Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Bad Boys for Life

also known as “Bad Boys Navždy,” “Bad Boys Para Sempre,” “Bad Boys Para Siempre,” “Bad Boys: Her Zaman Çılgın,” “Bad Boys: Mindörökké rosszfiúk,” “Băieţi răi 3,” See all »
MPA Rating: R-Rating (MPA) for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use.
Moral Rating: Not recommended, due to very vulgar language and heavy and bloody violence, etc.
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Action Crime Comedy Sequel
Length: 2 hr. 3 min.
Year of Release: 2020
USA Release: January 17, 2020 (wide release)
DVD: April 28
Copyright, Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Picturesclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures Copyright, Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures

What does the Bible say about LEWDNESS (LASCIVIOUSNESS)? Answer

Police work

Midlife crisis in men

Retirement issues

Friendship

Drug cartels

Revenge / vengenance

FILM VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer

Featuring Will SmithDetective Mike Lowrey
Martin LawrenceDetective Marcus Burnett
Jacob Scipio … Armando Armas Tapia—the main antagonist and the brother of Johnny Tapia, who Burnett killed years ago
Vanessa HudgensKelley
Alexander LudwigDorn
Joe PantolianoCaptain Howard
Charles MeltonRafe
Paola Nuñez … Rita
Kate del Castillo … Isabel
Happy Anderson … Jenkins
Melissa Kennemore … Major Patel Miami PD
Nicky Jam … Zway-Lo
DJ Khaled … Manny the Butcher
See all »
Director Adil El Arbi
Bilall Fallah
Producer 2.0 Entertainment
Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Overbrook Entertainment
See all »
Distributor

Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is now a police inspector and Mike Lowery (Will Smith) is in a midlife crisis. They unite again when an Albanian mercenary, whose brother they killed, promises them an important bonus.”

Prequel: Bad Boys II (2003)

  • Violence: Very Heavy to Extreme— • bloody impalements • multiple bloody stabbings and throat cutting • numerous shootings, gun battles and deaths by guns (sniper rifle, machine guns, bazooka, shotgun, handguns), including bloody shot to face • inmates kill prison guards • bloody assassinations • firebombing an ambulance • use of a meat tenderizing mallet to beat a man • person crushed to death by falling car • deadly explosions • fights • use of a dead body as a shield from gunfire • vehicle chases, collisions and battles • falls from height • helicopter crash • death and near-death by fire • etc.
  • Vulgar/Crude language: • “motherf***er” (5) • other f-words (50), including “Just because I f***ed your mother,” “You f***ed a married witch,” “How do you f*** a witch without a condom?,” “I'm gonna fast food fist-f*** you” • p*nis • “d*ck pics” • “d*ck” (mulitiple) • “d*ckheads” • “b*lls” • “a**hole” (2) • “a**” (22+) • s-words (80) • “p*ssed” • “son of a b*tch” • “n*gger” • “You're shrinking me now”
  • Profane language: • “Oh J*sus” • “Oh G*d” • “Oh my G*d” (2) • “h*ll” (16+) • d*mn (9)
  • Nudity: • women in small bikinis • women wearing very short tight dresses • cleavage • shirtless males
  • Sex: • various vulgar sexual comments • comment about looking at Internet porn • married couple kiss (brief)
  • Occult: • reference to woman who is into “some dark” practices • witch

Learn about DISCERNMENT—wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions

cinema tickets. © Alexey SmirnovEvery time you buy a movie ticket or buy or rent a video you are in effect casting a vote telling Hollywood, “I’ll pay for that. That’s what I want.” Read our article

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Secular Movie Critics
…Violence-saturated eye candy… an attempt to re-start a dormant franchise to give Sony another bankable series. The reek of desperation is so strong that it permeates every frame and would be hard to miss by even the most distracted of viewers.… The sad thing about “Bad Boys for Life” is that it introduces some interesting elements but, apparently suffering from extreme ADHD, can’t stick with them. They become throwaway plot points. …[2]
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
…A by-the-numbers sequel, which, like its protagonists, desperately wants to reclaim past glories that are far, far out of reach. …
Tim Grierson, Screen Daily
…you’ll forget it by next week… [C]
Jason Bailey, The Playlist
…“Bad Boys for Life” – while not as combustibly fun as the second installment – is fine, cheesy, Saturday afternoon mayhem, smoothly served with a heaping helping of “We’re all getting older.” But are we getting wiser? And does it matter? Probably. …[2/5]
Marc Savlov, The Austin Chronicle
…tank-sized holes in the plot. For example, in this film Lowrey is shot, and then the bad guys halt their crime spree for six months while he gets better. …
Johanna Schneller, The Globe andMail (Canada)
…The production is no masterpiece. Much of the physical action is ludicrous, or gratuitous; some of the heroes’ emotional baggage is excess. But an unexpected something sneaks up on us as the story unfolds. In between the volcanic eruptions of violence and mayhem, the film takes its buddies seriously—with such outsize sincerity that we can take them to our hearts. …
Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal
…the movie sets the bar high for this year’s Dopiest Movie Plot Twist competition…
Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
…“Bad Boys for Life” may be a frantic visual blur but it’s razor-sharp thematically. Its mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make a jaded 2020 audience glad to see these guys again. The movie’s not the point. The boys are the point. …[2]
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
…It’s oddly flat and unfunny… “Bad Boys” only works when the bickering cops are center stage. …[2/4]
Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
…The violence in “Bad Boys for Life” is intense and constant. …This is a movie where the charming guys fire holes into the un-charming guys while blowing stuff up and telling mildly funny jokes. Its story is absurd, most of the dialogue not spoken by one of the two leads is laughable, and save for a draggy middle section when the plot mechanics keep the bad boys separated, it’s a lot of fun…
Oliver Jones, Observer (NYC)