Bad Boys Ride or Die
One of the most popular cop buddy duos to ever grace the big screen, original Bad Boys Will Smith and Martin Lawrence look as fresh as ever as they reprise their roles as the closeknit Miami police detectives Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett.
The last time we saw these wise-cracking partners together was in 2020’s Bad Boys for Life, which was also directed by the visually slick Belgian duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
Sticking to the 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' mantra, El Arbi and Fallah's game plan is clearly to deliver the same level of frenetic and colourful action as provided in Bad Boys for Life, while letting Smith and Lawrence do their thing as the odd couple cops we've come to know and love over the years.
This time around, Lowry and Burnett find themselves pulled back into business when their long-time boss and buddy Captain Conrad Howard is implicated in a scandal that sees him accused of working for a notorious Mexican drugs cartel. With his career and reputation in tatters, Howard pleads with Lowry and Burnett to find out who framed him and help clear his name.
Taking the law into their own hands, Lowry and Burnett are only too happy to go rogue in the pursuit of justice.
If you suffer from motion sickness or vertigo, then Bad Boys isn't a great choice for your cinematic viewing. These are action movies in which the camera is rarely stationary, and if you're a fan of this franchise you'll be familiar with the dizzying Michael Bay-style on display, but I guess this is all part of this franchise's attraction.
With plenty of gun-toting action, car chases, fights and fiery explosions, Bad Boys Ride or Die will prove to be reassuringly familiar viewing for fans of the franchise. Just don't go expecting anything too new or radical with this one. It does what it says on the tin – and nothing more than that!
The Dead Don't Hurt
Written and directed by the excellent Viggo Mortensen, The Dead Don't Hurt is a visually captivating and hard-hitting western that pulls you in with fantastic performances, stark unyielding visuals and a gripping, unforgettable story.
Set in America in the 1860s, Vicky Krieps plays French-Canadian immigrant Vivienne who has travelled to the bustling city of San Francisco to seek out a new life in this brave new world.
However, her life changes forever when she crosses paths with another lowly immigrant in the form of a Danish carpenter named Holger.
Immediately, the two kindred spirits hit it off and it's not long before the couple are married and set out to make a home for themselves amid the vast and open lands of Nevada.
But when the Civil War breaks out, Holger enlists fight for the Union, leaving Vivienne at home with the couple's young son. Tough yet vulnerable on her own, Vivienne is threatened by some nasty locals, and this doesn't go down well with a furious Holger.
Beautifully filmed, with a gripping story and boasting wonderful lead performances from Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps, The Dead Don't Hurt is a powerful drama that will haunt your mind and soul for days after viewing. Do not miss it.
