Fast cars, high-octane action, and the irresistible comedic chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back in Bad Boys 4, the newest chapter of the buddy cop franchise. When the late Captain Howard is accused of working directly with cartels, Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett take back to the streets of Miami for an adrenaline-fueled adventure to clear his name. Only this time, Miami’s finest find themselves on the run.
As we gear up for this summer blockbuster, we encourage you to adhere to the law and leave the recklessness to Mike and Marcus. No matter how excited you are for Bad Boys 4, we urge you to steer clear of well-known pirating sites that may offer the film before its streaming release. These sites can appear legitimate, but accessing unauthorized content is illegal and can cause unexpected repercussions for you, your device, and the content creators.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is set to be the most thrilling addition to the franchise yet. Below, we’ll explain everything you need to know before watching the latest installment.
Everything You Should Know Before Seeing Bad Boys: Ride or Die
2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, also referred to simply as Bad Boys 4, is the most recent installment of the buddy cop franchise that started with director Michael Bay way back in 1995. The movie centered around lifelong friends and Miami narcotic detectives who have their biggest bust stolen from under their noses and only have three days to get it back. Upon its release, film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a two-star review, citing recycled storylines held together by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s charisma and Michael Bay’s spectacle.
The audience, however, had something much more positive feedback, and even today, the original film enjoys a 78% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes and ended up grossing $141 million at the worldwide box office with an estimated budget of just $19 million.
The film’s success led to the 2003 release of Bad Boys II, which was received even worse by critics but kept the audience going into the theater in droves, grossing $273 million.
The third film, Bad Boys for Life, which was released in 2020, saw the directorial torch passed from Michael Bay to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, collectively known as Adil & Bilall. The film was a wild success, with Rotten Tomatoes’ critic score jumping to 78% with an almost-unheard-of audience score of 96%. The film grossed $425 million worldwide.
The directing duo are reprising their visionary roles in the upcoming installment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
While the action and fun of Bad Boys: Ride or Die will stand on its own, we recommend watching the first three films before viewing the fourth. It will help to better understand the characters, the stakes involved, and any ongoing comedic bits.
A Quick Summary of Bad Boys 1-3
Bad Boys (1995)
Marcus Burnett and Michael Eugene “Mike” Lowrey, played by Martin Lawrence and Will Smith respectively, are lifelong friends and narcotic detectives in Miami PD. While Marcus is a suburbs-dwelling family man and Mike is a no-strings-attached ladies’ man, when their biggest bust is stolen out of their own precinct’s station, the two are forced to switch roles to gain the trust of a murder witness and recover the $100 million of missing heroin.
Bad Boys II (2003)
Ecstasy is flowing into Miami through an underwater trafficking scheme, and Mike and Marcus are on the case to stop it dead in its tracks. However, the bust becomes more than what the detectives bargained for when they realize the kingpin behind the drugs is waging war against Russian and Haitian mobsters. But most complicated of all, Mike is secretly dating Marcus’ sister.
Bad Boys for Life (2020)
After the imprisonment of a Mexican drug lord, his wife and son descend with a vengeance upon all those who helped put him away — including Miami PD Detective Mike Lowrey. With his neck on the line, Mike teams up with his lifelong friend and colleague Marcus, as well as an elite tactical squad called AMMO. Mike and Marcus must learn to put their old-school antics beside and play nice with their new partners to topple the rising cartel.
All installments of the Bad Boy franchise are available to stream on Hulu.
Adil & Bilall
Belgian directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, collectively known as Adil & Bilall, are taking the wheel again for the newest installment of the Bad Boys franchise, having previously directed the third film, Bad Boys for Life. The duo is known for their work writing and directing Image (2014), Black (2015), Gangsta (2018), and Rebel (2022).
Adil & Bilall also share credits on several TV shows such as Soil and Disney’s Ms. Marvel.
Movie Plot
After the death of Captain Howard in Bad Boys for Life, a media circus ignites, claiming the captain was working directly with the cartels he was sworn to fight. During the fallout, Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett receive a video message from their deceased boss swearing his innocence and urging them not to trust anyone. Mike and Marcus must clear Captain Howard’s name, but doing so means uncovering a conspiracy, and there’s no telling just how high the coverup goes.
Genre
The Bad Boy franchise is known for its intense, bloody action and impressive vehicular stunts and explosions. Bad Boys 4 has been tagged across IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes as Action, Comedy, and Adventure.
Runtime
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is expected to have a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes, making it the shortest of the four films.
Rating
All movies in the Bad Boys saga have received an R rating and Bad Boys 4 will inevitably follow suit, especially given the profanity-laden trailer, which seemed to blur out excess blood.
Theatrical Release Date
Bad Boys: Ride or Die will hit theaters around the U.S. on June 7, 2024.
Streaming Options
The new Bad Boys movie is set to be released exclusively to movie theaters. While no streaming platform has been announced yet once the movie completes its theatrical run, it is expected to be available on Hulu. All earlier installments are available now with a Hulu subscription, and they can be purchased or rented on a variety of platforms, including Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime TV, Vudu, and Google Play Movies.
Be aware of any platform that claims to have access to the film during its theatrical run. Even after it’s run, it’s likely to be available only on Hulu. So if you see any other site offering access, it may be an illegal platform, no matter how authentic it appears. Be on the lookout and be sure to review the telltale signs of illegal streaming sites.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Official Trailer
Ride along with Detectives Lowrey and Burnett in Sony’s official trailer as they try to clear their late captain’s name and uncover a conspiracy that may have all of Miami in its net.
Cast & Crew
Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Vanessa Hudgens return as Detective Mike Lowrey, Detective Marcus Burnett, and AMMO operative Kelly. The veteran cast has countless credits to their names running back decades.
Take a look at other members of this exciting cast:
- Will Smith: Mike Lowrey
- Martin Lawrence: Marcus Burnett
- Vanessa Hudgens: Kelly
- Alexander Ludwig: Dorn
- Paola Núñez: Captain Rita Secada
- Jacob Scipio: Armando Aretas
- Tasha Smith: Theresa
- Joe Pantoliano: Captain Conrad Howard
- Eric Dane: Undisclosed
- Tiffany Haddish: Undisclosed
The crew includes:
- Directors: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah (collectively known as Adil & Bilall)
- Writers: Chris Bremner, Will Beall, George Gallo
- Producers: Chris Bremner, James Lassiter, Martin Lawrence, Jon Mone, Mike Stenson, Barry H. Waldman
- Composer: Lorne Balfe
- Production Companies: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Westbrook Studios
How To Stream Bad Boys: Ride or Die
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is set to be a summer blockbuster hit and is being released exclusively to theaters. As you wait, be sure to check out the previous three movies, all of which are available to stream now with a Hulu subscription. After this theatrical run, it’s likely that the fourth film will be available there as well.
If you’re looking for other comedy-action movies, we at StreamSafely have compiled an exhaustive database to help you know where your favorite movies are available to stream. We’ve also made a list of the best free streaming services. Many illegal streaming sites will claim to have content for free, but these resources have our StreamSafely seal of approval — they’re 100% free and 100% legal.
As you gear up for an action-packed summer alongside Detectives Lowrey and Burnett, be sure to cover your back and keep your streaming experience as safe and responsible as possible.
