I would pay $5.00 to watch this movie

    Two words describe “Bad Boys II”: Mindless Entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, so was “Bad Boys” the first, and it was a swell movie. In fact, I think of it as one of the best action movies of the 1990’s, certainly one of the best Hollywood action flicks from that era, but “Bad Boys II” tries a little too hard.

    The action sequences in “Bad Boys II” are mostly amazing, and so amazingly over-the-top as to be almost surreal in a straight action film. I mean, the amazing ability of Will Smith’s character to totally disregard the safety of hundreds of civilians while he is chasing the bad guys down the highway is stunning. Once the disbelief is suspended, however, the action sequences are great.

    And this is one of the factors that made “Bad Boys” great; the sheer audacity of the characters. In this movie, however, we see the characters in a bit more responsible a light. Martin Lawrence’s character, the family man, is now engaged in therapy and tends toward forgiveness and non-violence… comedic qualities in a cop. Meanwhile, Will Smith’s character seems on the verge of settling down, although completely oblivious to it. Long story short, we see a lot more depth to the characters than we were exposed to in the first movie. This, sadly, is rather unfortunate. The character development, minimal as it was, seemed totally unnecessary to the advancement of the plot and totally tangential to the story, as if it had been tacked on out of guilt.

    The final act of the movie is entirely based on the somewhat limp character development we saw in the rest of the movie, and that last sequence seems completely out of place. It may follow somewhat logically, and it may be entirely ridiculous and over-the-top, but it just doesn’t jive with the rest of the movie.

    The breakdown is that the action sequences are amazing, the comedy is more often than not hilarious, the acting is solid, the direction is solid, the plot is forced, the cinematography is beautiful, the soundtrack is pretty good, but the story seems far too haphazard for my tastes.

    To give credit where credit is due, Michael Bay did a good thing in falling back on his “Bad Boys” franchise after his relatively pointless foray into historical fiction with “Pearl Harbor”. Overall, I’d say he’s got a nice little career going on so far. Movies the reader might recognize of his are… all of them. Here’s the list: “Bad Boys”, “The Rock”, “Armageddon”, “Pearl Harbor” and “Bad Boys II”. See a trend? Not only are all of these films testosterone-pumping Hollywood action blockbusters, but they’re all rather good, with the possible exception of “Pearl Harbor”. Oh, by the way, he also had a bit role in one episode of “Miami Vice” back when, for all those people who like to compare “Bad Boys II” to that television series.

    Overall, this is a very enjoyable movie. The chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence is still there, and I must say that I really get a kick out of their silly characters. There is less focus on Smith’s character in this movie and more on Lawrence’s, which is refreshing and leads me to believe that there will be a third movie. Don’t let the negative comments I made get you down, this is all hindsight. I had a blast sitting in the theater and watching this movie… other than the last 20 minutes, which did not need to be in the film. Although the last sequence did give you the chance to see iguanas in action, which is always a treat.

    I’d suggest that anybody who enjoys silly Hollywood action blockbusters go check this movie out. If you aren’t the type who is stimulated by mindless entertainment, then wait for it on DVD. For those who liked “Bad Boys” like I did, you will like this movie.