'Bad Boys for Life' early reactions: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence nail it in their third buddy-cop flick

Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the R-Rated action blockbuster boasts of a staggering 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes along with positive reviews from critics.
PUBLISHED JAN 17, 2020
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith (IMDb)
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith (IMDb)

Will Smith's Mike Lowery and Martin Lawrence's Marcus Burnett rocked 1995 as cops in Michael Bay's blockbuster, 'Bad Boys'. They teamed up again in 2003 for a sequel and after a 17-year hiatus, the two wise-cracking, comical buddy-cop duo are back for one last ride with 'Bad Boys for Life'— and the flick has garnered positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a healthy 75% rating based on early reviews while the audience approval rating registered a whopping 95%.  The critic consensus reads: 'Loaded up with action and a double helping of leading-man charisma, Bad Boys for Life reinvigorates this long-dormant franchise by playing squarely to its strengths.'

Variety's Owen Gilberman gave it a thumbs-up saying "Will Smith and Martin Lawrence bring their A-game; they never let us feel like they're going through the motions. The marks may be standard issue, but they hit them with fury and flair." Seconding this was Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan who stated: "The good-natured tension and ribbing between the two old “boys” is still there — and still a bit old hat — but there is a new dynamic that juices the entertainment factor." Roger Ebert called it the best of the three installments.: "It is the best of the three films, offering in some odd ways a corrective to the prior installments."

New York Times handed the action flick a decent rating saying, "They get the job done — delivering a mildly enjoyable movie that committed fans of the franchise will rate a lot higher." The third installment's premise reads: "The Bad Boys Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are back together for one last ride in the highly anticipated Bad Boys for Life."

'Bad Boys for Life' stars Alexander Ludwig, Anthony Molinari, Athena Akers, Carlos Guerrero, Charles Melton, D.J. Khaled, David Moretti, Derrick Gilbert, Emily Towles, Happy Anderson, Ivo Nandi, Jacob Scipio, Jaies Baptiste, Jennifer Badger, Joe Pantoliano, José Alfredo Fernandez, Joseph Velez, Kate del Castillo, Martin Lawrence, Massi Furlan, Melissa Kennemore, Nicky Jam, Paola Nuñez, Sharon Pfeiffer, Sidnei Barboza, Thomas Brag, Vanessa Hudgens, Will Smith.

'Bad Boys for Life' is running in cinemas near you.

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