Bad Boys (1995)

Directed by: Michael Bay | 118 minutes | action, comedy, crime, thriller | Actors: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Tchéky Karyo, Joe Pantoliano, Theresa Randle, Marg Helgenberger, Nestor Serrano, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Saverio Guerra, Michael Imperioli, Anna Levine, Vic Manni, Frank John Hughes, Mike Kirton

‘Bad Boys, Bad Boys. What you gonna do? What you gonna do when they come for you?’ A phrase from the chorus of the famous Inner Circle song will make many people think of the American television series ‘COPS’, which aired more than 600 episodes from March 1989. But Michael Bay’s film gives the soundtrack of this television series a new meaning. Because sung in a car by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, two wacky DEA cops looking for a stolen consignment of drugs, ‘Bad Boys’ might come into its own.

The storyline in ‘Bad Boys’ is not so much original. One night, through a well-designed heist in a police depot, a French criminal Fouchet ‘returns’ a consignment of heroin seized by the DEA. When one of the criminals keeps a small part to himself and eventually causes the murder of a friend of Detective Mike Lowrey, the thunder begins. Not very special you would say. In fact, this movie might have flopped if the cast hadn’t been chosen so carefully. Because let’s face it: what can go wrong in a film in which Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Téa Leoni, Tchéky Karyo, Joe Pantoliano, and Marg Helgenberger star next to each other? Indeed. Pretty little.

The roles are tailor-made for the actors and that is more a credit to the script writers and casting directors than to the actors themselves. Yet they all know how to play their part very well. Will Smith plays the arrogant playboy Mike Lowrey, Martin Lawrence the less successful, funny detective Marcus Burnett, who above all has a big mouth. The interaction between these two alone makes ‘Bad Boys’ worth checking out. It’s not for nothing that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence made a success of the comedy series ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ and ‘What’s Happening Now!’. Add to that a mean and cold-blooded Tchéky Karyo (the criminal), a stressed Joe Pantoliano (the inspector), a headstrong Téa Leoni (the witness) and a stern Marg Helgenberger (the Internal Affairs watchdog) and the story is complete.
‘They left us nothing but a big fuck you!’. Pantoliano couldn’t have said it better than Chief Inspector Howard. He feels attacked in his own home, and when the witness Julie Mott asks for Mike Lowrey and he is not present, he is forced to let his partner Marcus take over the role. The metamorphosis that will make the rest of the film even more comical already develops during the telephone conversation. As two housewives, Howard and Marcus argue about the way Lowrey’s voice sounds. And those comedic fights only get worse when Mike and Marcus are tasked with protecting the witness. At Mike’s house. But with reverse roles.

Of course a lot goes wrong, and in the film there is more swearing than lovingly listened to each other. But that’s what makes the film so strong. Because even though Mike and Marcus are annoyed by each other’s quirks, they share a past that connects them as brothers. Actually, ‘Bad Boys’ contains all the small and tasty ingredients that only take on meaning when you eat them together. A nice soundtrack (why does ‘Me Against The World’ by rapper Tupac sound so fantastic in this film), lots of action, lots of strong roles and a lot more humor. ‘Bad Boys’ is a film about the bond between two crazy cops, about waking up with a Power Ranger up your ass, about cops asking for Skittles with a loaded gun in hand and witnesses being handcuffed to the car wheel. of a Porsche Carrera. A great boys movie. With a big wink, of course.