Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD, Digital and 4K Ultra from directors Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings our BAD BOYS FOR LIFE.

Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) are still together after all these years fighting off the bad guys. Life is about to get a little more excited at Marcus awaits the birth of his first grandchild. Mike isn’t so impressed, but he is there for his partner and joins in the party to celebrate with the other officers. Maybe the timing isn’t so great, but Marcus tells Mike he’s ready to hang up his badge.

Challenging Marcus to a race to change his mind outside the party, within minutes Mike is brutally gunned down! After months in the hospital, Mike goes to Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) and lets him know that he tends to find out who is responsible. Driving over to Marcus, he begs him for one last go around against the bad guys but is let down with the answer.

The only thing in there was is AMMO, the Advanced Miami Metro Operations and to make matters even more uncomfortable, it is run by Mike’s ex-girlfriend Rita (Paola Nunez). Off the duo go to find Booker Grassie (Rory Markham), an arms dealer who Mike knows has his ear to the pavement about everything that goes on in Miami.

Mike gets a harsh talking to by Captain Howard about needing to move on with his life and, for a second time, gunfire erupts and another officer falls. Marcus now realizes he can’t just walk away from all of this. When Grassie leads them to Zway-lo Rodriguez (Nicky Jam), a chase begins that puts Mike almost face to face with the man, Armando (Jacob Scipio), on a lethal mission and realizes in the phrase “hasta el fuego” that he knows what is happening.

He confides in Marcus and Rita’s team that it was a phrase said by himself and love Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo) when he was doing undercover work in the Aretas cartel in Mexico. Now they know where they have to do and who they are looking for to end all of this. But there is so much more to the secrets and lies for the Bad Boys.

Smith is back and raring to go as Mike Lowrey who still thinks about women, never thinks about marriage and is happy being a cop. Of course, being shot will slow a man down and for Mike it’s a shock to the system to be so vulnerable. Smith jumps back into the role with ease and even makes the action sequences look flawless.

Lawrence as Marcus is realizing his age and wants to be comfortable with it. Now being a grandpa, he adjusts his priorities which doesn’t make Mike happy. Even wife Theresa gets annoyed having a retired Marcus under her feet. Feeling needed by Mike is what gets him back into service, even if he doesn’t hesitate to call for back up.

Scipio as Armando has a bone to pick with Smith and it’s like an obsession that is fueled by his parental unit. There is a plan here and Armando isn’t going to be sway by anything. When it’s time for him to know the truth about everything, it becomes a he-said-she-said moment. Nunez as Rita has the same itch as her son against Mike and she is going to do whatever it takes to make sure he is brought to his knees. This is a vicious woman in expensive clothing to be sure!

Shout out to Ludwig for seeing him in a totally different role. He may be quiet, he may be thoughtful but he’s absolutely brilliant.

Other case includes Alexander Ludwig as Dorn, Charles Melton as Rafe, Ivo Nandi as Carver Remy, Jay Amor as Rodrigo Vargas, Bianca Bethune as Megan, Happy Anderson as Jenkins, DJ Khaled as Manny, Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly, and Theresa Randale as Theresa.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bonus Materials include Extended & Alternate Scenes including an Alternate Ending, Outtakes & Bloopers, Ride or Die: Making BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, Partners in Crime: Behind-the-Scenes, It’s About Time: Go through 25 years of BAD BOYS history with Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the cast and crew, Easter Eggs: Directors Adil and Billal take us on a tour of a few of the Easter Eggs and callbacks to earlier BAD BOYS FILM and more.

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE is filled with the action everyone has come to love about the BAD BOYS franchise. There is a solid story that has its twists and turns but never forgets to give Lowrey and Burnett a chance to go at one another. They definetly seem more like brothers than they do police partners at times.

The addition of the under story here has the possible makings of another BAD BOYS film and I’m sure fans wouldn’t mind that. This time don’t wait ten years because no one wants to see the boys both become grandpa’s still fighting crime – but from behind a desk!

In the end – ride together, die together!

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