Reviews
Bad Boys (1995)
Just plain good stuff
I have to be honest. The first time I saw this movie, it was in a cheap theater, I was not impressed by Will Smith's first excursion into the action foray. My friend went to see it with me because of Martin Lawrence's "You So Crazy" and was anxious to see it. He liked it more than I did. I gave it a second chance on VHS when it was released. I liked it more. The humor was better and I appreciated the talky tone of the film. It was different from other action films in this respect.
The basic outline is one of a typical action flick. Bad guys perpetrate a big crime and its up to a buddy team of cops and a beautiful witness to foil the crime in only a few days. Several things elevate this film to one of the better in the genre. One is the direction of Michael Bay. A veteran of music videos, he is no stranger to the quick-cut, breakneck pace that a hip, modern action movie might require. Another is the chemistry of the two leads. Smith and Lawrence work together, and play well off of each other. The screenplay by George Gallo, who brought another action film "Midnight Run" to new heights, and Michael Barrie is talkier than usual for an action film. It provides the usual cheesy punchlines here and there, but isn't afraid to stray from the plot a little here and there. Many critics of well-oiled action flicks see this as a crutch. I see it as an oppurtunity to get human qualities from the characters to add what realism possible to the script.
These aspects of the film earn it an 8 out of 10 from me. Fans of action comedy will be pleased with the results. As my friend, an avid action-comedy fan, says: "It has everything you could want in a movie: action, guns, explosions, humor, and beautiful women." As far as the genre goes, I would have to agree.
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)
Hits more often than it misses
Shawn and Marlon Wayans, along with director Paris Barclay, have created a very humorous satire of the flood of films recently dealing with African-American life in the ghettos of inner-cities of America. "Boyz in the Hood" and "Menace II Society" are among the films at which the Wayans brothers poke fun. "Don't be a Menace..." follows the story of Ashtray(Shawn Wayans) as he wades through a series of episodes in Barclay's "hood." He lives with his father, who is "only a couple of years older than him." Among the lessons his father teaches him are: "No smokin' my shit, no drinkin' my shit, and if you bring any of them hos up in here, make sure I fuck 'em first", and (drinking and driving)"That shit is fun, man!" No stereotype or politically-correct boundary is too sacred for the Wayans brothers to poke fun at. Some of the jokes hit, some miss, and the fun will definitely be increased by those who have seen the films that "Don't Be A Menace..." frequently jests. Not extremely culturally-important fare, but a good laugh, nonetheless.