The following contains spoilers for Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Summary
Bad Boys: Ride or Diecontinues to feature numerous homages to previous movies.Ride or Dieis the fourth movie in the action-comedy franchise and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. In it, the two buddy cops work desperately to honor the name of their former captain, while again struggling against a running clock.Ride or Diereleased to excellent audience reviewsand a strong opening weekend at the box office, where it is expected to earn over $50 million.
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, co-director Adil El Arbi was asked about Michael Bay’s cameo inRide or Die. While he played the Wedding MC inBad Boys for Life,the director chose to use his appearance as an homage to the 2003 threequel. He compared howBad Boys for Lifetied into the original movie and explained thatRide or Diewas meant to serve the same purpose asBad Boys II. Check out his quote below:
Yeah, this is true. Bad Boys for Life was more of an homage to the first Bad Boys, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die is more of an homage to Bad Boys II. And, absolutely, it’s a good callback to that moment in Bad Boys II. Also, the black Porsche in Bad Boys: Ride or Die is actually the car from the first Bad Boys, so we have a double homage or double Easter egg there.
Michael Bay’s most recentBad Boyscameois a humorous scene that features him becoming immensely frustrated with the movie’s leads after they decide to roam onto the street, while numerous cars streak by. Bay plays a driver in a black Porsche and does not seem to recognize them. That means that he is not playing the same role as he did in previousBad Boysmovies, but he is still driving the same type of car. It was so prominent in the first movie that it produced an entire scene solely devoted to Mike defending his car from criticism.
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Even while honoringBad Boys II,Ride or Dieis still offering some attention to the original 1995 movie.While the Porsche is not the exact same as the first Porsche that Smith’s character revered in the original, its appearance in the latest installment is a clever nod to it. It also serves to offer some hints of continuity, even despite Bay playing a different character. The connection is subtle, as many viewers may not have seenBad Boysor its sequel, but it is still a good way to connect the franchise to its roots.
The Bay cameo is also a nod to the original. After all, Bay only had a cameo in the sequel because he was the director of the first two movies before handing the reins off for the follow-ups to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Yet, by including so many homages and by letting Bay appear in a cameo role, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah ensured that they are still respecting the source material and the first director that the franchise ever had. Bay and the Porsche both contribute to makingBad Boys: Ride or Diea memorable sequel.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Cast
Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the action-packed saga of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The film follows the duo as they face new threats and personal challenges, blending intense action scenes with the camaraderie fans have come to love in the Bad Boys series.
