‘Bad Boys for Life’ enjoyably tones down the excesses

The obvious conceit for “Bad Boys for Life” would be to laugh at two middle-aged dudes getting into explosive, camera-spinning shoot-’em-ups and lamenting how this was easier in their younger days. But directors Adil and Bilall pick a smart alternative direction: They tone down the excesses of the two Michael Bay-directed films – from 1995 (vintage Bay) and 2003 (over-the-top Bay) – and focus on the banter and life situations of Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence).

A genuine friendship

Some fans might desire more action. “BB3” might even seem lame compared to what we get in “Fast & Furious” films nowadays. The final showdown is visually impressive, as it takes place in a huge Mexican mansion where a fire spreads. There’s also a highway chase that finds Mike and Marcus on a motorcycle with a sidecar – which features a rotating machine gun. But there’s nothing that pushes the action envelope.

What’s impressive about “BB3” is the genuine relationship between two cops who have partnered for 25 years. They still banter with the best of them – and we get gags like Mike’s frustration that Marcus doesn’t wear his glasses, and Marcus’ taunt about Mike dying the gray out of his goatee.

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But they are mature enough now to discuss issues such as retirement and the violence inherent in what they do. When they talk about how they are “bad boys for life” (which happens as many times as Vin Diesel mentions family in the “F&F” films), we know they are referring to their bond, not to their knack for cutting swaths of violence through Miami that infuriate their boss. (Indeed, Joe Pantoliano’s Captain Howard doesn’t go on a single rant in this movie; he too has mellowed.)

Smith, an A-list superstar for the entire run of the “BB” franchise, is a step ahead of Lawrence, who hasn’t had a major role in a while. But that kinda works for their characters, because Marcus – now a grandfather — has had enough of this job, whereas Mike has put off marriage and children because he loves this gig so much.

The character beats – especially after a mid-film twist — from writers Chris Bremner, Joe Carnahan and Peter Craig are so soap-opera-oriented that Marcus even notes that “this is some telenovela sh**!” It’s not particularly deep or believable when Marcus swears off violence and finds God, even though the directors and composer Lorne Balfe make a brief attempt at profundity.

Special-unit helpers

Also simplistic is the “will they or … well of course they will” relationship between Mike and Rita (Paola Nuñez), a special-unit leader. They dated in the past and Marcus calls Mike an idiot for not locking Rita down. Romances that happen off-screen fail to hook me. If this is such great stuff, why can’t we see the near-romance unfold rather than hearing about the aftermath?

I grew to like the special-unit team, which includes Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens, having a bad hair film); musclebound tech guy Dorn (Alexander Ludwig), who has the same anti-violence issue as Marcus; and Rafe (Charles Melton), who taunts Mike until the point where he doesn’t anymore.

The “Bad Boys” franchise – which already boasts the streaming spinoff “LA’s Finest” — seems to be setting up a team concept, copying the “Mission: Impossible” and “Fast & Furious” franchises. In fact, one of the sequences is an undercover mission at a swank club, which allows Kelly and Rita to dress sexy.

I appreciate the simplicity of the plot: Armando (Jacob Scipio) picks off cops, lawyers and judges one by one. These people took down his drug-lord father 25 years ago, and now Armando’s mom, Isabel (Kate del Castillo), uses her sharp-shooting sniper son as a weapon of revenge. It’s strange that it takes so long for Mike and Marcus to put together the clues pointing to the revenge scheme, but the surprising slow burn of “BB3” allows us to absorb the mortality theme.

Not totally original

The writing team cribs from the playbooks of Joss Whedon and Shane Black. For example, “BB3” borrows both the Cordelia death fake-out from the “Buffy” episode “Lovers Walk” and the epic-fail gun toss from “The Nice Guys.”

Sometimes the dialogue lags, with Marcus saying “Sh**!” an awful lot during the tense moments. At other times, the rhythm locks in; a highlight is the airplane-based discussion, wherein Marcus realizes the people sitting near him might misconstrue his “Fly or die” pep talk to Mike.

There’s nothing original about “Bad Boys for Life”; it’s an exercise in giving fans more of the Mike-Marcus banter and friendship. On that score, it delivers. And the fact that it doesn’t even attempt to deliver the hugest action spectacle of all time – let alone of the year – is rather refreshing.

With “Bad Boys 4” listed on IMDB, and all the sequel set-ups found here, we’re looking at a cynical cash-grab future for the saga. But this third entry is mostly heartfelt.