The Bad Boys trilogy has gone on to become one of the most unexpected action movie franchises. What started out as a starring vehicle for Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey instead launched the movie careers of stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, as well as director Michael Bay.
The successful third film in the series is now available to enjoy from the comforts of your own home. So, now feels like a perfect time to look back on what this franchise did best: deliver insane and thrilling action scenes. Here are the best action sequences from the Bad Boys trilogy.
Undercover With The KKK (Bad Boys II)
This trilogy was fun and hilarious, but one thing it was not was subtle. Michael Bay is not one to pull back on the ridiculousness, and he proved that with this opening action scene from Bad Boys II.
Officers Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) decide to go undercover in a Ku Klux Klan meeting which, of course, turns into a massive shootout. From the bloody headshots to the slow-motion look at a bullet hitting someone’s butt, the movie prepares viewers for a wild ride.
Garage Shootout (Bad Boys For Life)
Though Michael Bay decided not to return for the third film in the series, the new directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah proved to be up to the task of delivering explosions and mayhem. One of the film’s first action sequences inside a car garage shows their talents off well.
Mike and his new teammates infiltrate a weapons deal gone wrong. The shootout is just a solid throwback to the kinds of action we don’t see in movies these days. It also gets bonus points for the shot of a bad guy getting a car dropped on him.
Shootout And Foot Chase (Bad Boys)
As the first Bad Boys film entered its third act, Michael Bay really let loose with his now-famous style. The bad guys show up at Mike’s house to capture the key witness. The scene begins with a slow-motion shootout before turning into a thrilling and ridiculous chase sequence.
Mike pursues the bad guys while showing off his abs, which instantly made Will Smith a star. The chase goes through a beauty salon and a photoshoot with bikini-clad models. It is the kind of fun nonsense only Michael Bay can pull off.
Gang House Shootout (Bad Boys II)
Though Bad Boys was certainly an action-packed film, Michael Bay really went wild with Bad Boys II. It seems like every other scene involves Mike and Marcus trading gunfire with enemies. When looking for some information from a Haitian gang, the two cops end up shooting up the place yet again.
Bay’s stylish and over-the-top camera movements make the scene all the more entertaining. There’s also a funny aftermath as Marcus jokingly tries to interrogate all the suspects that Mike just killed.
Final Showdown (Bad Boys For Life)
These movies always pull out all the big guns (literally) when it comes to the finale. While Bad Boys For Life‘s climax wasn’t quite as thrilling as the other films, it still delivered some solid thrills.
Mike and Marcus travel to Mexico to take on the villainous Isabel Aretas. The action takes place inside a dilapidated mansion. A massive shootout ensues, a helicopter crashes into the mansion, and the whole thing catches on fire as the battle goes on. It’s all the insanity we’ve come to expect from the series.
Cuban Car Chase (Bad Boys II)
The finale of Bay Boys II also goes international with Mike and Marcus tracking their foe to Cuba this time. After a spectacular action sequence that we’ll get to later, our heroes pursue the villains in an extended Humvee chase.
As if there weren’t enough explosions in this film already, the chase heads down a Cuban hillside filled with drug dealers’ workshops. The Humvees proceed to smash and blow up everything in their path on the way down the hill.
Motorcycle Chase (Bad Boys For Life)
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah really showed what they could do with this thrilling chase scene in Bad Boys For Life. Mike and Marcus apprehend a suspect at a club but soon find themselves pursued by his gang on motorcycles.
Mike and Marcus get their own motorcycle, with Marcus in the sidecar, and the chase gets crazier from there. It all culminates in a helicopter showing up with a rocket launcher. It’s a wild scene featuring some great stunt work.
Mansion Attack (Bad Boys II)
Michael Bay really proved that no expense would be spared to deliver some crazy action with this scene. After illegally infiltrating Cuba, Mike and Marcus lead a massive team of special ops officers to attack the bad guy’s luxurious mansion.
The extended shootout is as fun as you’d expect, but the real excitement comes when our heroes blow up the massive mansion. Even crazier, the explosion and destruction of the house were all done practically.
Hangar Showdown (Bad Boys)
Michael Bay capped off his first feature film by showing what kind of action filmmaker he could be. The end of Bad Boys finds Mike and Marcus leading a mission to an airplane hangar where the villain is attempting to make his getaway.
The spectacular shootout is filled with explosions, slow motion, and even an electrocution. The cherry on top is the exploding airplane stunt, which Bay paid for out of his own pocket when the studio turned him down.
Highway Chase (Bad Boys II)
Michael Bay might not produce the most prestigious films, but it’s hard to deny he can assemble a pretty great action set piece. Likely his finest moment as a filmmaker comes with this out-of-control and insane highway car chase.
Mike and Marcus are driving an inexplicably expensive car while pursing the villains. The bad guys managed to hijack a car transport and begin literally throwing cars at the cops pursuing them. This is exactly the kind of mayhem that makes the Bad Boys trilogy such a popular franchise.
