Bad Boys (1995)

3/5

Michael Bay's Bad Boys tries to be many things and doesn't always succeed. The plot centers around cops Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as they attempt to regain a large amount of stolen heroin while simultaneously protecting Tea Leoni, a witness to a related murder. One part of the story involves a cheesy gimmick wherein Lawrence must pretend he's Smith, but it only serves to confuse the plot and add unfunny attempts at jokes. The dialogue was very poorly written. They attempted realistic back-and-forth arguing as you'd see in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or Knocked Up. But it wasn't funny. Which just made it annoying. Only about half the action scenes are truly exciting; for the rest, we're just watching stuff happen. As the camera rotates around us. The technical aspects are pretty uninspired and unimpressive. The worst part is that it takes a long time to really get into the meat of the story, the funny jokes, and the thrilling action. You have to put up with half of the movie before you're really rewarded in any way. So, watch it at your own risk. Just don't expect too much out of it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112442/

Blue Streak (1999)

3/5

Blue Streak follows Martin Lawrence as a bank robber who hides a diamond in the vent of a building under construction during his failed escape attempt. Two years later, he's released from prison and finds out that the building has become a police station, and therefore must pose as a cop to infiltrate the building and recover his loot. It's a very entertaining action comedy heist movie, meaning good but mindless fun. It has problems, as expected for this genre, such as corny dialogue, bad acting, and unrealistic plot developments. The music is often overbearing and there are continuity errors. Despite its silliness, I actually found myself laughing during a lot of this movie. You probably won't turn this movie off if you find it on TV, as I refrained from doing when I myself found it on TV, but I don't think there's much reason to go out and rent it unless you're a huge Martin Lawrence fan.

Disclaimer: I saw this on network TV, so it was edited for content and length.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0181316/

Do the Right Thing (1989)

4.9/5

Do the Right Thing approaches racism from the opposite end from what we are all used to. It doesn't show the good that's present in all races, but rather the inescapable mistakes we all make when hatred clouds our thoughts and actions. This gives the audience a more visceral and memorable experience. We side with those we're biased towards and find the actions of those we're biased against unfair and excessive. We become involved; the film reaches inside us and pulls out or own hidden prejudices. Just like In the Heat of the Night, Do the Right Thing succeeds because it shows how everybody errs, not how everybody is perfect.

Watching this movie again, I was struck by how naturally the day proceeded, thanks to the editing. It didn't feel scripted or forced. What also impressed me was the depth and breadth of the characters in this neighborhood. Like The Rules of the Game, the audience recognizes and remembers every person who shows up on screen despite the extensive cast list. The script is also stellar. There are scenes of remarkable tension, incredible warmth, and biting humor.

I'll be honest, the clothes, language, and music are extremely dated; they are laughably bad. Also, what was with that intro kickbox dancing segment with the funky colors? Seriously, what is that? I found a lot of the camera angles to be both unflattering and distorting, shedding off some of the film's realism without adding to the message or tone. However, the few exceptional shots there were stood out even brighter in comparison. Also, most of the acting was pretty mediocre, except for John Turturro and Danny Aiello. Taken as a whole though, this piece is exceptional story-telling that will imprint itself in the memory of anyone who sees it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0097216/