Bad Boys Review
Rated: 18/R
Warning – Spoilers
This is a film very much centered on the friendship between Miami Narcotics cops (Will Smith) Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) instead of the more pressing issue of $150 million worth of stolen heroin. More precisely $150 million worth of stolen heroin stolen right from under the Departments noses.
The character of Fouchet (a small but critical part for Tcheky Karyo) makes an entrance which sets the tone for him for the rest of the film, whereupon he violently disposes a member of his crew just to set an example.
No single character is spared from Fouchet’s brutal violence and this very nature is the reason why our two police friends become so much more personally involved with the case.
For such a dangerous, smart and unforgiving villain, it seems such a shame that Karyo has such a limited role as you really do feel that given the chance, he would not even hesitate to blow away the good guys. However, with whatever material he has, he uses it to great effect.
The single witness, Julie, to which the plot hangs around (played by Tea Leoni) is the only thing stopping Fouchet from staying out of jail, a place which he has avoided for most of his criminal career, and seems to be the only person who really wants to kill him.
The chemistry between Mike and Marcus is essentially what keeps this film together, as the script seems to forget about the rather pressing need to recapture the stolen heroin or that the very reason Mike is going after Fouchet is because he murdered a close friend.
The explosions do not disappoint, coming from a director (Michael Bay) who has had a hand in Armageddon and many other octane fuelled films. The cars, few in their number that they are, certainly fulfill the need for speed at the crucial point of the story.
All in all, the film is not up there with the likes of Nikita but certainly entertains.
