DIRECTORS: ADIL EL ARBI, BILALL FALLAH | SCREENPLAY: CHRIS BREMNER, PETER CRAIG, JOE CARNAHAN | STARRING: WILL SMITH, MARTIN LAWRENCE, VANESSA HUDGENS, ALEXANDER LUDWIG | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

This is a very surprising release for early January, traditionally a dead space in the film release calendar. Bad Boys for Life has all the hallmarks of a big summer blockbuster, which in reality it is. 

While easily dismissed as throwaway Lethal Weapon wannabe buddy cop movies, the Bad Boys films have carved their own niche in that genre with their mix of fast humour at the hands of likeable stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. But nothing lasts forever, and family man and new grandfather Marcus (Lawrence) has decided it’s time to retire to a quieter, safer life. Mike (Smith) has other plans and wants to continue his womanising, fast driving, sharp suit-wearing, bad guy shooting lifestyle. 

It’s no surprise that they’ll get back together for one last case, otherwise there wouldn’t be a film – but the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been for our crime-busting dynamic duo as there’s a new hitman with his sights firmly on Mike. 

Despite being the third film in the series, the formula, though cliched at times, still works. It’s good to see the Boys back in action in a crowd pleasingly loud, brash slice of escapism. They’re older, no wiser and they still manage to commit vast swathes of property damage both in Mexico City and Miami on what might be their last outing. The box office take will ultimately have the final say on that though, and at the time of writing it’s already looking likely that the Bad Boys will ride again!