Bromance
There are certain movies, mindless by nature but inspiring for their entertainment level. Such movies sheer existence gave birth to modern 21st century terms that never existed previously. Bad Boys 1 and Bad Boys 2 available for viewership on Netflix are movies which gave birth to the term Bromance due to the camaraderie between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Both sequels tackle the ever-relevant topic of the fight against drug trafficking.
General Synopsis
The stories of both Bad Boys 1 and Bad Boys 2 are set in the vibrant city of Miami. Being close to Cuba, it does not take 2nd guesses for audiences to comprehend that both movies are about combatting narcotics.
Bad Boys 1 Synopsis
Released in 1995, Bad Boys 1 is about how USD$100 million worth of heroin was stolen from a secure police vault by Eddie Dominguez (Emmanuel Xuereb) an ex-rogue cop who is hired by French drug kingpin, Fouchet (Tcheky Karyo) to steal the drugs on his behalf. Marcus Bennette (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) are assigned the investigation by Capt. Conrad (Joe Pantoliano) who is under severe pressure to close the investigation as his fellow colleagues and seniors threaten to close their department suspecting foul play. Matters begin spiraling out of control when Mike requests his informant and ex-girlfriend Maxine Logan (Karen Alexander) to look for people who have become newly rich which leads her and Julie Mott (Tea Leoni) to Eddie. While Maxine and Eddie are killed by Fouchet, Julie escapes and receives police protection from Marcus and Mike. The rest of the movie is a wild goose chase around Miami to recover the drugs. As mundane as a wild goose chase sounds to critiques, it is the most entertaining aspect of the movie.
Bad Boys 2 Synopsis
The story line of Bad Boys 2 increases in sophistication as far as action sequences go but is like Bad Boys 1 as far as the story line is concerned. Bad Boys 2 takes the EQ levels up a notch by demonstrating Mike as a committed boyfriend to Marcus’ sister Syd (Gabrielle Union). Bad Boys 2 also reflects on the rising stress levels of working in time sensitive Narcotics departments of the Miami police force with Marcus being on the brink of an emotional breakdown and requiring several hours in therapy to attain “Woozah”. Choosing to deal with dangerous situations in a non – confrontational manner, Marcus discovers incompatibilities in his relationship with Mike who deals with hostile situations by going out guns blazing. To add more fuel to the fire Mike and Syd keep their relationship secret which leads Marcus to conclude that they should not remain partners after finding out about their affair. Compared to Bad Boys 1, Bad Boys 2 cast involves the female leads playing a significant role in the story line, compared to being damsels in distress. The movie reflects Syd as an ambitious person by working undercover for the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) as a money laundering specialist. She contributes to the story significantly by becoming the banker in charge of money laundering for our villain, the Cuban drug lord Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla). While Syd ties up the financial trafficking of Johnny’s business, Marcus and Mike work out how Johnny deals with the transport of drugs and his cash to Cuba. Both movies do well in “Bromance” by chasing French gangsters in Bad Boys 1 and Cuban gangsters in Bad Boys 2 sitting in expensive sports cars and blowing up trucks and other vehicles along the way.
Bad Boys 1 Porsche vs Bad Boys 2 Ferrari
The producer / director combo of Jerry Bruckheimer / Michael Bay has been inspirational for several action movies regardless of industry by ensuring that the dream team of Mike and Marcus drove the best cars of their time i.e., Porsche in Bad Boys 1 & Ferrari in Bad Boys 2. The most entertaining and action packaged scenes in both sequels are filmed on Miami freeways with Mike driving at an insane speed in varied directions and Marcus shooting in the wrong place and at the last minute. The best chase sequence involving sports cars occurs in Bad Boys 2 when Marcus and Mike chase the Zoe pounder gang who attempt to steal money that Syd is transporting from Russian distributors to Johnny Tapia’s men. They begin the chase in Mike’s Ferrari and in the process of chasing the Zoe pounder gang Marcus shoots the car dashboard instead of outside. The expression on Mike’s face is worth marveling when he intercepts the repair costs phone call when they are in a meeting with Capt. Conrad.
Classic Dialogues
“Bad Boys Bad Boys whatcha gonna do when we come for you”
“We ride together, we die together. Bad Boys for Life”
“My dad left me no trust fund”
The captioned dialogues associated with Bad Boys 1 and Bad Boys 2 leave a lasting impression on audience’s minds given the 8-year time gap between both releases thereby ensuring that the lines remain evergreen. Furthermore, these dialogues are spoken at breaking point scenes in both sequels which contributes immensely to the camaraderie of our leading duo. “We ride together, we die together. Bad Boys for Life” is spoken during the climax of both sequels which forms the basis of the Bromance. “My dad left me no trust fund” Marcus’ favorite dialogue in both sequels to highlight the financial disparity between both protagonists. While Mike hails from a wealthy family who followed his passion to become a tough cop, Marcus is the breadwinner of the family and is constantly struggling to balance work and family life. Despite the differences, this winning team do immensely well as they back one another up strongly on the professional front and have a tacit understanding on dealing with one another on the personal front. Mike’s efforts to fit into Marcus’ family life looks effortless especially with Marcus’ family be it his caring attitude towards Syd in Bad Boys 2 or spending time entertaining Marcus’ insecure wife Theresa in Bad Boys 1.
Comedic Action
“Damn, somebody shot you in the ass.” Imagine the art that went behind shooting such a scene which had audiences like myself cracking up 5 mins into the beginning of this flick. The context of this scene although worth explaining is best experienced when viewed as no amount of analysis can take Marcus’ pain away. If you need ideas on illegal entries into a drug lord’s villa the best cops to approach are Marcus and Mike. Marcus and Mike pose as pest controllers in Bad Boys 2 to gain entry to Tapia’s villa to plant wires to hear his conversations. Unfortunately, they deal with the murder of Tapia’s Russian drug distributor occurring in the kitchen when they are in the attic planting wires, dealing a bunch of unusual rats. Marcus uses his intensely comedic impersonation skills to behave like Mike in Bad Boys 1 when Julie calls the police station looking for Mike asking for protection. He does this because Mike is knocked out by one of Fouchet’s men when he goes to look for the Madam who hired Julie and Maxine. Nervous Marcus must sound and behave like tough guy Mike based on Capt. Conrad’s orders. This impersonation is the basis of all comedy in this sequel.
Bad Boys for Life
Living up to the slogan, “Bad Boys Bad Boys whatcha gonna do when we come for you” was a true feat for Mike and Marcus considering the twisted people they had to deal with during their career span. The most sinister villain was Johnny Tapia who gave them a true ride for their lives. On a concluding note, I grant these flicks 4/5 ratings on the action and entertainment front.
