Wasn't January supposed to suck?
Try as I may, I can't think of a movie that I have been dreading from the January release season more than the mere concept of a third film in the "Bad Boys" franchise.
To provide some perspective, as somebody that has been something of an unabashed Michael Bay critic for the better part of a decade now, I have nothing but unapologetic love and adoration for the "Bad Boys" movies. Between Bay being surrounded by his element, providing an unparalleled energy to bring to life a buddy cop comedy on steroids with comic book logic and being anchored by the chemistry of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in their prime, they're an unintentional commentary on their own genre while simultaneously being said genre's peak in a way no film of the last decade and a half or so has managed to match.
So the idea of a sequel 17 years after the previous release, not being overseen by the director that brought that energy to the table and being dumped in January while seeming to feature some sort of old guard vs. the kids these days subtext in the form of a newly introduced crime solving division of millenials clearly being set up for some sort of hopeful spinoff, did little to set my world on fire.
I can only imagine that if every January at the box office were allowed to kick off with this much of a surprise hit, the month wouldn't have such a dour reputation.
"Bad Boys for Life" isn't just a shockingly good "Bad Boys" movie but is the kind of blast of a blockbuster release I'm almost shocked didn't try for some sort of June release date.
Reuniting Lawrence and Smith as the former gears up for retirement, tragedy sees Smith's Mike Lowrey grappling with his own age after being critically wounded in an assasination attempt carried out by the son of a Cartel boss played by Kate del Castillo for past transgressions from one of Lowrey's first cases as law enforcement.
In investigating his own hit, Lawrence's Marcus Burnett is forced to break from his retirement to make sure that his best friend doesn't get himself killed for one last mission.
The setup may sound stock and more than a little convenient for a reunion of two aging stars, one of whom hasn't exactly maintained an action star build over the course of the near 2 decades between installments, but the execution delivers from top to bottom.
"Bad Boys for Life" would be a passable watch solely on the grounds of its stylishly edited, clearly shot and decently choreographed action but what really gives the movie a strong sense of personality, a strong highlight of where most action comedies go wrong these days and a solid state side debut for directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah is the way it all manages to mix into a cohesive tone.
This isn't just a fun movie, it is a laugh out loud funny one that reminds me of how much audience enjoyment can occasionally enhancec solid cinematic foundation.
Lawrence and Smith bring their A-game and despite the film never shying away from their aging stature, the 2 pick up the roles with the same level of energy exuded by themselves onscreen decades before they even approached midlife.
They make good jokes great, bad joke chuckle worthy, and always play the insanity they're surrounded in tongue in-cheek without the production ever having to spell jokes out for you.
There's a scene in the second half of the movie in which Lawrence takes an oath of pacificism that Smith has to convince him to break by pointing out the ludicrous circumstances they're finding themselves in as a sign of divine intervention and permission from god to be the most irresponsible cops that they can be, while being proud of it.
I don't know if the satire in these sort of moments was intentional or not. I know that they're hilarious, so I don't even care.
By no means is "Bad Boys for Life" some sort of creative masterpiece but as far as action comedies of its ilk go, I haven't been this entertained by one in a while and if this is the kind of quality I can expect from 2020, than I look forward to the goodies that cinema has to bring for the coming decade.
7 Internal Affairs Investigations out of 10
Director Makoto Shinkai honed his style of storytelling within his craft to peak polish with the 2016 release of "Your Name," using his excellent grip on gorgeous production elements and gripping narrative frameworks that really get you into the mindset of his usually young protagonists and their journey processing the harshness of adulthood as their naivete fades away and they struggle to maintain their sense of optimism and purpose, to tell a powerful tale of young love under supernatural circumstances that surpassed Studio Ghibli movies to become the highest grossing anime film of all time.
His follow up, "Weathering with You" sees teenage runaway Hodaka trying to make a living in Tokyo, away from his estranged family when he finds a job contributing articles to an independent E-magazine publishing stories on urban legends and subsequently stumbles across Hina, a girl seemingly capable of supernaturally controlling the weather in an uncharacteristically rainy season.
The two help each other out by starting a business to grant those willing to pay with good weather but quickly learn that as they begin to attract attention in running away from their problems, said troubles begin to follow, forcing them to confront the issues they've been seeking to escape once and for all.
So, not exactly much of a stretch from Shnikai's previous work.
As a matter of fact, nearly all of his quirks are in full effect, occasionally to the detriment of the movie. The imagery of the second half can get so in love with itself as to lose track of the story being told and the occasionally bombastic and romantic sequences of Hodaka cutting running towards what he loves rather than away from his responsibilities can get a little overbearing in a movie that was otherwise using the subtlety of weather and climate change as metaphor for those coming of age to learn to handle their traumas through humility and learn from the mistakes of previous generations as those learn from being able to teach their successors rather brilliantly and impactfully.
That's to say nothing of the movie's desire to sell the hell out of its own musical score and soundtrack at several intervals.
Now none of this is to say that "Weathering with You" is bad; far from it in fact. For those of you that have peaked at my list of favorite films of 2019, you'd know I definitely find that to be far from the case but there's also no denying that its architect is starting to fall into certain distracting habits of repetition.
The day he does make a bad movie now that he's begun to truly break through will be a fascinating occasion but this is not that moment.
For those that have watched any of his previous work, including the aforementioned "Your Name" and other underappreciated gems like "5 Centimeters Per Second," "Weathering with You" is bound to feel familiar but the beating heart at its center does a lot to make it shine at its highest and lowest moments.
When the stakes ramp up, you truly feel it because a large majority of the movie is watching these 2 kids just be kids. They awkwardly stumble into their relationship after a series of awkward moments, genuine bonding and joking with one another. Although the tragedy they bump up against becomes inevitable, it's also all too human and all too relatable, whether you're just passed their age and able to remember such a naive mindset as though it were just yesterday, or growing ever older and finding yourself sympathizing with the purity of their viewpoint and how the world just isn't that simple no matter how much you'd like it to be.
"Weathering with You" isn't quite a masterpiece stacked up to the pedigree that its creator has been carving out for himself based on his work's evolution but it's nevertheless a thoughtful, fun, dramatic, romantic, and all around engaging treat from start to finish that may not stick its landing at a perfect 10 but never overstays its welcome.
8 Rainy Days out of 10
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