Introduction
Starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, *Bad Boys* was released in 1995. It was the film that put director Michael Bay on the map and is often credited with launching Will Smith—and, by extension, actors with a rap background—into action stardom. Set in Miami, this buddy movie was a box office success and went on to become a blockbuster franchise.
Spin shots that circle around to capture the characters’ expressions and the sky simultaneously, editing that is less about rhythm and more about dynamism, color schemes that border on the extreme, and over-the-top explosions and action. Even in the first film, the hallmarks of Michael Bay’s work—often referred to as “Bayhem”—were already in full force. “Bayhem” is a portmanteau combining his name with “mayhem.”
After the second film, *Bad Boys 2* (2003), which took that Michael Bay-esque flashiness even further, no sequels were made for a while. However, 17 years later, in 2020, *Bad Boys for Life* was released. Although the directors changed from Michael Bay to Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, the film became a bigger hit than expected.
Now, four years later, comes the fourth installment: *Bad Boys: Ride or Die*. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah return to direct.
FPS-style perspective
Compared to the serious and heavy atmosphere of the previous film, not only has the comedic banter increased as if returning to the series’ roots, but there are also numerous homages to Michael Bay and the first two films. The Michael Bay-esque spin shot—slowly circling around from behind to capture the protagonists’ faces as they face adversity—is still very much alive in this film and has become a familiar staple of the series.Additionally, the scene where the protagonist leaps sideways to save his partner from being run over by a car, and the shot of the enemy’s forehead being shot through, captured from the front, are common tropes in action movies, but they likely reference the first and second films, respectively. The fact that the dynamic between the two leads has been reversed compared to the previous films only reinforces this impression.
While the film is full of such homages, what makes it stand out even more is the innovative action during the gunfights, which brings a video-game-like sense of immersion.
One of the film’s highlights is an action sequence that rapidly alternates between an FPS (first-person shooter)-style first-person perspective and shots of Will Smith and others’ faces from the front. As noted in numerous reviews and interviews, this scene was filmed using a body-mounted camera rig called a Snowycam. The actors themselves operated the rig to change the camera’s angle and rapidly switch perspectives, creating a sense of immersion.
Furthermore, in a scene typical of action movies and games—where a gun is thrown to be passed to another character—the Snowycam even tracks the gun as it flies through the air. This results in footage with a sense of realism akin to a trailer for a shooting or action game, even though no CGI was used.
Incorporating these game-like perspectives and action elements seems to be one of the trends of recent years.For example, in the latest installment of the popular action film series *John Wick*, *John Wick: Chapter 4* (2023), the shots—filmed from a bird’s-eye view of combat unfolding in succession across multiple rooms—were striking, reminiscent of the commentary perspective used in esports broadcasts. Furthermore, in an interview about the series’ previous films conducted in 2019, director Chad Stahelski stated the following:
“Numerous popular FPS games are leading the way, and I think the entertainment industry—including film—is trying to catch up to their appeal and addictiveness. […]. In games, you can do an incredible variety of things; you can even switch the viewpoint from first-person to third-person.This is very difficult to achieve in film. While some works have attempted this kind of expression, for some reason, audiences don’t want to see things from someone else’s first-person perspective. They want to be that first-person perspective themselves. In that sense, I think *John Wick* is a bit of a crossover—there are parts that feel like an FPS, and there are parts where the audience is witnessing John’s actions.”
Fan’s Voice: “John Wick: Parabellum”
Director Chad Stahelski on the Rhythm and Pacing of Action
How to incorporate the influence of games, particularly FPS games, into a film. In this film, *Bad Boys: Ride or Die*, it can be said that the use of snow-like camera cuts enabled a game-like expression.
Furthermore, this FPS-style perspective in the film isn’t out of the blue; it feels as though the groundwork was laid for it. Before the climax—the action sequence using the snow-like camera—several game-related elements are scattered throughout the film.
First, at the home of Marcus (played by Martin Lawrence), there is a scene where his son-in-law Reggie (Dennis Green) is actually playing a video game.Later, as the story progresses, there is a scene where Marcus and Mike (played by Will Smith) watch a real gunfight—not a game—on a monitor. While it is a common trope for characters to watch battles unfolding elsewhere via a monitor, the way they cheer on the intense action while watching it on multiple screens makes them look just like viewers watching a game livestream.
Reggie playing the game, Marcus and Mike watching the real-life gunfight as if they were viewers of a game stream, and the FPS-style action performed by Mike and Marcus—it felt fresh to see the film gradually incorporating a gaming perspective in this way.
Clever music selection that ties into Will Smith’s situation
I’d also like to touch on the music.
When it comes to the music of *Bad Boys*, the song “Bad Boys” by the Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle is famous. Originally the theme song for the police documentary *Cops* (1989–2020), it played repeatedly throughout the series, and the image of Mike and Marcus humming the lyrics is memorable—it has truly become the face of *Bad Boys*.
At the same time, “Bad Boys – Main Title,” composed by Mark Mancina for the first film, was also memorable.Mancina is a veteran of Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions (formerly Media Ventures), and I should note that this track bears a slight resemblance to the theme song from *The Rock* (1996), which featured music by Zimmer and others and was directed by Michael Bay.
Incidentally, the video above features the “Bad Boys – Main Title” playing, followed by a trailer where someone hums “Bad Boys” at the end.
Subsequently, Remote Control musicians—Trevor Rabin for the second film and Lone Balfe for the third—handled the scores for these films, which included arrangements of that same piece.Barfe returns for this film as well, making his presence felt, including through the theme song. As a side note, Barfe and Hans Zimmer have also worked on video game music—including the popular FPS series *Call of Duty*—and have had a significant influence in that field. While it’s a bit of a stretch, one can see a connection to the aforementioned FPS series in this regard as well.
However, what deserves attention musically is not the two tracks mentioned above, which have stood out in previous installments, but rather the use of original insert songs and existing tracks unique to this installment.
Set in Miami, this series has always featured Latin music, but perhaps due to the rise of reggaeton in the late 2010s, reggaeton and Spanish-language songs had a greater presence in the previous installment.In this installment as well, the use of reggaeton-related artists continues, seemingly reflecting the current music scene, and the selection appears even more diverse. For example, in “TONIGHT” by the Black Eyed Peas—which serves as the theme song—El Alfa, a leading artist of dembow (a subgenre of reggaeton that developed independently in the Dominican Republic), is featured alongside Becky G.
Additionally, “Somos Latinos” by Play-N-Skills, which plays after Marcus stands up in the hospital, is a song that calls out to all Latin Americans from Miami and to Latin communities outside the U.S., making it the perfect fit for this Miami-set film.
This discerning track selection—which not only highlights the coolness of the music but also aligns its meaning with the film—is evident even beyond the Latin genre.
There is a scene where a dejected Mike pulls himself together, clearly referencing Will Smith’s infamous slap at the Academy Awards. Yet, the song used during the ensuing shootout is Run-D.M.C.’s “Peter Piper,” released in 1986. Just as Will Smith’s fame as a star was suddenly put in jeopardy that day, Mike’s identity in the film is abruptly shaken.Assigning Mike an actual medical diagnosis and then resolving it with a comedic form of shock therapy feels overly contrived, and it’s likely a scene that will divide audiences. However, using the hip-hop classic “Peter Piper” as Will—or rather, Mike—rises again conveys a message of returning to his roots, in line with Will Smith’s background as an artist active since the late ’80s. Above all, it was a brilliant choice that fit perfectly with the action sequences.
The music supervisor brought on for this film is Gabe Hilfer, a former DJ known for his work on *Creed* (2015), *If Beale Street Could Talk* (2018), and *Crazy Rich Asians* (2018).He is a professional known for his distinctive choices—ranging from classic soul and jazz to club music—that perfectly match the characters’ backgrounds and scenes. While the extent of his involvement in this film is unclear, the soundtrack is a fitting selection for someone who has consistently created creative moments rather than merely providing background music.
This film is characterized by its exquisite soundtrack, which perfectly aligns with both the game’s action-packed nature and Will Smith’s own life story. I highly recommend rewatching this film with a focus on these aspects.