Bad Boys

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: April 7, 1995

8.5	USER SCORE Universal acclaim based on 636 Ratings

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User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

SEROJJan 11, 2015

Fun characters, great action, poor and decent story. Overall this movie is good if you're looking for an action movie with comedy shapes. But i'll give it a decent score

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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grandpajoe6191Nov 24, 2011

Oh "wow", this is just a GREATTTTTTTTT "Michael Bay" movie I've seen in years. Wait, no; this is the BEST i've seen in history. All praise Mr. Bay, yarrrr.

3 of 25 users found this helpful322

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MovieMasterEddyApr 3, 2016

"Bad Boys" wasn't imagined so much as it was stitched together, like some cinematic Frankenstein's monster, from the body parts of other movies. There is the mismatched cop-buddy angle from "Lethal Weapon," this time with Martin Lawrence as"Bad Boys" wasn't imagined so much as it was stitched together, like some cinematic Frankenstein's monster, from the body parts of other movies. There is the mismatched cop-buddy angle from "Lethal Weapon," this time with Martin Lawrence as the loyal family man and Will Smith as his partner, the handsome womanizer. As they try to track down the sophisticated thieves who stole $100 million worth of heroin from the police department's evidence room, they acquire a spunky, female sidekick, a la "Speed." There is the Miami setting from "The Specialist," exploding trucks from "True Lies" and enough shattering glass to rival either of the "Die Hards." But formulas exist because they work, and "Bad Boys" is a loud, fast, action movie laced with comedy. In this case, the genre shows few signs of wearing itself out.

Mr. Lawrence, a stand-up comic and star of the sitcom "Martin," and Mr. Smith of the television series "The Fresh Prince" and the film "Six Degrees of Separation," approach their roles as comic actors rather than action stars, and their playful attitude helps. Mr. Lawrence is Marcus, hyperactive and easily ruffled. Mr. Smith is Mike, the calm one, who has a trust fund and a lavish bachelor apartment but whose dedication to his work is, of course, unrivaled. Mike and Marcus confiscated all that heroin in the first place, only to have it stolen by an arrogant European villain (Tcheky Karyo), the logical foil to the down-home detectives. They have four days to recover the goods before the F.B.I. steps in.

In no time, a prostitute is killed by the thieves while trying to help Mike get information. This has two results: it leaves her best friend, Julie, as the sole witness; it reinforces the time-honored movie rule that hookers are always more expendable than nice girls. Julie (Tea Leoni) calls Mike for help; he's away from the phone so Marcus pretends to be Mike, setting things up for the old "Prince and the Pauper" gag. For most of the movie, the family man has to live Mike's bachelor life while Mike looks after Marcus's family. The dialogue is not as snappy as it should be. "The bad guys probably know where you live" is saved by Mr. Lawrence's mocking delivery. The actors liven up their lines where they can and let the first-rate action carry the rest.

Eventually, Julie, Mike and Marcus end up in a truck filled with barrels of flammable ether, the villains racing after them. Mike sends the barrels out on the road, shoots them on fire and sends them roaring into the cars. And there are bigger explosions ahead.

"Bad Boys" is the first feature by Michael Bay, a 30-year-old director. His background in music videos is evident in the jumpy camera movement and quick cuts; his background as a maker of beer commercials is evident in the conspicuous beer signs that clutter the background. The film is produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, the team behind "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Top Gun." They know the action turf well and should have known better than to stumble into the trend to make movies longer. "Bad Boys" is just over two hours, and would have been better if it had been sleeker and shorter. After all, this film isn't aiming for high-toned drama, just high-energy entertainment, which is what it delivers.… Expand

1 of 11 users found this helpful110

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davenbettridgeFeb 5, 2012

People who are impressed by the attitude of this movie are uncritically minded lame simpletons. When I first saw this movie in the mid 90s I thought it was 'meh' and did not understand the hype it was getting by easily impressed kids. HavingPeople who are impressed by the attitude of this movie are uncritically minded lame simpletons. When I first saw this movie in the mid 90s I thought it was 'meh' and did not understand the hype it was getting by easily impressed kids. Having just re-watched it, I can confirm that its even more lame than it was in the 90s. The only saving grace is the short chemistry brought by its 2 lead characters.… Expand

0 of 10 users found this helpful010

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TyranianSep 2, 2019

Bad Boys is reasonably funny and well-acted but also pretty darn dumb. Watch it for a laugh.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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Compi24Mar 11, 2016

(6/10) -- Considering the spotty career that would follow this debut film from Michael Bay, "Bad Boys" isn't so bad in perspective. Yes, the second act is a little tedious and it tends to meander at times, but the chemistry between Lawrence(6/10) -- Considering the spotty career that would follow this debut film from Michael Bay, "Bad Boys" isn't so bad in perspective. Yes, the second act is a little tedious and it tends to meander at times, but the chemistry between Lawrence and Smith is quite fun to watch. Bay's trademark set pieces also do a good job of maintaining the interest in this semi-successful buddy cop flick. As a side note -- major props also go to Joe Pantoliano for brilliantly skewering the "pissed off police captain" trope in this one.… Expand

0 of 7 users found this helpful07

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MarickMay 12, 2015

Pretty boring. It has a few jokes ok, ugly story, scenery pretty ugly .

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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TheRussianatorApr 2, 2018

Michael Bay's directorial debut might provide some laughs and some well-shot action, but ultimately, its undeveloped characters and dumb dialog make this flick a boring watch.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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alexandreaDec 1, 2021

It is nice, but it doesn´t have the crazyness i expected from Michael Bay.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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JesseDillingerApr 25, 2023

Do you like explosions? Funny back and forth banter? Boy do I have a movie for you

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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