A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
a little
Themes of idealism, friendship, and love of duty and family come through beneath the violence, swearing, and surface-level cynicism.
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Positive Role Models
a little
The main characters are police detectives who are loyal to each other and to their loved ones, but they're also needlessly violent. Lowrey -- who's independently wealthy because of a trust fund and doesn't need to be a detective -- is motivated by ideals of truth and justice. Burnett continually tries his best to put his wife and family ahead of the demands of his job. Main female characters are assertive but often objectified.
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Diverse Representations
a little
This was one of the first cop films to star two African American leads. Unfortunately, Smith and Lawrence's notable roles are flat and limiting. Though women are often objectified, the lead female characters are assertive and hold their own. Black women play small supporting characters -- one dies fairly quickly. The rest of the cast is mostly White. There are some jokes surrounding Lowrey and Burnett's relationship, hinting that it may be more romantic than it is.
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Lots of big, violent action sequences with car chases, explosions, guns, and fistfights. There are plenty of guns, including some big and loud ones. Several minor characters are killed without consequences. Other characters are threatened with guns to their heads. There's blood and gore, including a scene with a rotting corpse covered in maggots, an execution-style shooting, and multiple other dead bodies lingering around crime scenes. Criminals lurk in the shadows with a few jump scares.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
Characters talk and brag about their sex lives (or lack thereof), including lots of jokes about a married man and his wife being tempted by others. A woman appears in skimpy lingerie at a main character's apartment for sex but is ushered out quickly. Scantily clad women dance in a club in cages, and a main character gets his face pressed up within inches of a dancer's high-heeled foot. References to "working girls" and "hookers." A minor character is a sex worker. A man runs down a bridge with his chest exposed.
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Language
a lot
Language is extremely strong, with very frequent use of "f--k" and "s--t," "bulls--t," "s--thead," "motherbitches," "d--k," "balls," "goddamn," "bitch," "ass," "a--hole," "screw," "God," and "Jesus Christ" as exclamations, "hooker," "whor*," "t-ts," "cojones," and "hump."
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Products & Purchases
some
Characters mention brands like co*ke, Bubblicious gum, and Skittles. Arm & Hammer baking soda is shown. Budweiser appears in multiple neon signs in the convenience store and is mentioned by a major character. Car brands, specifically Porsche, Shelby Cobra, Ferrari, Chevy, and Hummer, appear in car chases. The Biltmore hotel plays an important role. Burnett also mentions the catchphrase for Oscar Mayer bologna.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
The main characters are narcotics cops, and the plot revolves around gangsters who steal an enormous amount of heroin from the police. This heroin is shown and mentioned many times (in brick form as well as powder). One minor character uses it and appears under its influence. Characters also drink alcohol at a club, and another scene takes place inside a liquor store.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Bad Boys (Michael Bay's feature directorial debut) stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as Miami police detectives. Like most of Bay's films, it's slick and exploitative. The heroes are foul-mouthed, violent narcotics cops who are charged with recovering a huge pile of heroin, which is shown and mentioned many times (in brick form as well as powder), as well as used by a minor character. Language is nonstop (including "f--k," "s--t," and much, much more), and the relentless action violence includes fistfights, guns, blood, explosions, and multiple dead bodies, including one gory, maggot-covered corpse. There's plenty of sexual innuendo and references to sex workers, but there's no nudity or on-screen sex. Women are often objectified, but the lead female characters are assertive and hold their own. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
In Miami, a gang of criminals successfully steals a huge supply of heroin from the police. It's up to narcotics cops Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), the BAD BOYS, to find the drugs and save their jobs. A friend of Mike's (Tasha Smith) responds to a call from one of the careless criminals and brings her friend Julie (Tea Leoni). Julie witnesses the murder of her friend before escaping. Lowrey and Burnett work together to protect Julie, find the gangsters and the drugs, and avenge their friend, all while trying not to blow up half of Miami.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Bad Boys. Was it thrilling or disturbing? How did it make you feel in the end?
What's the appeal of this type of exploitative movie? Are there any lessons to be learned from watching it, or is it just entertainment?
What are some other examples of "cop movies" where two partners with opposing personalities work together? Why is this an enduring formula?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 7, 1995
- On DVD or streaming: June 27, 2000
- Cast: Martin Lawrence, Tea Leoni, Will Smith
- Director: Michael Bay
- Inclusion Information: Black actors, Female actors
- Studio: Columbia Pictures
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 118 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: intense violent action and pervasive strong language
- Last updated: June 4, 2024
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