“Bad Boys: Ride or Die”
A groundbreaking film for Oscar-winning bad boy Will Smith
© 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved. **ALL IMAGES ARE PROPERTY OF SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT INC. FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY.
With “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” Will Smith returns to the cinema and answers the question: Have the audience forgiven him for the Oscar slap?
In his remarkable career, Will Smith (55) has saved the world from aliens (several times), fought against heavyweight boxers, zombies and robots and even played a – somewhat unhinged – superhero. For three decades, from the start of his career as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in 1990, his equally successful career as a musician to his Oscar role in “King Richard” in 2021, the star could literally do no wrong. Yes, even duds like “Wild Wild West” were readily forgiven by Everybody’s Hollywood darling. But then came March 28, 2022. The night of the Oscars.
What was supposed to be Will Smith’s greatest triumph, winning his first Oscar, turned into his lowest point. A not particularly funny, but also not particularly mean joke by comedian Chris Rock about Smith’s wife Jada’s hairstyle. Followed by a slap in the face that left live audiences around the world stunned, pushed the real stars of the evening to the edge of attention – and brought Smith’s career to an abrupt halt.
Resurrection with “Bad Boys 4”?
The significance of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” which hits theaters on June 5, could hardly be greater. Not for film history per se, God forbid. The plot of the action film can be written on half a beer mat: Cops Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence, 59) are back, uncover a case of corruption within the police force and then go from being the hunters to the hunted.
For Will Smith, however, the nickname “Ride or Die” is a reality. With the return of the franchise, which has always been successful, will he also be able to ride the wave of success again? Or will a potential box office flop of the film put an end to Smith’s comeback plans?
The calendar is full
According to the industry website “IMDb” There are currently four films with Will Smith in one of the leading roles in pre-production: a sequel to his end-time film “I Am Legend”, a remake of the comedy “One Ticket for Two” with Kevin Hart (44) and two gangster thrillers called “Fast and Loose” and “The Council”.
So Smith doesn’t have to worry about an empty schedule. But the truth is that he is listed as one of the producers in three of these four projects. So does the dream factory still believe in Will Smith – or does Will Smith just believe in himself?
The film may have a hard time at the box office, not because of Will Smith, but despite him. At least the previous flop of the critically acclaimed “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” suggests that after more than a decade of superhero dominance on the screen, a certain amount of action fatigue may have crept in among cinema audiences. If that is the case, it would be bad news for the bad guys who have always been so destructive. And especially for Will Smith.