Bad Boys 2 (2003)

Dir Michael Bay

Written by Ron Shelton, Jerry Stahl

Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Jordi Mollá, Gabrielle Union, Theresa Randall, Joe Pantoliano, Peter Stomare.

Eight years have passed since the events of the last movie, Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowry (Smith) are still partnered, and now part of the Tactical Narcotics Team with the aim of bringing down drug smugglers. They soon discover that one of their big targets, is the same person Marcus’ sister Sydney (Union), a DEA agent is trying to bring down.

Very different to its predecessor in some ways, but it is the same big, loud and full of action that you would expect from a Michael Bay film. This time around it almost feels like the personalities of the due have swapped. Marcus is now the easy going, level headed one – and Mike is the quick to anger, and quick to drop the F bomb. The previous movie I noted that it took until about half way through proceedings, and I wondered if this was because Smith was in his Fresh Prince heyday and it was a big thing for him to say it.

There were also some plot ‘inconsistencies’ that I felt were a little off – like Marcus still complaining about cash, yet living in a mansion on the riverside? Some of the sets were a little too cinematic too, like the police station.

The ‘tertiary characters’ are played by some significant names, but do little for the plot of the story, and are almost forgotten by the end credits. Michael Shannon (Zod from the Justice League franchise) plays the twenty something KKK member, who Marcus and Mike put in the trunk of the car. Stomare is completely wasted as the Russian mob boss who also has problems with the big bad. Speaking of the big bad, he is so forgettable and non threatening, I don’t even have anything positive about him at all.

There is some impressive direction from Bay, who is a decent film maker. The action sequences are well shot as well as his usual use of the 360° spin – and aerial shots which was pre drone.

At a whopping 2.5 hours, it is a slog to get through. Another sequel would come out another seventeen years later. This one was just okay; no way near as good enough as #1