Bad Boys 2
review by: Forrest Grump
All apologies to Arnold, and the
Wacshowesesski Bros. Michael Bay had the most impressive, graphic and outrageous
white knuckle adventure this summer, and he made me laugh.
Bad Boys 2, the better late than never redemption for Will Smith, Martin
Lawrence, and Michael Bay, was the best balls out action yarn I've seen in
years. The story follows Smith and Lawrence as Detectives Him and The Other Guy,
trying to stop a McGuffin of ecstasy from poisoning all the innocent club kids
in Miami. The plot was tired and done, the characters made no advances in their
personality, and went through the adventure irresponsibly endangering the
public, needlessly risking the lives of their fellow cops and smashing
regulations, rules and guidelines with reckless free wheeling abandon.
Sounds like every other Riggs and Murtaugh adventure put to celluloid? It is,
and it isn't.
The story works because It takes the preconceived plot, and makes no apology,
there is no misguided attempt to make the story fresh. Everyone involved seems
to be aware of this, and the "pick it up and run with it" approach seems to
work. What they are good with and original with is carnage. Men women and
animals being blown up in new and exciting ways. Screaming smashed bodies being
rocketed through road signs, off the roof of parking
garages.
After watching horror movies all of my life, and more reality television then
your average sicko, I find myself jaded and unimpressed at what "shocks" me. I
squealed like a little girl at a Ricky Martin concert nine times during this
movie. The actors phone it in, the backup performers could be dragged from any
HBO original series casting call, and there are the required "Hi from Miami"
cameos.
So my suggestion is this. Forget the its a sequel, it doesn't have to be. Forget
that we live in a world with laws, and morals. Go for the explosions, car
chases, nasty nasty brestesis, Pantaliano freakin' out, undercarriage short
skirt, necrocarnalogy (my own).
Leave pretension behind, put the brain in check. Hoot Like Ron Perlman in quest
for fire, pointing at all the pretty lights on the big screen. Because explosive
summer action in its most un-PC is a dying breed, and this could very well be
its swan song.
My grade B+ eye candy is enough to save ridiculous plot.