Bad Boys II
Bad Boys II is offensive, absurdly violent, absolutely preposterous, excessive, and directed by Michael Bay. Would you expect it any differently? Bay gets his kicks with this stuff. He loves lingering the camera on fine, scantily clad females; he relishes the chaotic destruction of manmade structures and even the human body as it's riddled with bullets; he has a fetish for super slow motion, hyper-quick camera movements, and even swearing! If there is a summer movie cliche, Bay will assuredly place it in any of his films and do it to the nth power. "Bad Boys II" is no different. But before you jump your guns with cries of, keep me away from this trash, please hear me out. It may wear the cliches of the genre on its sleeve; yet you can't deny the heart-pounding intensity that Bay delivers consistently with this picture.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are the "bad boys" of the title and are a duo that just won't quit. They are both fantastic, clearly having a great time and it is contagious indeed. The what, who, and why are unimportant really (the plot has something to do with Ecstasy trafficking). You don't need unnecessary logistics like a coherent plot to keep the audiences' attention. Just watch the screen and try to absorb as much of the testosterone being flung forth as you can. Between the extremely rare lulls in action, watching these two natural comedians bicker and banter is great entertainment in and of itself.
As previously stated, the action is awesome. Say what you will about Bay's abilities as a storyteller, when it comes to visuals, he is always at the top of his game. Each shot is trailer worthy, and while this makes "Bad Boys II" inspiring and beautiful to watch, when it comes to piecing it together, there are unfortunate problems when it comes to editing. The film is cut together in a choppy manner, almost disorientingly so. This makes it difficult for any given buildup and payoff as is necessary in the construction of any effective scene.
"Bad Boys II" may not have tongue firmly in cheek, but its combination of racy humor and racing action is successful enough that you won't question a thing: from the laws of physics taking place or the nonsensical plot; instead you'll accept it in all its blissfully ridiculous glory.