Bad Boys II

Bad Boys 2 (2003) starring Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Gabrielle Union, Jordi Mollà and Joe Pantoliano.

Before...I honestly can't remember what I felt about it before watching it. This time, however, I was hoping for the same kind of fun and enjoyment I expect from Michael Bay films, I was hoping that it wouldn't be one of those films that I would watch again and be disappointed about re-watching!

Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence), who are part of the Miami PD's Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT), still don't always get along, and now they're keeping secrets from each other. Mike's secret is that he's been seeing Marcus' sister, Sydney "Syd" Burnett (Union), a reported paper pusher for the DEA's New York office. Marcus's secret is that he has asked for a transfer, because he wants to spend more time with his family, and less time with Mike. That's all set aside when their boss, Captain Howard (Pantoliano), assigns them to stop the flow of record amounts of ecstasy into the city. This puts Mike and Marcus on the trail of the most dangerous enemy that they have ever faced...Cuban drug kingpin Hector Juan Carlos "Johnny" Tapia (Molia), who wants to take control of the entire ecstasy trade in the USA, and is working with local dealers and club owners such as Russian mafia boss Alexei. Every time the Miami PD has ever arrested Tapia, Tapia has sued the Miami PD for false arrest, and won millions of dollars. This has caused the department to back off and not go after Tapia. Well, everyone has backed off except for Mike and Marcus, who have never faced Tapia before. Now, it seems that Tapia is using a mortuary as a cover for his operations, smuggling ecstacy hidden inside dead bodies, while sending his money to Cuba in hidden compartments in the coffins. While Mike and Marcus try to bring Tapia down, they also deal with the discovery that Syd is actually working undercover for the DEA to bring down a money laundering operation run by Alexei, and as part of her undercover job, Syd is in deep with Tapia. When Haitian gangsters try to steal Tapia's money and kill Syd, the two investigations cross paths. Syd's cover is later blown, and she is kidnapped by Tapia, who takes her to his compound in Cuba. With the unofficial help of people from the CIA, the Miami PD, and anti-Castro forces in Cuba, Mike and Marcus head out to rescue Syd, and bring Tapia down. How far will Tapia go to keep his drug empire? And how far will Marcus and Mike go to rescue Syd?

My wife says "Thrills and spills. It was designed for boys but that doesn't mean girls can't enjoy it too. A bit complicated for a film that is essentially car chases, gun fights and pretty women. There was some very silly boyish jokes. Generally enjoyable. Probably more enjoyable next time as I will know what the plot is and who the characters are. ★★★☆☆"

Where to start...The film, even after all these many action films, still manages, for me, to stand the test of time and be one of the most enjoyable and ridiculously fun movies out there. Mindless fun is how to describe it really. No the film has no definitive aim, other than wanting to blow things up really and that is what we get, especially from the first car chase. The first car chase is utterly stunning, the way it is filmed and the construct of it all is brilliant.

For me Smith and Lawrence are a perfect partnership. They both play off each other brilliantly and their comic backgrounds are evident from watching this film, especially when it comes to the guys interogating Lawrences' onscreen daughter. The issues for me come up when the film starts to go down a slightly sicker route, e.g. corpse tossing.

The issues really come to a head when the film passed the 2 hour mark...a good action movie, unless it has a fantastic plot, should not under any circumstances pass the 2 hour mark. Bay has created a film that has all elements of a perfect action, the problem is that he has added a bit too many explosions, a few too many car chases and a few too many bad gags (and if you know me the fact that I think there are too many is definitely saying something)!! So all in all there is a bit of a mixed bag here. Great in some parts, awful in others! Which leads me to give this film...

★★★☆☆