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Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back in action for Bad Boys: Ride Or Die and in the fourth installment of the franchise, the duo tackles heavy subjects in a lighthearted manner. Leading as Detective Mike Lowrey and Marcus Miles Burnett, respectively, the on-screen cops face the pressures of physical perfection after years of gun fights, car chases, hand-to-hand combat, and foot chases.
This film also sees the Bad Boys navigating mental health, spirituality, and overall well-being with topics including grief, anxiety, and more, all through a comical lens.
![Wil Smith Martin Lawrence Bad Boys](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.vibe.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-vibe-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
“It’s a popcorn movie. It’s fun, it’s exciting. You laugh, you cheer, but really at the core of it, you’re laughing but it’s some powerful concepts in there,” detailed Smith to VIBE.
“What Mike is struggling with, and how he makes his way out of that… I just love being able to touch on those concepts and ideas. [Like] Mental health and then connect it to spirituality, all in a way that’s fun, so it is not getting hit over the head… I love being able to do that in a summer blockbuster.
“I’m all for it,” agreed Lawrence after affirming his real-life faith in God and eagerness for his character’s spiritual awakening.
The pair continued to discuss their journey from the initial Bad Boys film to where they are today and how working together for decades has impacted their journeys.
“Respect, love,” explains Lawrence when asked how he and his co-star foster their relationship. “This dude… for 30 years, I’ve learned a lot from him. When I was young on the first Bad Boys… I dealt with people in a certain way. I was maybe standoffish or whatever.”
“You was a little mean,” interjected Smith as they both laughed. “Let’s be honest.”
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Lawrence added, “No, you said, ‘Your people skills is messed up.’ And he told me that, this was on the first Bad Boys. This resonated with me all throughout the Bad Boys we did… I’m so glad that I’ve grown in that way and he’s helped me in that way.”
“Marty Mar is like the smoothest, sweetest, easiest… he’s just mellowed,” detailed Smith on their newest experience together.
“And he was stopping me on set this whole movie. He was like, ‘Hey, just slow down. We’re here. We are not going to rush through this like we did the other ones. We’re going to enjoy this time.’ And it was such a beautiful thing. He just over and over, literally, 15 times on this movie, he was like. Just take it down and let’s make sure we enjoy this time. And it was beautiful.”
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence on their upcoming @BadBoys sequel: “We are hyped about this one, man…” #BadBoys pic.twitter.com/rWGqJt1sbT
— VIBE Magazine (@VibeMagazine) May 17, 2024
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is due in theaters on June 7, 2024. Alongside Smith and Lawrence, the movie stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Eric Dane, Tiffany Haddish, and more.
Chris Bremner wrote the film with Smith, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, and Doug Belgrad producing. Barry Waldman, Mike Stenson, James Lassiter, Jon Mone, Chris Bremner, and Martin Lawrence are all credited as executive producers.
Watch the official trailer for Bad Boys: Ride Or Die below.