Bad Boys - Harte Jungs

This high-action crime drama stands out for me because it succeeds at doing what other movies* have tried and, in my opinion, failed to do -- integrate genuinely funny comedy into the mix. The success is attributable partly to the comedic talents of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence -- who have the ability to deliver crude, rude dialog such that it's funny nevertheless -- and partly to a story that combines suspense and humor into a believable whole.

Our two heroes are police detectives Mike Lowry (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence), who are a kind of tough-cop variation on The Odd Couple . Lowry is suave, slick, self-controlled, well-to-do, heroic, and a real ladies man. Burnett, on the other hand, is an ordinary guy who manages to stumble reasonably effectively, if somewhat ineptly, through his work and his married life.

So imagine what happens when Burnett has to convince a key witness, Julie (Téa Leoni) that he's Mike Lowry -- not just for a few hours, but for a few days. Furthermore, this is no pre-planned, well-orchestrated masquerade. A large stash of confiscated heroin has been un-confiscated right from police headquarters, and both the heroin and the perpetrator must be found within four days, or Internal Affairs is going to take some big-time disciplinary action. Lowry and Burnett are called in because they were the ones who captured the heroin in the first place, and because of the one trait they share -- a renegade approach to police work, which may not have their boss's approval, but which does get the job done (and at one point, causes a store owner to think they're out to rob him). The various twists and turns of the investigation lead to Lowry getting knocked out of commission at the same time that Julie witnesses a murder and refuses to deal with anybody but Mike Lowry. But Marcus Burnett is the only one available to deal with her, and since waiting for Lowry to recover isn't an option …

Subsequent events include Lowry's bachelor pad being invaded by Julie and her dogs, while Lowry stays with Burnett's wife, Burnett trying to keep his wife from finding out what's really going on, and Burnett and Lowry trying to find the heroin and keep Julie alive.

For all you action movie fans, plenty of cars, plenty of buildings, and plenty of people get blown up along the way. (Looking over this review, I see that I've belied the high level of violence, which I definitely should warn you against.)

BAD BOYS kept me both amused and on the edge of my seat throughout. I'm afraid I did have two small complaints, however. First, I wish the resolution of the Burnett-pretending-to-be-Lowry story had been timed to coincide with the resolution of the main plot.

As it is, the comic subplot ends, leaving the rest of the movie to proceed in a rather formulaic and pedantic fashion. Second, I wish more time had been spent on Lowry's problem of stepping into Burnett's shoes. The swinging bachelor having to play family man would have been good for a few laughs that we never got.

Aside from that, however, this is an action movie that stands out among the rest.

One final note concerning the DVD "Special Edition" release. BAD BOYS was a movie in which the music was particularly effective, and the DVD actually lets you listen to the music track by itself. I wish DVDs of other movies with great music had this option.

* Three examples that come to mind are 48 HOURS, KINDERGARTEN COP, and another Michael Bay film, ARMAGEDDON. 48 HOURS was grim enough to seriously stifle the humor, even with Eddie Murphy in the lead role. KINDERGARTEN COP made me laugh, but the crime drama felt like an unwelcome intrusion. In ARMAGEDDON, I felt the stakes were high enough that humor didn't seem appropriate.

As a protege of Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, who died after the movie came out before The Rock was released, Michael Bay made his directorial debut with this modestly budgeted buddy comedy that spawned a sequel and another one coming out next January, all starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. THe title of the movie is based on a popular song used for the classic tv show COPS, and both movies including this one have a killer soundtrack. Will Smith got his big break with this movie before getting into an even bigger movie with ID4 (soon to be dwarfed by others including Alladin). Martin Lawrence, fresh off from his hit tv show Martin on fox, is the buddy of will smith.

I had no high hopes when I walked into this film. I like Will Smith, I like Martin Lawrence, so I figured this film will at least be funny. And it was funny, and then some. It was action packed, thrilling and a helluva good time. I came out of the theatre thinking that the guy who directed that movie is going to be huge.

Michael Bay, former music video and commercial director, has made an incredible directorial debut. The film never stops. When it isn't action-packed, it is funny. It is sexy, fun and always moving. Christian Wagner's editing is phenomenal. I love action movies that really try to be action movies. A lot of action films know that they are action films so they try to incorporate other genres to make the film more complete, but they often fail miserably. They try so hard to be something they are not that they forget what they are in the first place. The essence of the action film is the action. It is a necessary component, it needs to be there otherwise it loses its edge. "Bad Boys" doesn't just throw in the occassional action sequence to meet the expectations of the genre, but instead uses the action to help tell the story. It is this use of filmmaking that allows an action film to remain an action film and still go beyond.

Watch "Bad Boys" again and every time there is an action sequence, ask yourself why that was there and what did it accomplish. You will find that each sequence took the film to another level; it introduced an new conflict, it increased the present conflict, it eliminated a key character, it introduced a new character, and so on. There are a lot of action films out there that sacrifice story for spectacle, and the audience notices this. At the centre of all films lies the story and if it comes to a halt so does the interest of the viewers.

"Bad Boys" of course isn't the greatest story on film, or even in the action genre, but what is so appealing and memorable about "Bad Boys" is that it is just as entertaining with its story as it is with its action by combining the two without sacrificing either. Michael Bay understands the importance of the story within the structure of the film. He tells a visual story, entertaining and complete, and leaves you very satisfied. Watch for Michael Bay because he is here to stay.

Detectives Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have three days to find $100 million worth of heroin from a crazed drug-dealer in Miami in this fast-paced and comedy/action thriller. The witness to a murder (Tea Leoni) of one of Smith's best friends is also along for the frantic ride that is fun, clever and highly entertaining. Watch for then-NBA star John Salley in a great cameo as an imprisoned computer hacker. A rare winner from a sometimes trivial cinematic genre. 4 stars out of 5.

Terrible terrible terrible (oh cool, an explosion) terrible. If you have seen any of the Lethal Weapon movies, you already know 90% of the jokes and dialogue from Bad Boys. The twist is that Smith's character is some millionaire playboy who takes a job as a drug cop because of the excitement and the satisfaction of ridding the streets of scum. Like all of his other roles, Smith brings absolutely nothing to the part, and plays it just as stupidly as it is written and conceived. Martin Lawrence, on the other hand, has never been good or funny in anything he's every been in, ever, so no surprises from him.

Now they're making a Bad Boys II. Maybe I will take up doing crosswords or something, because movies just keep getting worse.