7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett must face off against a mother-and-son pair of drug lords who wreak vengeful havoc on their city.
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles MeltonAction | 100% |
Thriller | 23% |
Crime | 10% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish DTS-HD = Castilian, Spanish DD = Latin America
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Whether Michael Bay's Bad Boys franchise has surpassed the Lethal Weapon family of films as the definitive "Buddy Cop" movie experience is up for debate, but with Bad Boys for Life the franchise turns 25 years old and proves that there's still staying power in the chemistry-laden duo of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, playing a pair of mouthy, high energy Miami detectives who skirt the law in order to uphold it. For this film, a pair of relatively unknown directors -- Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah -- take over for Bay, who with the original 1995 film redesigned style, re-imaged cool, and made a name for himself and stars out of Smith and Lawrence. Bad Boys for Life misses his finishing touch but Arbi and Fallah certainly impersonate it with vigor and demonstrate great potential as filmmakers within this genre; it's unsurprising to see their names attached to an upcoming Beverly Hills Cop film.
Bad Boys for Life foregoes the franchise's film roots for a digital production that fares well but lacks the distinctive grainy texturing of the originals, replaced here with digital noise that is seen in frequency but not usually in excess. Additionally, the movie retains some of that Bay-esque hot Miami contrast but it doesn't push things overboard. Colors are certainly a highlight, yielding impressive depth and vibrant output though it might be the most neutrally colored film in the series. Still, fundamentally loud color splashes are seen in frequency, whether bright neon lights, natural greens, or vivid blue skies, each tone presented for effect but not pushed to screen dominating intensity. Black levels are solid in low light, though dampened by noise, and skin tones appear spot-on for the duration. The film is texturally alive, too, with close-ups offering impressive and nearly impeccable intimacy, revealing pores and hairs with screen-commanding clarity. Environments are sharp across the board, from sun-drenched city exteriors to low-light club interiors. The Blu-ray never falters in bringing each location, and all of the various odds and ends therein, to clear, highly detailed life. Beyond source noise, there are no problematic source or encode issues of note. The image is way better on UHD but Blu-ray only fans will certainly find this to be a high performing presentation.
Bad Boys for Life features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack whereas the companion UHD includes a DTS:X option. Yet even without the added channels, this track is a winner, a high quality support for the film's musically charged moments and action frenzy sonic delights. Gunfire rips from all directions in chapter six, yielding a fluid barrage that even without the additional back and overhead channels delivers an impressive sense of space and danger. Shots punch with positive wallop and various impacts, along with general action din, make for a satisfying experience that is carried on through several more sonically similar moments when gunfire takes center stage. Music engages with powerful front and surround engagement and excellent clarity throughout the range, supported by a healthy but balanced low end support structure. Club beats in chapter ten prove plenty aggressive and immersive, one of the finest musical output examples the track has to offer. Environmental details abound in many locations, pulling the listener into the film's world with ease, efficiency, and lifelike detail and positioning. Dialogue is clear, center-focused, and well prioritized for the duration. While there's more immersion with the UHD's added channels, the Blu-ray's presentation wants for nothing as it's configured.
Bad Boys for Life's Blu-ray includes a handful of featurettes as well as deleted scenes and outtakes. Of note is that the disc sports a new menu
system similar to Universal's new layout that places extras vertically along the right-hand side. The difference here is that only the first page receives
thumbnails, and they are stills rather than video clips. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies
Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with a slipcover.
Bad Boys for Life looks and feels a lot like the original two, even without Michael Bay's polished, familiar touch. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah certianly know their way around moviemaking and are clearly passionate about the franchise, yet the film can't quite reach that same level of moviemaking magic and technical excellence found in the first two, try as it might to imitate it. It's quality escapism and a natural continuation of the story, which is all most anyone could reasonably want 25 years into the franchise. Sony's Blu-ray delivers impressive technical output and a healthy assortment of extra content. Recommended.
IMAX Enhanced
2020
w/ Movie Poster
2020
IMAX Enhanced
2020
IMAX Enhanced / PS5 4K Movie Essentials
2020
2009
Unrated
2015
2018
2016
Mastered in 4K
2003
Extreme Cut
2009
2019
Combo Pack
2012
2016
2017
2011
1995
2015
2008
2007
Extended Cut
2013
2014
2016
1988
Extended Edition
2011