Preface: Earlier this week, I decided to watch the first two instalments, in order to prepare myself for this one. In doing so, I finally understood the cultural significance and the definitive mark they have made in action movie history. There was the birth of the Michael Bay aesthetic and the dawn of a new action/comedy duo, who will always have our hearts.

After 17 years of waiting, Bad Boys for Life solidified the impact Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have made on a generation. Their effortless chemistry elevated the content and the story was written perfectly for them. I always find that the “one last ride” aspect in any film, always holds much more weight because the stakes are higher and the appreciation for one another is realized. Smith and Lawrence have such a unique dynamic and I’m almost saddened by the fact that we haven’t gotten 9 more of the Bad Boys films.

Bad Boys For Life is also going to be a tough action film to beat this year because of how perfected the action scenes were, while still adding humorous moments and because of the story. The co-directors, Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, revived a franchise by taking what Michael Bay presented all those years ago and integrated their own, thus creating an entirely new piece for the action genre. Many thought that the action sequences in Bad Boys 2 could never be topped but due to the advanced VFX and technology, it was most definitely possible.

The experience I had watching this film will be something I’ll always treasure because of the laughter that was shared among everyone in the theatre. Similar to a moment I had last year, while watching Knives Out – two entirely different films- but I caught myself feeling the same way. They used the history of this franchise and pulled at the heartstrings, causing so many twists and shocking moments. The crowd was animated because everyone feels like they’ve known Marcus and Mike forever.

The connection between Lawrence and Smith is truly unmatched, they were so natural and there was a comfort between them that came through in their characters, even when they were yelling at each other. Will Smith has always been great and will continue to be great, I’m just happy he finally chose a film that was worthy of his many talents as an actor. It’s almost like Smith went back to his roots and it worked. The one person, who truly doesn’t get the credit and should have gotten more recognition the past twenty years, is Martin Lawrence. His comedic timing is impeccable and I found myself laughing at every single thing he did because he’s THAT good.

Bad Boys For Life will pull on the heartstrings, definitely make you laugh and shock you until the very end. It’s a great film to start 2020 with so round up your crew and go have a great time this weekend.