In 1995, Will Smith and Michael Bay were names known for things that were well outside the realm of blockbuster filmmaking. Oh sure, Bay had done quite a few well received music videos, and Smith was in millions of homes and stereos as The Fresh Prince. But once Bad Boys was released, everything changed. Smith became a huge box office draw and Bay would go on to make five films that contained robots fighting which we covered on this podcast last year. So what happened to the once top billed Martin Lawrence? And why are we getting Bad Boys For Life a mere 17 years following the second installment? Those are among the many things this retrospective featuring myself, Matt, and Michael Guarnieri, will explore.
In 2003, two out of the three principle stars of the Bad Boys franchise needed a hit. Director Michael Bay was two years removed from a strike out at an attempt at credibility with 2001's Pearl Harbor, and Martin Lawrence was doing, well, Martin Lawrence things. Will Smith, on the other hand, was newly minted as an Oscar nominee for Ali. But he also was coming off a pretty bad one two punch, this one containing Legend of Bagger Vance and Wild Wild West. So eight years after the first Bad Boys was released, all three stars finally came together for its sequel.
Which is what we are here to discuss. Bad Boys II. A film both reviled and loved by many. What else is new with Michael Bay? Yet, how will we feel about it? Listen to Matt, Mike, and myself dissect the, uhhh, plot to the film, and try to determine if Joey Pants had a career immediately following its release.
Be sure to check back next week as all three of us will return for a full review of Bad Boys For Life!
Bad Boys II (2003) (?/10, ?/10, ?/10)
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