Bad Boys II
Dated action movie has graphic violence, cursing, drugs.
Parents say
Based on 11 reviews
Kids say
Based on 35 reviews
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Bad Boys II
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Bad Boys II has very graphic violence. Corpses spill into a street, a character is chopped up and presented to his partner in parts, with blood dripping out of him, and more. There is extreme, extended peril and violence, and many deaths. Characters use extremely strong language with constant profanity (including "f--k" and variations), including racist terms ("N" word). There are sexual references and situations, including references to impotence and homophobic humor. There are naked dead bodies. A lead character is shown from behind receiving oral sex from his therapist. Woman shown having sex and moaning in a video. We also see some highly improbable animal sex. Characters drink and smoke, and it's supposed to be humorous when Marcus uses Ecstasy. Characters of many races show some prejudice but work together with respect and loyalty, and a female character is strong, brave, and capable.
Community Reviews
What's the Story?
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reprise their roles from 1995's Bad Boys as buddy cops who toss off wisecracks in between rounds of ammunition. They are cast against type with Martin as Marcus, the worrying family man, and Smith as Mike, the go-for-it playa. This time, Marcus' sister (Gabrielle Union), a DEA agent, is in town, but hasn't told her brother that (1) she's working undercover on a dangerous investigation and (2) she's romantically involved with Mike. Meanwhile, Marcus and Mike have smashed up most of the cars in LA but haven't yet made any progress on tracking down the drug dealer they are after. And many, many, many, many more cars will be smashed and many attempts at humor will crash before they do.
Is It Any Good?
The old-fashioned real-deal movie star charm of Will Smith can occasionally be glimpsed somewhere inside this overlong cacophony of car chases, shoot-em-ups, and explosions. It's impossible not to watch him and almost impossible not to smile while doing so. But that's about the only smile in this generic but mind-numbingly loud and violent action movie, more theme-park stunt spectacular than story.
Director Michael Bay can shoot action sequences and stunts, though he tries a little too hard to be John Woo. He's less successful at making us care, especially when the plot veers into the truly preposterous with a massive invasion of Cuba at the end. For anyone other than hard-core action fans it just gets overwhelming and finally a little tedious. Bay also makes the fatal mistake of forgetting to include a memorable or interesting villain. Instead we get a stereotyped paranoid drug dealer who is overly attached to his mother and daughter.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about movie violence. How is violence used for the purposes of entertainment in this movie? How much is "too much?"
Was the profanity necessary for the story, or did it seem excessive? Why?
The movie has some homophobic jokes. How does this date the movie? What are some other ways in which the movie is very much a product of its time?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 17, 2003
- On DVD or streaming: December 8, 2003
- Cast: Gabrielle Union, Martin Lawrence, Will Smith
- Director: Michael Bay
- Studio: Sony Pictures
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 150 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong violence and action, pervasive language, sexuality and drug content.
- Last updated: March 5, 2023
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