BAD BOYS II
US, 2003, 147 minutes, Colour.
Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jordi Molla, Gabrielle Union, Peter Stormare, Theresa Randall, Joe Pantoliano, Michael Shannon, John Ceda, Yul Vazquez, Henry Rollins.
Directed by Michael Bay.
Bad Boys was a loud, raucous, violent police buddy movie. Bad Boys II is an even louder, more raucous, more violent police buddy movie - even though they fall out this time. Actually, in the light of the war in Iraq, the film seems fairly reprehensible. It is assumed that Americans are always right, that shoot-em-ups and spectacularly destructive car chases should be a normal way of solving and eliminating crime and, what seems worse, that it is OK to go to a foreign country (preferably one which is considered hostile) cause a lot of mayhem destroying a lived-in village without a second thought for the inhabitants (who may be all cocaine processors anyway). The number of those who have been killed in Iraq by accident is a sombre reality check with what we see here. In this case it is Cuba - is Cuba a cocaine producing country?
Director Michael Bay has got over Pearl Harbour and is merely blowing up parts of Miami and Cuba. He is a master of stunts and effects but less so in creating characters and telling a compelling story. The screen talents of Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and Gabrielle Union are secondary to the stunts. At practically two and a half hours, this is a long slog with so much violence that one is left rather numb - except for that irking feeling about American might is right.
On the other hand, simply taken as an action show, as an exemplar of action entertainment, the film was extremely popular with the fans.
1. The popularity of the original film? Continued popularity with this sequel? An exemplary action show?
2. Police, drug crime, a buddy film, an action show – for the 21st-century?
3. The locations, the city of Miami, the views, the ocean? Police precincts? The streets, drug centres, the mortuary, the Klan meeting? Cuban background? The musical score?
4. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, their popularity, the experiences in the original film, the title Bad Boys, their song? Working together, the bonds between them, friendship, work, in action, defiance of the criminals, problems for their superiors? Law and justice? The drug dealing, building up to the confrontation? The range of thugs, fights and pursuits?
5. The personal stories, Marcus and his marriage? Mike and the attraction towards Sydney? Marcus’s sister? The human aspects?
6. The squad captain, this the police in action in Miami? Mike and Marcus as part of the squad, breaking the balance, authority frustration? Orders?
7. The drug situation, coming in from Cuba, the drug Lord, his Empire, the battles in the city? Spread throughout Miami? Issues of money and payments?
8. The situation, the spread of drugs? The episode with the Ku Klux Klan, the failing radio? Marcus being shot in the butt?
9. Sydney, the attraction to Mike, her work as an undercover agent?
10. The Haiti gang, the mortuary, the use of the corpses for distribution? Sydney and the trouble with the Haitians?
11. The ambulance driving, the Coast Guard, the Russian gangsters?
12. The solving of the case after all the chases and fights? Sydney and Mike? The friends in the pool – and washed out to sea?
13. 17 years for another sequel?
