Bad Boys (1995)

Director:

Michael Bay

Writers (WGA):

George Gallo (story)
Michael Barrie (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 April 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Whatcha gonna do?

Plot:

Two hip detectives protect a murder witness while investigating a case of stolen heroin.

Plot Keywords:

Blood Splatter | Porsche | Shot In The Leg | Stabbed In The Hand | Desert Eagle

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Martin Lawrence	...	Det. Marcus Burnett
Will Smith	...	Det. Mike Lowrey
Téa Leoni	...	Julie Mott
Tchéky Karyo	...	Fouchet
Joe Pantoliano	...	Captain C. Howard
Theresa Randle	...	Theresa Burnett
Marg Helgenberger	...	Capt. Alison Sinclair
Nestor Serrano	...	Detective Sanchez
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Detective Ruiz
Saverio Guerra	...	Chet, the Doorman
Michael Imperioli	...	Jojo
Anna Levine	...	Francine (as Anna Thomson)
Vic Manni	...	Ferguson
Frank John Hughes	...	Casper
Mike Kirton	...	Andy

Also Known As:

Bulletproof Hearts (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for intense violent action and pervasive strong language.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:R-18 | Japan:R | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:18 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Germany:18 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #33591) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida, USA

Company:

Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Trivia:

Director Michael Bay didn't like the script and often engaged Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in discussions about how the dialogue and scenes could improve. He often allowed them to improvise while the camera were rolling. He secretly told Will to call Lawrence a bitch before the car-scene. The whole "two bitches in the sea" was improvised, as was Martin's comment when Téa Leoni called him gay.

Goofs:

Continuity: Three tail lights get shot out of the same car in the hotel chase scene.

Quotes:

Mike Lowrey: Please, man. Married life is easy. You only got one woman to satisfy.
Marcus Burnett: Yo, man, we ain't the Cosbys.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Janji Joni (2005)

Soundtrack:

Boom Boom Boom

A funny, thoroughly entertaining action comedy

Bad Boys is a great action comedy from producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It features Will Smith (in his breakout performance) and Martin Lawrence, an unlikely pair who quite simply are the best movie duo I've seen since Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour. The film features incredible action sequences (i.e. the Ether truck chase scene featuring massive explosions and pervasive gun fights) which all lead up to the film's action-packed climax which could only be done in a Jerry Bruckheimer film. The film also stars Tea Leoni (who is pretty good in playing the damsel in distress), Joe Pantoliano (whom we all know as Ralphie on The Sopranos, as a police captain) and Tcheky Karyo as the villain. (He was also the French officer opposite Mel Gibson in 2000's The Patriot) The movie features comedic one-liners from Smith and Lawrence as well as a few by Leoni. It also features a few sex jokes and just plain "disses". However, the characters are so underdeveloped that all we are left with is action and comedy. This formula is also seen in the recent summer blockbuster Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, in which we could care less about the characters and just look for the action. However, Simpson and Bruckheimer's Bad Boys succeeds where T3 does not. By the end of the movie, we care about the heroes because they are fun to watch. In T3, the great Ah-nuld is just a figurehead for a movie romped with action-packed sequences and jaw-dropping stunts. This is one of only three good Michael Bay films (right next to Pearl Harbor and The Rock) and should seen by any action movie fan.

Lenny's Grade: B