Will Smith and Martin Lawrence Are Bad Boys in New Sequel’s First

It took 17 years to get Bad Boys For Life after Bad Boys II. Even with a pandemic it only took four years to get the next Bad Boys, which is officially titled Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and is coming to theaters this summer.

The film once again stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the roles of rule-breaking Miami cops they originated in the first Michael Bay film all the way back in 1995. Bay departed the franchise after Bad Boys II, but the guys who made the previous film, Adil & Bilall, are back to direct this film as well.

And this sequel takes the title even more literally than ever before—with the men on the run after their former boss (Joe Pantoliano) is accused of working with drug cartels. Take a look at the action-filled first trailer for the movie below.

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While the material is fairly dated at this point, and Smith and Lawrence are a bit old to play cocky, out-of-control cops, I will say: The last Bad Boys sequel, made by the same filmmakers (who then went on to make the Batgirl movie that no one’s ever going to see), was surprisingly good. As I wrote in my review…

When you see two aging stars who could really use a surefire hit return to a popular franchise, it’s easy to assume they made the new sequel with craven motives and little passion. That’s not the case with Bad Boys For Life. Both Smith and Lawrence came to play, and in between the bombastic chases and shootouts, there are long stretches where they just talk; about their lives, about their families, and about their relationship. Right from the first scene, the script by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig, and Joe Carnahan is about more than clever excuses to get these guys back in cool sports cars shooting at bad guys (although they definitely do a lot of that too). The themes introducing in the early scenes are explored in the second act, further expressed through the chases and fights, and resolved in the conclusion. This might sound like rudimentary stuff. But it’s sometimes shocking how few blockbusters successfully pull off the rudimentary stuff.

Hopefully Ride or Die is made with the same level of care and passion. Here is the new film’s official synopsis:

This Summer, the world’s favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami’s finest are now on the run.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is scheduled to open in theaters on June 7.