MOVIE REVIEW

Bad Boys 2  (2003)

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Gabrielle Union
Director: Michael Bay

Rating: R

Studio: Columbia Tristar

Release Date: 7.18.03

Review Posted: 7.18.03

Spoilers: None

By Christopher T. Bryan

"Glossy, High Budget, And A Lot of Fun"

Sure the song is a little dated, but the Jamaican beat is still contagious and Bad Boys 2 shows that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence easily fall back into rhythm with each other delivering quick wit and easy banter that when combined with some superb camera work make for a summer movie that quite simply indulges guilty pleasures.

Bad Boys 2 sees the reunion of Smith and Lawrence with Director Michael Bay and Producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The team hit pay dirt with the original Bad Boys, and almost ten years later finds everyone involved with hotter careers than ever before, making the sequel a hit before it reaches the can.

Not much has changed in terms of the plot from the original. Bad Boys 2 is set eight years after the original where we find Miami narcotics detectives Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) still chasing the bad guys while trashing on each other. This time around Marcus’ sister Syd (Gabrielle Union) is thrown into the mix bringing out the overprotective brother in Marcus and providing eye candy for the audience.

What changed are the overall visuals of the film. The contrasting orange hues of day and blue hues of night are still there, but the manipulation of the camera is much more impressive. Bay sets up some striking shots capturing pivotal scenes through some very original camera work, at times even using the camera along with some editing to set up some comedic moments. One scene that stands out in my mind in particular involves a long take showing a bullet shatter bottles, pass through a buttocks and into the face of an unexpected perpetrator.

I applaud Bay for still relying on some old fashion filmmaking rather than turning to computer animation for the car chase sequences, a staple of this summer’s box office; he instead had a vehicle specially designed with mounted cameras to capture the action that was filmed on location on the MacArthur Causeway.  Don’t get me wrong, computer animation can bring things to life that just weren’t possible before, but they often times give scenes an artificial and unnatural look. Shooting the car sequences with actual cameras adds authenticity while taking things up a notch, giving the chases an uncontrolled feel in effect throwing the audience into the middle of the action.

What makes Bad Boys 2 slightly different than the average buddy cop movie is the chemistry between Smith and Lawrence. For starters this isn’t the traditional pairing of a black and white cop with one cop being extremely straight laced and the other some sort of loose cannon. Their friendship stems from childhood and their constant bickering reminded me of how my brother and I communicate with each other. The actors play well off of each other and their dialog has timing and wit which stems from a true respect for one another that can’t be written into a film and is difficult to reproduce. The only time their lines are awkward is during high action moments when the stars have to shout out ridiculous one-liners.

Go to Bad Boys 2 expecting the same fun of Bad Boys, but a sleeker and more stylish piece of work as a whole. This is a glossy, high budget film, and it is a lot of fun. If for nothing else though it is an exhibition of some beautiful camera work.

Rating: 3 out of 4

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