The Best & Worst Bad Boys Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Back in 1995, director Michael Bay created comedic gold with his sleek action flick "Bad Boys." Featuring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as two hotshot cops, the film proved to be a commercial success, grossing over $141 million. With chaotic action sequences, witty banter between its two leads, and a cool Miami setting, "Bad Boys" was ripe for franchise potential. Despite receiving mixed-to-negative reviews, Sony Pictures commissioned a sequel in 2003 with Bay, Smith, and Lawrence back in tow. The sophomore outing emerged as a major success, making the studio north of $270 million worldwide. 

With Bay soon finding a calling with the "Transformers" franchise, our favorite cops remained dormant until 2020, when the franchise was revitalized with "Bad Boys for Life." Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the threequel proved that time only made the franchise better. With a gross of $424 million, "Bad Boys for Life" was a commercial success, confirming that Smith and Lawrence were still box-office draws years after their respective primes. Now, all eyes are on the fourth outing: "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" — a film that has critics and audiences united in loving it. 

As fans rewatch the "Bad Boys" franchise, they'll realize that the series is filled with highs and lows, with entries of varying quality. In fact, the films have wildly different Rotten Tomatoes scores, with half the roster being rotten.

The "Bad Boys" film with the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score is the second film in the franchise. With a critic score of 24%, "Bad Boys 2" was a critical misfire when it debuted in 2003, eight years after the original. Audiences were a bit kinder to Bay's second "Bad Boys" effort, giving it a decent 78% audience score on the platform. Critics notably took issue with the film's lack of substance, deeming it a typical, soulless action film. 

Veteran film critic Roger Ebert absolutely despised the release, giving it just one star, primarily because of how mean-spirited and cruel it was. "There was once a time when a hero would sacrifice his own life rather than injure innocent bystanders. No longer. The heroes of 'Bad Boys II' are egotistical monsters, concerned only with their power, their one-liners, their weapons, their cars, their desires," he wrote. 

Surprisingly, the second lowest-rated "Bad Boys" film on Rotten Tomatoes is the first film. The film, which served as Bay's theatrical debut, has a 44% critic score and the same 78% audience score as its sequel. Most critics found the first "Bad Boys" to be a competent and average action film that was elevated due to striking performances. "Billed as 'an action comedy with attitude,' it isn't exactly the freshest thing on the block — with some minor changes it could have been a 'Lethal Weapon installment' — but the pairing of Martin Lawrence and Will Smith generates a winning comic chemistry," wrote The Hollywood Reporter's Michael Rechtshaffen in 1995.

"Bad Boys for Life," the third film in the franchise, has the highest Rotten Tomatoes score. Released 17 years after its predecessor, "Bad Boys: For Life" has a whopping 76% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The threequel also has a massive 96% audience score on the platform, making it the most beloved film in the franchise. This is quite the achievement considering late-stage sequels tend to be the most poorly received. 

With "Bad Boys for Life," directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were able to take the franchise in a new direction, while still honoring the essence that Bay created decades ago. Looper sister site /Film gave "Life" a 6.5/10, particularly pointing out its emotional moments and tight, more reserved direction.  

"Bad Boys: Ride or Die," the fourth film in the seemingly never-ending series, is another critical winner. Looper critic Dominic Griffin gave "Bad Boys 4" a 7.5/10, praising the film for its action sequences and kinetic chemistry between its leads. As of this writing, "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" has a 68% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the second highest-rated film on the platform. 

Love the franchise and need more buddy cop action in your life? Here are 10 awesome movies like "Bad Boys" that you'll probably love.