Summary
Bad Boys: Ride or Diehas opened up to mostly positive reviews upon its August 03, 2025 release. The fourth installment of the celebratedBad Boysfranchise seesthe highly anticipated onscreen return of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.The Bad Boysfranchise recently put out its third installmentBad Boys for Lifein 2020, marking the first movie of the action comedy series since the underwhelmingBad Boys IIin 2003. Based on more than 100reviews ofBad Boys 4, the franchise seems to be doing as good as ever and is even drawing comparisons to the original 1995 classic.
With a reported budget of $90 million,Bad Boys: Ride or Die’sbox officewill need to make at least $200 million in order for it to be considered a box office hit. Following Hollywood’s worst Memorial Day Weekend box office in years and thedisappointing performance ofFuriosa,Bad Boys 4looks to have a great opening weekendthat will hopefully kick off a resurgence at the box office before summer. Based on the negative reviews of The Watchers and the Netflix release of Hit Man, both of which share a release date of July 07, 2025,Bad Boys: Ride or Dieis poised to make a splash at the box office.
10Smith & Lawrence’s Chemistry Is Still A Winning Formula
The most important takeaway from the reviews ofBad Boys: Ride or Dieis that the chemistry between its stars,Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, is as sharp and electrifying as ever.Danny Leigh of theFinancial Timeswrites in his review ofBad Boys 4, “Lawrence is still a raucous clown, happy to be seen with buttocks exposed to the ocean breeze. Settling back into their good-natured double act amid many nods to the first three movies, Smith remains the soulful smoothie.” David Ehrlich ofIndieWirewrites, “Despite everything that’s crammed into this one, it’s still nothing without Mike and Marcus. And despite everything that Smith has been through since the previous installment, he and Lawrence will always be our bad boys.“Bad Boysfans won’t be disappointed by the return of the franchise stars.
Many reviews ofBad Boys: Ride or Diecompliment the film’s sharp and hilarious humor throughout,which is a crucial component of everyBad Boysinstallment. Pablo O. Scholz ofClarínwrites in his review ofBad Boys 4, “Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who return after Bad Boys for Life, know how to intersperse humor amid the most dangerous situations in action cinema.” Dom Sinacola ofPaste Magazinenotes, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a genuine crowd-pleaser, just undeniably captivating, funny and raging, neon-pink copaganda.” Allison Rose of FlickDirect points out, “The humor-to-action ratio seems to be askew making Bad Boys: Ride or Die enjoyable and on the one hand yet possibly alienating its core audience who loved the action in the first two films.” Some negative reviewers weren’t as impressed by the film’s use of comedy.
8The Film’s Flashy Style Makes Up For Its Nonsensical Plot
Bad Boys: Ride or Dieisn’t going to stump viewers with its sophisticated storyline, but that has never really been the point of the action comedy franchise.Many critics enjoyed the overall silly nature of the movieand praised its over-the-top flashy style that made up for the lack of a riveting screenplay. Mae Abdulbaki ofScreen Rantwrites in her review ofBad Boys 4, “It isn’t just an action-packed, high-octane flick; Ride or Die’s got heart and style to go along with it. Often, I was content to simply watch Marcus and Mike banter about Marcus’ love of candy as I was to watch them fight the villain, McGrath (Eric Dane). Sometimes the former was more satisfying than the latter.” This also stresses the point of Lawrence and Smith’s all-star chemistry.
Bad Boys 4 Set Video Reveals New Will Smith Action Scene’s Truly Epic Filming Technique
A new set video from Bad Boys: Ride or Die reveals how the new Will Smith action scenes were made with a complex and innovative camera rig.
Apart from the comedy, the action sequences inBad Boys: Ride or Diehold up and offersome of the most thrilling moments in the entire franchise. Katie Smith-Wong ofFlick Feastwrites, “Ridiculously entertaining, Bad Boys: Ride or Die delivers in comedy and fast-paced action. Smith and Lawrence have never been better.” Elliot Collins of Movie Files comments, “The jokes hit and the action sequences and direction overall was phenomenal. I don’t know how you won’t have a great time with this film.” Jonathan Sim ofComingSoon.netagrees, writing in his review, “This is an action-packed, wonderful sequel that perfectly matches a new style with the classic Bayhem of the originals.” Some negative reviewers found the action scenes to be devoid of meaning.
6The Movie Is Corny & Outrageous In The Best Possible Way
Critics who held a more serious lens up toBad Boys: Ride or Dieoften took issue with some of the formulaic and nonsensical aspects of the film. However,most critics who enjoyedBad Boys 4understood what they were getting themselves intobased on the track record of the franchise and were more than satisfied with the end result. Tessa Smith ofMama’s Geekywrites in her review, “Exactly what one would expect from a Bad Boys movie. Corny and ridiculous, but also a whole lot of fun. The action sequences are absolutely wild! The best in the franchise.” Linda Marric ofHeyUGuyswrites, “Fans of the franchise are sure to lap it up, others will wish this had been given more of a chance to be properly funny.”
Viewers may predict the plot but likely won’t anticipate the punchlines
Viewers ofBad Boys 4will likely find iteasier than other films to see where the story is headed, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to watch Mike and Marcus see it through to the end. Cris Parker of3C Filmscomments in his video review, “Bad Boys 4 delivers on what you hope for with the series: a hilarious Will & Martin dynamic along with fun, over-the-top action! Directors Adil & Bilall get very creative visually. It has its issues for sure, but I was having a blast.” Tim Robey of theDaily Telegraphwrites, “There’s a refreshing level of loose-cannon silliness throughout, even if Smith has to straight-man his way through it all like a felon in handcuffs. Lawrence, never a world-beater at comic timing, lands more of his business than you might expect.” Viewers may predict the plot but likely won’t anticipate the punchlines.
Every Bad Boys Character In Multiple Movies
The Bad Boys franchise has introduced a lot of characters throughout the four movies, and here is every one that appears in more than one film.
4Will Smith Is Still Enjoyable To Watch Despite 2022 Oscars Controversy
Only two years after the infamous Oscars slap heard around the world,Bad Boys 4proves thatSmith still has every ounce of likability and star powerthat has made him a global sensation. Jake Coyle of theAssociated Presswrites in his review, “If the slap caused a reassessment of Smith as a movie star, “Ride or Die” is the kind of the tailor-made vehicle that reminds you there haven’t been many better male American action stars in the last few decades.” Joe George ofDen of Geekcomments, “Smith proves once again that neither age nor slaps, nor prestige Oscar plays can diminish his on-screen persona. When he wants to be the coolest man on the planet, Will Smith can be the coolest man on the planet.“Bad Boys: Ride or Dieproves that Smith hasn’t lost his touch.
Set in Miami,Bad Boys: Ride or Dieis the perfect movie to kick off the summer 2024 movie season. Kevin Maher ofThe Times(UK) writes, “In the summer movie context it is nothing short of magnificent.” Emmanuel Noisette ofThe Movie Blogwrites in his review, “Bad Boys Ride or Die” is an exhilarating, action-packed ride that surpasses expectations. The film is a fun, must-see summer blockbuster, with enough action, drama, and humor to warrant a trip to the theaters.” Nell Minow ofMovie Momwrites, “What’cha going to do? You’re going to go see this silly summer movie because it has Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, a lot of winks and in-jokes, and some eye-popping chases and explosions.“The release ofBad Boys 4could not be better timed.
2The Blockbuster Flourishes In Its Lack Of Self-Seriousness
Based on the praise forBad Boys: Ride or Die, it’s evident that theBad Boysfranchise still knows its true identity and what its fans are expecting from it. Nick De Semlyen ofEmpire Magazinewrites in his review, “Scruffy and overstuffed, but contagiously good-natured. And frankly more films need to feature showdowns at abandoned alligator-themed amusement parks.” Clarisse Loughrey ofThe Independentwrites, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die has learned a few valuable lessons from the Fast & Furious franchise – dumb and loud, executed with right enthusiasm, can feel like a warm hug.“Bad Boys 4likely isn’t going up for any Oscars and it’s ultimately better for it.
Some critics contend that the new film is as good as the Bay classic
Some critics have praised the quality and sheer fun ofBad Boys 4and compared it to the impact of the original 1995 directed by Michael Bay. Nasser Al Maskri ofThe National writes, “If Bad Boys does indeed continue on to a fifth chapter… they have honed a winning formula here in the fourth, the best film since the 1995 original.” However,not all critics are quite as convinced. Jake Wilson ofThe Agewrites, “Co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah bring little to the table beyond a desire to emulate original Bad Boys director Michael Bay, without being able to match the appalling but undeniably distinctive excesses of the master.” Comparisons aside, the reviews ofBad Boys: Ride or Dieindicate that fans of the series will enjoy the latest installment.
Where To Watch Bad Boys: Ride Or Die - Showtimes & Streaming Status
The Bad Boys franchise is back with another Will Smith and Martin Lawrence movie. Here’s where to watch Bad Boys: Ride or Die in theaters or at home.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Cast
Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the action-packed saga of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The film follows the duo as they face new threats and personal challenges, blending intense action scenes with the camaraderie fans have come to love in the Bad Boys series.
