Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 8, 1995 TAG: 9504110040
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Think Archie and the Meathead with 9 mm. semi-automatics.
Think uncomfortable combination.
Actually, it all might have worked well, but no one involved understood the basics of storytelling. Key pieces are missing - motivation, character development, internal logic.
In their place are insult comedy, gunfire and shattering glass, lots of it. Minus a few profanities and graphic bullet wounds, this one could have premiered on the Fox network.
The setting is Miami, though director Michael Bay gives most of the exterior scenes a grubby reddish brown tint that does nothing for the city's tropical atmosphere. Our heroes are Mike Lowrey (Will Smith), a Porsche-driving rich kid-turned cop, and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), who has a wife (Theresa Randle), kids and Volvo in the suburbs. They're partners. They argue about everything.
The film begins with a gang of bad guys led by Fouchet (Tcheky Karyo), cliched Eurotrash, stealing a load of heroin from the police department evidence room. The heist is a slam-bang affair that's impossible to follow. No matter. In short order, unemployed photographer Julie Mott (Tea Leoni) has witnessed a related murder and refuses to help the police unless Mike Lowrey guards her.
Mike being unavailable, Marcus assumes his identity. For the rest of the movie, the guys play out that pointless charade for the women. Strained situation comedy is juxtaposed against graphic fight and chase scenes filled with explosions. They're loud, they're visually flashy and they're nothing new. All sorts of things are destroyed to no real purpose.
Four writers get story credit. Their best-known original film work (neither sequel nor adaptation) to date is "Amazon Women on the Moon." Director Bay's background is in commercials and music videos. It's not surprising then that the quintet is completely at a loss when it comes to sustaining a long - two hours plus - narrative.
Perhaps viewers who appreciate television comedy will find more to like in "Bad Boys." Smith and Lawrence do seem comfortable with the material, but the elusive screen chemistry that made "Speed" a hit last year is noticeably absent. There's simply not enough coherent story to keep this clumsy flick moving until the end.
Bad Boys * 1/2
A Columbia release playing at Salem Valley 8, Valley View Mall 6. 126 min. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language, brief nudity.
by CNB