Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth movie in the popular action series starring Will Smith as Mike Lowrey and Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett. These two Miami detectives get pulled into a wild conspiracy after their old boss Captain Howard dies. They have to prove their loyalty while dodging bad guys, corrupt cops, and family drama. The film mixes high-speed chases, shootouts, and the duo’s funny banter. Released in 2024, it earned a PG-13 rating for good reason. Parents need to know what to expect before taking kids to see it.
Violence fills most of the action scenes. Expect lots of gunfire, explosions, and fistfights. People get shot, punched, and thrown around. Blood shows up in some spots, like wounds and crashes. Bodies hit the ground hard, and there are tense moments with knives and car wrecks. No one gets tortured, but the fights feel intense and realistic. One scene has a guy getting eaten by an alligator in a gross way. Overall, the violence is cartoonish at times thanks to the humor, but it ramps up quickly.
Language is strong throughout. You hear the f-word over 100 times, along with s-words, a-words, and other curses. God’s name gets taken in vain a bunch, sometimes paired with damn. The n-word pops up once or twice in heated arguments. It’s not constant, but it spikes during arguments and action.
Sex and romance stay mild. Mike and Marcus joke about dating and hookups. There’s kissing and flirting, plus a short scene with a couple in bed implied to be intimate. No nudity or graphic stuff. One bit has a woman in revealing clothes dancing.
Drugs and drinking appear but not heavily. Characters smoke cigarettes and cigars. Someone drinks booze at a party. There’s talk of past drug deals from the bad guys, but no one uses hard drugs on screen.
Other concerns include scary moments like betrayals and near-death escapes. The plot deals with grief over a dead friend, which might upset younger viewers. Role models Mike and Marcus bend rules, lie to stay alive, and break laws while fighting crime. They show loyalty to family and friends, though.
Kids under 13 might find the violence and language too much. Teens can handle it if they’ve seen similar action movies. Families who like fast-paced fun with laughs may enjoy it, but check your comfort level first. For detailed breakdowns, sites like Common Sense Media and Plugged In offer more parent reviews. IMDb lists user ratings around 7 out of 10.
Sources
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/bad-boys-ride-or-die
https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/bad-boys-ride-or-die-2024/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4916630/parentalguide
https://www.kids-in-mind.com/b/bad/boysrideordie.htm
