BAD BOYS II

There are two things I remember most about the first "Bad Boys" movie from 1995: Tea Leoni and its unrelenting action. Well, Tea Leoni is not in "Bad Boys II" but it does have action - in spades. The stunts are amazing especially the chase scene on an LA Freeway where some bad guys let loose a barrage of new cars off of one those multi-level ramp trucks moving at warp speed. You know the scene. Bits of it showed up continually in the media blitz on the airwaves weeks before the movie opened. This scene - a big selling point for the producers and distributors - even earned itself a whole segment on a major network primetime magazine show.. Director Michael Bay was only too happy to give them the inside scoop on how it done. No logistic was left untapped. Bay is famous for constructing such scenes. The original "Bad Boys" was his primer - a warm up for what was to follow: "The Rock" - "Armageddon" - "Pearl Harbor" - each one a blockbuster. And now "Bad Boys II." The only thing that bothered me about the stress placed on this one particular scene - as expertly executed as it was - was the lack of focus placed on its position within the story? One might have asked ‘What story?’ - The entire scene practically exists independent of the story about: two cops, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) trying to hone in on a notorious drug trafficker. Even the thrilling chariot scene in "Ben Hur" had a purpose. Revenge! It did not exist as an entity unto itself.

Ironically, as I walked out of the theater after seeing "Bad Boys II," - a sequel in a summer of sequels (like "Terminator 3" and the follow up to the first "Charlie’s Angels" movie), I did not think so much about all the carefully choreographed action scenes as I did about how funny Will Smith and Martin Lawrence were.

Let me rephrase that.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence were hilarious! It was hard to tell where the written word ended and the improv began.

Yeah! Some of their buddy banter during the high octane action was typically tongue in cheek, much like the "Lethal Weapon" movies. But Smith’s and Lawrence’s other bits could have taken place in almost any setting, not unlike the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road" movies of a bygone era. The one truly outstanding moment has the Bad Boy duo putting Burnett’s daughter’s date through the ringer. Unfortunately there just aren’t enough choice moments like this one. As a result, "Bad Boys II" never achieves the right balance between action and comedy. And then there’s the subplots.

A local crew of bad guys trys to rip off a pile of money that’s there for the taking, only they don’t know it’s part of a sting operation whose principal player is an FBI agent. The agent, Syd Burnett (Gabrielle Union), is Marcus’s sister who’s had a fling with Mike in the past. Only Marcus doesn’t know his sister is an undercover agent and they’re both after the same guy who uses a funeral home as a front for his operation. The Bad Boys and Syd constantly get in each other’s way as the Feds and the cops quarrel about who’s invading whose jurisdiction. When the movie works, it works well, but too often Michael Bay stretches the limits of good taste like when uses cadavers once too often to squeeze one visual joke too many in the middles of a shoot out. The finale does have a nice patriotic twist with over the top pyrotechnics and what used to be called - until political correctness may have altered its meaning - a Mexican standoff.

The screenplay is credited to Ron Shelton ("Under Fire," "Bull Durham," "Cobb") and TV writer Jerry Stahl ("Moonlighting," "thitysomething" and author of Permanent Midnight about his own addiction) The style and sensibility of each writer may have something to do with the seemingly schizophrenic nature of "Bad Boys II." But the staged action is pure Michael Bay. The comedic chemistry between the Bad Boys is quintessential Smith and Lawrence.

Copyright 2003

"Six Degrees of Separation" (1993) - Smith plays a smooth con man who worms his way into the hearts of some high society types forcing them to question their own values when they learn the truth about his identity. Smith holds his own with the likes of Donald Sutherland, Stockard Channing, and Ian McKellan.

"Bull Durham" (1988) - Shelton also directed this Kevin Costner film about a minor league baseball groupie, Susan Sarandon, who believes she has to bed one green ball player per season to help him grow. The new pitche, Tim Robbins, is the object of her seduction.

"Nothing to Lose" (1997) - Robbins takes off in a daze after he finds his wife bedding his boss. Lawrence is turns to crime to make ends meet and makes the mistake of trying to steal a car from another loser - Robbins. The movie turns into a buddy road movie with both trying to sort out their personal problems until they get involved with some really bad guys.