*Looks at watch* So, I knew that Bad Boys for Life was coming out, but I totally forgot it was coming out this weekend. The movie had a long stop-and-go development process and then has since quietly moved along in its production. We’ve seen trailers, but for some reason, it still didn’t completely register, for one reason or another.

As you can probably tell, I wasn’t exactly expecting much from this movie, and I can’t be the only one. But, if the reviews are anything to go by, Bad Boys For Life could be the best film in the franchise.

As of this writing, the film is north of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Rolling Stone praises the film for its ability to evolve past the flaws of the franchise, and in spite of its heartless plot and dialogue, feel “touched by human hands.”

RELATED – Sony Releases The Second Trailer For Bad Boys For Life

“Bad Boys For Life, the third chapter in the series, doesn’t exactly dodge those flaws, though it does move past them. It also raises two questions: Does anyone even remember Bad Boys after 25 years? And will anyone care that this franchise is back? It’s a shock to report that, yes, you will care. The first smart decision that this new entry makes is kicking Bay to the curb.”

TheWrap praises directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, saying, “It’s almost endearing how these wanna-Bays try to please those nostalgic for the Bruckheimer-bred glitzmeister’s surface gleam, swirling cameras and rock-‘em-sock-‘em action, and yet — shhh! — these new guys are actually better than Bay ever was at directing the stars’ push-pull comic exchanges, which end up being this otherwise slapdash sequel’s brightest spots.”

THR, on the other hand, celebrates the leads, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. 

“It’s impressive and enjoyable to behold how easily Smith and Lawrence slide back into these characters and actually make them more accessible and fun to be around than before. Mike gives Marcus plenty of crap about riding into the sunset while maintaining that he’s “going to be running down criminals until I’m a hundred.”

EW, while still positive, is a bit more mixed on the movie. 

“Luckily for [the directing duo who loves explosions], a good portion of the plot involves blowing things up: buildings, helicopters, humans. Though the movie is always at its best when it lets the chemistry between its two costars breathe; when it doesn’t, it’s mostly interchangeable with any other fast, furious thriller that passes through the multiplex.”

Not all the reviews are Fresh, though even this Rotten one from CNN acknowledges many of the same strengths as above, and even reads more positive than its Fresh counterparts. All the same, they seem less entranced by what it has to offer.

“As is, this update of a brand of buddy action-comedy Hollywood churned out with regularity way back when is a pretty shoot-by-numbers affair, beyond the mild kick of acknowledging that the central duo are getting a bit old for this sort of thing.”

All in all, this sounds like it could be a bit tiring, a bit old, but if you just turn your brain off and enjoy spending time with these characters once again, you may just have a good time. 

Does this get you any more excited for what’s to come? Let us know down below!

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