Rating of
2/4
Bad Boys II: Magnum Opus of the Maestro of Mayhem!
Indyfreak - wrote on 09/05/18
Absurdly cartoonishly violence and excessively ott editing both run amok in this bloated Michael Bay action epic. There is a perfectly solid 90 minute popcorn movie spliced into a two and a half hour long standup routine which becomes a duel between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Will Smith is one of the most charismatic action leads in Hollywood so even if a line doesn't land, it's tolerable because he says it. Martin Lawrence on the other hand rarely elicits even a chuckle and just sounds whiny. Joe Pantoliano adds really nothing new to the cliche role of 'stressed out police chief'. Meanwhile Jordi Molla comes across as a Latin version of Gary Oldman from every Hollywood villain role he ever did. Really, the only other main star that delivers a solid performance aside from Smith is Gabrielle Union as an alluring but capable undercover agent.
Michael Bay doesn't skimp in the action and stunts and explosions. They're relentless, chaotic, and exciting. It's clear where the money went onscreen. By the time a mansion blows up to smithereens, the audience is left exhausted but then has to sit through one last crazy car chase.
And then the movie just ends. But because Michael Bay's directorial style places chaos above coherence at all times, the closing credits play in between what is the actual conclusion of the movie, as if audiences were asking for more.
