By: Keaton Marcus

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 15, YOU MUST ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!

I suppose third time’s a charm for co-stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence with their bombastic buddy-comedy franchise "Bad Boys". This one, dubbed "Bad Boys for Life", makes solid usage of one-liners and profanity, while combining the comic-relief with some terrific action sequences. It's gleefully violent, high on explosions, and surprisingly injects a decent plot into a trilogy seemingly lost in exposition. Principally, it's one of those dumb movies that you'll have a lot of fun at, but the belated third installment also has a substantial amount of heart, which is what was missing from its two predecessors. There are better flicks than this, but if you're only looking for some innocent laughs, and some 90's chemistry between Smith and Lawrence, you will cherish it. What's the point? Well, the idea is that without director Michael Bay, it may be possible to create a new beginning. Kick-ass invention.

Here's the pitch. Loose-cannon detectives Mike Lowery (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) are getting old. Well, not exactly, the iconic duo has reached the daunting period of middle-age, and Marcus is waiting for the right moment to retire when he has a child. However, after Mike is shot several times by a mysterious assassin, both of them are pulled back for one final ride as Bad Boys. Despite Lowery insisting on them working alone together, Burnett calls in the elite AMMO squad to assist them in taking down the killer. Directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi cleverly play with age as they pair up the two middle-aged detectives with what Smith dubs a "High School Musical boy-band with guns". It's a hilarious, pleasant surprise.

They may not deserve it, but Smith and Lawrence's chemistry alone should put them on the shortlist of underrated performances that go ignored by the Academy Awards. Smith, who's been busy the past year, has starred in three flicks in 2019, including "Gemini Man" an "Aladdin" reboot and the animated film "Spies in Disguise". With this now under his belt, three of his four past credits have been hits financially, and occasionally critically. On the other hand, Lawrence has been having a slump, with his last well-received film being in 1990. This could be the start of his comeback. Whether it's Lawrence dubbing themselves the "good men", or Smith styling in his Porsche audiences for sure will get a kick out of it.

So what did the third movie get right that the two originals didn't? First off, remember "Bad Boys II", released in 2003 to a slew of negative reviews? Bay might have included loud action sequences, but the comic timing fell short, and the chemistry seemed a tad off. So right off the bat, the performances are far superior in this 2020 "threequel". Second of all, even back then the original, opening in 1995, seemed a bit outdated, and so were the jokes. Fallah and Arbi got right what Bay did wrong, and certainly gives the franchise an update. Whether the cinema is a fan or not of the originals, it's quite nearly impossible not to enjoy this 125-minute romp. It'll make money, it's a hit with the critics, and I'm already highly anticipating the fourth installment. Whatcha' gonna do?

The final opinion is: "Bad Boys for Life" reinvigorates the long-dormant franchise with a solid plot, excellent action and winning chemistry between its two likable co-stars...$PLURGE IT

Rent for $4.99 in SD or $5.99 in HD and Buy for $19.99 in SD and HD on Prime Video

Box Office Info:

Opening: 62.5M

Domestic Total: 204.4M

Worldwide Total: 419M