Dove Review

This 2020 action film opens with Mike and Marcus in the iconic city of Miami, racing through traffic to reach Marcus’ daughter, who is in the process of giving birth to his first grandchild. Upon the baby’s birth, the duo considers where they are in their lives, as they are not as young as they once were. Marcus considers retirement, but Mike still wants to live in the moment, not ever wanting to slow down. But when a lethal attempt on Mike’s life is made, all consideration for the future is put on hold, and the “Bad Boys” throw themselves back on the case one final time.

Bad Boys for Life explores some newer avenues for the franchise, which revolve around the reality of age and the sins of the past. Many elements of the film flowed well and offered funny, touching, shocking, and even heartbreaking moments, especially for those who have followed the duo from the very beginning. However, while this might be the case, the film is not something just anyone can sit through.

There are instances of gruesome violence from the very start of the film to its conclusion, bordering on the line of pure gore at times. There is also a significant amount of language, as many of the film’s characters throw around the F-word. Certain pieces of dialogue could also be seen as inappropriate, as there are instances where characters talk about sexual intercourse in a manner that goes beyond the confines of marriage. Lastly, there is light mention of witchcraft, as one of the primary villains of the film is said to believe in black magic and uses it to mark and kill her enemies.

While the film is certainly capable of keeping audience members on the edge of their seats, many of them will be glad that they kept their young kids at home. Graphic violence, constant crude humor, and heavy language make this film Not Dove-approved.

The Dove Take:

Bad Boys for Life follows two cops on an adventure that might be entertaining for an older audience, but violence, language, and sexual elements aren’t appropriate for your young children.

Dove Rating Details

1

Faith

Marcus takes on a religious oath upon Mike’s recovery to bring no more violence to his enemies and friends

4

Integrity

There are several shootings, many of which have incredibly bloody, and sometimes gory, results. There are also intense fist fights, an instance where one character is impaled by a forklift, and another where a prison guard is mercilessly stabbed by dozens of inmates and then shoved into a washing machine.

2

Sex

Scattered mentions of premarital sex and crude references throughout film, but nothing onscreen

5

Language

Nearly every character uses the F-word, as well as others such as s***, d***, and many more. There are also many instances where the Lord’s name is used in vain.

4

Violence

There are several shootings, many of which have incredibly bloody, and sometimes gory, results. There are also intense fist fights, an instance where one character is impaled by a forklift, and another where a prison guard is mercilessly stabbed by dozens of inmates and then shoved into a washing machine.

2

Drugs

There is a moment in the film where an accountant Mike and Marcus intend to interrogate ingests drugs seconds before they enter his home.

0

Nudity

None

1

Other

Mention of witchcraft. There is also a point where this oath is taken advantage of by Mike, who uses Marcus’ newly formed faith to convince him to utilize a mini gun during a big chase scene. The oath is seemingly discarded entirely after this point.