruckheimer's skill for picking projects and finding the right people to make them come together seems to never fail, and "Bad Boys" is no exception.
Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
A excellent blockbuster hit comedy/action
UniqueParticle23 October 2019
Among one of few great Micheal Bay films! Hilarious fun that remains timeless in entertainment value and joy. Will Smith, Martin Lawerence, and Joe Panatlio are so awesome! Absolutely love the camera shots, despite the hate Micheal gets his style is incredible in all his projects and the beautiful scenery is delightful. Very enjoyable story about a witness that sees stuff and heroine criminals.
Wow
zhyarTheChosen9 January 2020
Fantastic action setpieces
rivertam2615 January 2020
This movies action scenes are ridiculous and utterly fantastic. The way in which Michael Bay artfully executes the action sequences are breathtaking and amazingly edge of your seat. The film is a reminder of why Wil Smith became such a superstar and his chemistry with Martin Lawrence is spot on and they are just hilarious. The pair of officers come upon a drug cartel and end up protecting a feisty witness played by a slightly annoying but kinda bad ass Tea Leoni. It's strange as the film almost comes across as a parody because it revels in such cliches and celebrates them. And honestly that's really part of its charm. Still watching this so many years later it's still so overly entertaining and unique.
The Bay of bud
igorashu14 July 2017
Bad Boys is a great action comedy from producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It features Will Smith (in his breakout performance) and Martin Lawrence, an unlikely pair who quite simply are the best movie duo I've seen since Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour. The film features incredible action sequences (i.e. the Ether truck chase scene featuring massive explosions and pervasive gun fights) which all lead up to the film's action-packed climax which could only be done in a Jerry Bruckheimer film. The film also stars Tea Leoni (who is pretty good in playing the damsel in distress), Joe Pantoliano (whom we all know as Ralphie on The Sopranos, as a police captain) and Tcheky Karyo as the villain. (He was also the French officer opposite Mel Gibson in 2000's The Patriot) The movie features comedic one-liners from Smith and Lawrence as well as a few by Leoni. It also features a few sex jokes and just plain "disses". However, the characters are so underdeveloped that all we are left with is action and comedy. This formula is also seen in the recent summer blockbuster Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, in which we could care less about the characters and just look for the action. However, Simpson and Bruckheimer's Bad Boys succeeds where T3 does not. By the end of the movie, we care about the heroes because they are fun to watch. In T3, the great Ah-nuld is just a figurehead for a movie romped with action-packed sequences and jaw-dropping stunts. This is one of only three good Michael Bay films (right next to Pearl Harbor and The Rock) and should seen by any action movie fan.
How Bad Could it Be?
quantum8612 January 2003
That's what I asked myself BEFORE I watched this "movie". It had been playing on cable about 4 times a day for the last month so I finally decided to watch it. OH MY GOD! Why people like Joey Pants, Will Smith and Tea Leoni ever signed up for this piece of trash is beyond me. I hardly know where to begin.
First, we all know that movies are shot scene by scene, but rarely is it so apparent as it is with this movie. Note the instantaneous switch from broad daylight to night as Tea climbs the stairs to escape the bad guys before jumping off the roof into the pool. Huh? I don't think even creative editing could have melded these disjointed segments together.
The dialogue is so bad that the writer should have been ashamed to put his name in the credits. With the caliber of people in this movie I KNOW they could have add-libbed the entire thing and done a better job. And when Will and Martin go into their "spontaneous" arguments every time they are in trouble it just gets old very fast.
The only reason I kept watching beyond the half hour mark is that Tea Leoni looked SO HOT in this movie. But even that couldn't keep me from pulling the plug after around the 1 hr 15 min mark. I could go on and on but then I'd just be wasting more of my time on this train-wreck of a movie.
If you like action/comedy movies and or "buddy" movies you'd be better served by walking through that aisle in Blockbuster with your eyes closed and picking one at random. Few movies (with the possible exception of 8 Million Ways to Die) could be any worse.
First, we all know that movies are shot scene by scene, but rarely is it so apparent as it is with this movie. Note the instantaneous switch from broad daylight to night as Tea climbs the stairs to escape the bad guys before jumping off the roof into the pool. Huh? I don't think even creative editing could have melded these disjointed segments together.
The dialogue is so bad that the writer should have been ashamed to put his name in the credits. With the caliber of people in this movie I KNOW they could have add-libbed the entire thing and done a better job. And when Will and Martin go into their "spontaneous" arguments every time they are in trouble it just gets old very fast.
The only reason I kept watching beyond the half hour mark is that Tea Leoni looked SO HOT in this movie. But even that couldn't keep me from pulling the plug after around the 1 hr 15 min mark. I could go on and on but then I'd just be wasting more of my time on this train-wreck of a movie.
If you like action/comedy movies and or "buddy" movies you'd be better served by walking through that aisle in Blockbuster with your eyes closed and picking one at random. Few movies (with the possible exception of 8 Million Ways to Die) could be any worse.
Finally, a successful marriage of comedy and action/thriller
DHD9912 August 2002
This high-action crime drama stands out for me because it succeeds at doing what other movies* have tried and, in my opinion, failed to do -- integrate genuinely funny comedy into the mix. The success is attributable partly to the comedic talents of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence -- who have the ability to deliver crude, rude dialog such that it's funny nevertheless -- and partly to a story that combines suspense and humor into a believable whole.
Our two heroes are police detectives Mike Lowry (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence), who are a kind of tough-cop variation on The Odd Couple . Lowry is suave, slick, self-controlled, well-to-do, heroic, and a real ladies man. Burnett, on the other hand, is an ordinary guy who manages to stumble reasonably effectively, if somewhat ineptly, through his work and his married life.
So imagine what happens when Burnett has to convince a key witness, Julie (Téa Leoni) that he's Mike Lowry -- not just for a few hours, but for a few days. Furthermore, this is no pre-planned, well-orchestrated masquerade. A large stash of confiscated heroin has been un-confiscated right from police headquarters, and both the heroin and the perpetrator must be found within four days, or Internal Affairs is going to take some big-time disciplinary action. Lowry and Burnett are called in because they were the ones who captured the heroin in the first place, and because of the one trait they share -- a renegade approach to police work, which may not have their boss's approval, but which does get the job done (and at one point, causes a store owner to think they're out to rob him). The various twists and turns of the investigation lead to Lowry getting knocked out of commission at the same time that Julie witnesses a murder and refuses to deal with anybody but Mike Lowry. But Marcus Burnett is the only one available to deal with her, and since waiting for Lowry to recover isn't an option
Subsequent events include Lowry's bachelor pad being invaded by Julie and her dogs, while Lowry stays with Burnett's wife, Burnett trying to keep his wife from finding out what's really going on, and Burnett and Lowry trying to find the heroin and keep Julie alive.
For all you action movie fans, plenty of cars, plenty of buildings, and plenty of people get blown up along the way. (Looking over this review, I see that I've belied the high level of violence, which I definitely should warn you against.)
BAD BOYS kept me both amused and on the edge of my seat throughout. I'm afraid I did have two small complaints, however. First, I wish the resolution of the Burnett-pretending-to-be-Lowry story had been timed to coincide with the resolution of the main plot.
As it is, the comic subplot ends, leaving the rest of the movie to proceed in a rather formulaic and pedantic fashion. Second, I wish more time had been spent on Lowry's problem of stepping into Burnett's shoes. The swinging bachelor having to play family man would have been good for a few laughs that we never got.
Aside from that, however, this is an action movie that stands out among the rest.
One final note concerning the DVD "Special Edition" release. BAD BOYS was a movie in which the music was particularly effective, and the DVD actually lets you listen to the music track by itself. I wish DVDs of other movies with great music had this option.
* Three examples that come to mind are 48 HOURS, KINDERGARTEN COP, and another Michael Bay film, ARMAGEDDON. 48 HOURS was grim enough to seriously stifle the humor, even with Eddie Murphy in the lead role. KINDERGARTEN COP made me laugh, but the crime drama felt like an unwelcome intrusion. In ARMAGEDDON, I felt the stakes were high enough that humor didn't seem appropriate.
Our two heroes are police detectives Mike Lowry (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence), who are a kind of tough-cop variation on The Odd Couple . Lowry is suave, slick, self-controlled, well-to-do, heroic, and a real ladies man. Burnett, on the other hand, is an ordinary guy who manages to stumble reasonably effectively, if somewhat ineptly, through his work and his married life.
So imagine what happens when Burnett has to convince a key witness, Julie (Téa Leoni) that he's Mike Lowry -- not just for a few hours, but for a few days. Furthermore, this is no pre-planned, well-orchestrated masquerade. A large stash of confiscated heroin has been un-confiscated right from police headquarters, and both the heroin and the perpetrator must be found within four days, or Internal Affairs is going to take some big-time disciplinary action. Lowry and Burnett are called in because they were the ones who captured the heroin in the first place, and because of the one trait they share -- a renegade approach to police work, which may not have their boss's approval, but which does get the job done (and at one point, causes a store owner to think they're out to rob him). The various twists and turns of the investigation lead to Lowry getting knocked out of commission at the same time that Julie witnesses a murder and refuses to deal with anybody but Mike Lowry. But Marcus Burnett is the only one available to deal with her, and since waiting for Lowry to recover isn't an option
Subsequent events include Lowry's bachelor pad being invaded by Julie and her dogs, while Lowry stays with Burnett's wife, Burnett trying to keep his wife from finding out what's really going on, and Burnett and Lowry trying to find the heroin and keep Julie alive.
For all you action movie fans, plenty of cars, plenty of buildings, and plenty of people get blown up along the way. (Looking over this review, I see that I've belied the high level of violence, which I definitely should warn you against.)
BAD BOYS kept me both amused and on the edge of my seat throughout. I'm afraid I did have two small complaints, however. First, I wish the resolution of the Burnett-pretending-to-be-Lowry story had been timed to coincide with the resolution of the main plot.
As it is, the comic subplot ends, leaving the rest of the movie to proceed in a rather formulaic and pedantic fashion. Second, I wish more time had been spent on Lowry's problem of stepping into Burnett's shoes. The swinging bachelor having to play family man would have been good for a few laughs that we never got.
Aside from that, however, this is an action movie that stands out among the rest.
One final note concerning the DVD "Special Edition" release. BAD BOYS was a movie in which the music was particularly effective, and the DVD actually lets you listen to the music track by itself. I wish DVDs of other movies with great music had this option.
* Three examples that come to mind are 48 HOURS, KINDERGARTEN COP, and another Michael Bay film, ARMAGEDDON. 48 HOURS was grim enough to seriously stifle the humor, even with Eddie Murphy in the lead role. KINDERGARTEN COP made me laugh, but the crime drama felt like an unwelcome intrusion. In ARMAGEDDON, I felt the stakes were high enough that humor didn't seem appropriate.
When you're in a small box, whatcha gonna do?
StevePulaski6 May 2012
Michael Bay's Bad Boys, his first feature film, is probably his best. But that sure isn't saying much. He has always favored the route of bloated and stupid rather than coherent and intelligent, and he is anything but subtle in his first feature attempt as a director. Consistent readers of my work know I have an incredible disdain for the director/writer himself, but I in no way believe he is a bad, horrible person. I'm just saying he writes, more often than not, bad, horrible films. I have no doubt in my mind that he is capable of writing and directing a good film, but he gets too involved with things that should be the secondary elements in a film. He brings background elements firmly into the foreground, and that poses a big problem.
The story centers around Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith), two detectives for the Miami-Dade Police Department, who are called in to hunt down a $100 million worth of heroin that was intricately stolen from a secure vault. One of the petty criminals is Fouchet (Karyo), who early in the film shoots one of two escorts in his mansion. The other one named Julie (Leoni) will only speak to Lowrey on the count of her friends' relationship with the man.
When Julie calls in about the murder, Lowrey is away, and the Captain forces Burnett to pose as Lowrey so as not to lose a valuable witness. He accepts, and off on a tangent we go through what is soon to be the long, eventful odyssey of mistaken identity. While Burnett puts Julie under protective custody, both the men work in seclusion to try and capture the drug lords and get their stash back.
While not wonderfully executed, I can at least say that Bad Boys is fun and provides lightweight entertainment for those seeking it. It isn't the finest example of goofy, popcorn entertainment that I have encountered, but I can recognize the film has an audience that will be satisfied with the turnout, much like those horrifically awful Transformers films Bay so contently puts out. Just because I can respect that there is a fanbase for his material, doesn't mean I am forced to sit back and like it, and that's why I choose to voice my opinion on a lot of his films.
Lawrence and Smith do a great job working together, both having expressive personalities and cheery, electric chemistry that provides kinetic energy to the screenplay. Although it appears as if their roles were switched. I have a hard time believing that Lawrence's Burnett is the mostly straight-laced cop with a family, and Smith's Lowrey is the fearless player with an act for taking advantage of women by having a different one every night. During the course of the film, I couldn't help but feel it should be the other way around. If that's a bit too vague to try and grasp, let me try and put it this way; has Will Smith ever been given a lesser role in any of his recent filmography? I too discovered that the original title for Bad Boys was going to be "Bulletproof Hearts" with SNL buds Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz taking the roles of Lawrence and Smith. While I would've adored a buddy-cop comedy with Carvey and Lovitz as the leads, I couldn't quite grasp the idea of two cleaned-up guys like them playing dirty cops. For better or for worse, the roles were given to the right people.
While the film provides light escapism, Bad Boys, however, makes one near-crucial mistake; it is too heavy-handed and over-produced to classify as campiness, which is what it is seemingly trying to achieve. It's a tad too long, shot like a music video (what else do you expect from Bay, who started out in that field?), and is viable because of its leads who have a charming chemistry and their commitment to a project so quirky and arbitrary. But, really, when you're working on a glossy piece of Hollywood, brought to you by someone whose talent is in the visual effects field and not much else, and are sometimes trudging through muddy clichés, whatcha gonna do? Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, and Tchéky Karyo. Directed by: Michael Bay.
The story centers around Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith), two detectives for the Miami-Dade Police Department, who are called in to hunt down a $100 million worth of heroin that was intricately stolen from a secure vault. One of the petty criminals is Fouchet (Karyo), who early in the film shoots one of two escorts in his mansion. The other one named Julie (Leoni) will only speak to Lowrey on the count of her friends' relationship with the man.
When Julie calls in about the murder, Lowrey is away, and the Captain forces Burnett to pose as Lowrey so as not to lose a valuable witness. He accepts, and off on a tangent we go through what is soon to be the long, eventful odyssey of mistaken identity. While Burnett puts Julie under protective custody, both the men work in seclusion to try and capture the drug lords and get their stash back.
While not wonderfully executed, I can at least say that Bad Boys is fun and provides lightweight entertainment for those seeking it. It isn't the finest example of goofy, popcorn entertainment that I have encountered, but I can recognize the film has an audience that will be satisfied with the turnout, much like those horrifically awful Transformers films Bay so contently puts out. Just because I can respect that there is a fanbase for his material, doesn't mean I am forced to sit back and like it, and that's why I choose to voice my opinion on a lot of his films.
Lawrence and Smith do a great job working together, both having expressive personalities and cheery, electric chemistry that provides kinetic energy to the screenplay. Although it appears as if their roles were switched. I have a hard time believing that Lawrence's Burnett is the mostly straight-laced cop with a family, and Smith's Lowrey is the fearless player with an act for taking advantage of women by having a different one every night. During the course of the film, I couldn't help but feel it should be the other way around. If that's a bit too vague to try and grasp, let me try and put it this way; has Will Smith ever been given a lesser role in any of his recent filmography? I too discovered that the original title for Bad Boys was going to be "Bulletproof Hearts" with SNL buds Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz taking the roles of Lawrence and Smith. While I would've adored a buddy-cop comedy with Carvey and Lovitz as the leads, I couldn't quite grasp the idea of two cleaned-up guys like them playing dirty cops. For better or for worse, the roles were given to the right people.
While the film provides light escapism, Bad Boys, however, makes one near-crucial mistake; it is too heavy-handed and over-produced to classify as campiness, which is what it is seemingly trying to achieve. It's a tad too long, shot like a music video (what else do you expect from Bay, who started out in that field?), and is viable because of its leads who have a charming chemistry and their commitment to a project so quirky and arbitrary. But, really, when you're working on a glossy piece of Hollywood, brought to you by someone whose talent is in the visual effects field and not much else, and are sometimes trudging through muddy clichés, whatcha gonna do? Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, and Tchéky Karyo. Directed by: Michael Bay.
Nothing that blew me away, but still a decent film
Smells_Like_Cheese16 November 2006
I was very excited about seeing Bad Boys, I just decided that I wanted to see the movies because I love Will Smith and I noticed that over all, most people seem to like this movie. My only thing that was holding me back from seeing this film was Martin Lawerence. For the most part, he annoys me and it seems like he has the same part in every movie, but I have to admit, I could tolerate him during this film.
Marcus and Mike are two partner cops on the force together, they have been friends for a long time, Marcus is a married family man and Mike is still living up his one night stands. The boys are assigned to a missing dope case that turns into murder and helping the only witness, Julie, survive. Marcus takes the role as playing Mike to make sure that his family is safe, but you can guess how this story is going to turn out from here.
Bad Boys was a pretty good buddy cop film, but it could have been funnier. Still, it was more original than most buddy cop films, considering that at least these bad boys had been friends for a long time. I would recommend Bad Boys for action movie lovers, it's worth a good watch, otherwise, it's an OK film for any average film fan.
6/10
Marcus and Mike are two partner cops on the force together, they have been friends for a long time, Marcus is a married family man and Mike is still living up his one night stands. The boys are assigned to a missing dope case that turns into murder and helping the only witness, Julie, survive. Marcus takes the role as playing Mike to make sure that his family is safe, but you can guess how this story is going to turn out from here.
Bad Boys was a pretty good buddy cop film, but it could have been funnier. Still, it was more original than most buddy cop films, considering that at least these bad boys had been friends for a long time. I would recommend Bad Boys for action movie lovers, it's worth a good watch, otherwise, it's an OK film for any average film fan.
6/10
Classic Comedy/Action Film w Great Cinematography. Fun To Watch.
Real_Review31 August 2019
If you haven't seen the 'Bad Boys' movies, you should. They are unique, well-shot, very funny, colorful, action-packed, and visually stimulating films with good soundtracks. You really can't ask for more out of a comedy.
RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting - 1/1; Casting - 1/1; Directing - 1/1; Story - 1/1; Writing/Screenplay - 1/1;
Total Base Score = 5
Modifiers (+ or -): Cinematography: +1;
Authentic Location Shooting: +1 (Miami, Florida);
Total RealReview Rating: 7
RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting - 1/1; Casting - 1/1; Directing - 1/1; Story - 1/1; Writing/Screenplay - 1/1;
Total Base Score = 5
Modifiers (+ or -): Cinematography: +1;
Authentic Location Shooting: +1 (Miami, Florida);
Total RealReview Rating: 7
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