Summary
Shortly after its release,Bad Boys: Ride or Dieis already breaking franchise records. The fourth movie in the action-comedyfranchise,Ride or Diestars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as two buddy cops attempting to preserve the good memory of their Captain (Joe Pantoliano) as he’s framed for corruption. It was released on June 7 and is already proving to be solidly successful at the box office, having earned a projected $53 million in its opening weekend. ConsideringBad Boys 4’s budgetof $100 million, it’s essential for it to eventually achieve success.
On top of its Fresh critic score of 64% onRotten Tomatoes,Bad Boys: Ride or Diehas also become a hit with audiences. At the time of writing, more than 1,000 users have weighed in on the movie,giving it an outstanding 97% scoreand makingRide or Diethe highest-rated installment in theBad Boysfranchise by audiences. It sits just aboveBad Boys for Life, which earned a 96% score. Though the results may fluctuate as more viewers seeRide or Diein the coming weeks, it is an excellent audience reception so early in its run.
Nomovie in the franchise has ever recorded under 75% among audiences, but the significant audience score jump came after directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah took the lead of the franchise from Michael Bay.
Bad Boys' scores have been improving for years, with both audiences and critics. WhileRide or Dieis not the most critically acclaimed movie in the franchise, it has been buoyed by audiences. In addition to its one-point lead from the third movie, it sits 19 points higher thanBad Boysand its first sequel.Nomovie in the franchise has ever recorded under 75% among audiences, but the significant audience score jump came after directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah took the lead of the franchise from Michael Bay. See how the franchise’s scores compare on RT below:
44%
78%
24%
76%
96%
Bad Boys: Ride or Die(2024)
64%
97%
The Tomatometer scores, which are determined by reactions from critics, have never been quite as high as the audience scores. Only oneBad Boysmovie,Bad Boys for Life, has ever had over 75% on the Tomatometer.Ride or Die’s 64% Tomatometer score is still an improvement over the original movies though, asBad Boyshad a 44% score andBad Boys IIhad a thoroughly Rotten 24%.Bad Boys: Ride or Diereviewsmay be mixed, but the recent movies' scores have still been more positive than they were in the ’90s and the early 2000s.
10 Biggest Takeaways From Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s Reviews & 68% Rotten Tomatoes Score
The reviews for Bad Boys 4 indicate that fans of the celebrated action comedy series will love the classic chemistry, great humor, & wild stunts.
Should thepossibleBad Boys 5ever happen, the positive streak may continue, butit will be difficult to improve on the existing audience score. With a 97% score, there are only three more points until it reaches perfection, which can be exceptionally difficult to achieve, even for popular blockbuster movies. The average audience rating is an incredible 4.7 out of 5, and growing from there will not result in a major score jump.Bad Boys: Ride or Dieis already standing out as a popular movie among audiences, just barely beatingBad Boys for Life’s score.
Because of the long, but not too long, hiatuses between each movie, each previous installment has had time to find an audience both in theaters and at home and become infused with nostalgia.
In addition to boasting this stellar audience score, theBad Boys: Ride or Diereleaseis similarlyimproving the box office prospects of the franchise. Mirroring its slightly lower critical score, its opening weekend has dipped somewhat below the previous installment. However, if this audience score is any indication, the movie could become a strong word-of-mouth hit and experience a higher worldwide total than ever before by the end of its theatrical run. Below, see how its opening weekend compares to the performance of the previous movies:
$15.5 million
$141.4 million
$46.5 million
$273.3 million
$62.5 million
$426.5 million
~$53 million
TBD
The movie seems to be garnering this strong reaction from audiences for a variety of reasons. One is likely the same reason that each of theBad Boysmovieshas become more popular than the last over the years. Because of the long, but not too long, hiatuses between each movie, each previous installmenthas had time to find an audience both in theaters and at home and become infused with nostalgia. The fact that each installment has brought back its major legacy characters both plays on that nostalgia and allows new installments to deepen the stories of their predecessors.
The audience reviews ofBad Boys: Ride or Dieon Rotten Tomatoes also reveal several other reasons the overall score is excelling. In addition to reveling in the return of several iconic characters, many different users have respondedthat the movie is action-packed, keeping them on the edges of their seats. While Smith has had his share of controversies in recent years, audiences are also overwhelmingly responding to the movie star’s undeniable chemistry with Lawrence.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Cast
Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the action-packed saga of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The film follows the duo as they face new threats and personal challenges, blending intense action scenes with the camaraderie fans have come to love in the Bad Boys series.
