Bad Boys: Ride Or Die‘s audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is the franchise’s best, but its critics’ ratings tell a completely different story. Serving as the fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die marks Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s return as the iconic buddy cop duo, Det. Lt. Michael Eugene “Mike” Lowrey and Det. Lt. Marcus Miles Burnett. However, despite featuring two big names as its leads, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die was expected to take some major blows from the recent decline in movie box office numbers.

However, even though it is not a blockbuster yet, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is performing well at the global box office and has earned over $120 million in its opening week against a budget of $100 million. The film’s box office performance is perhaps a reflection of how much viewers are admiring the film even though critics may not have given it the best reviews. This difference between critics’ and viewer ratings raises intriguing questions surrounding all the factors that impact the perceptions and opinions of the two audiences.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s 97% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Explained

Audiences Have Praised Bad Boys: Ride Or Ride For Offering What They Expect From The Franchise

Most viewers have seemingly enjoyed the new Bad Boys movie because it delivers everything it promises — from hilarious one-liners to slam-bang action sequences. Many also embraced how Will Smith and Martin Lawrence still have undeniable chemistry, bouncing off each other’s comic timing and energy. All in all, since Bad Boys: Ride Or Die offers the same kind of popcorn entertainment its predecessors came to be known for, audiences have absolutely nothing to complain about.

Apart from featuring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s comical banter, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die also dabbles with a few serious plot lines. Even though the film’s overall tone remains lighthearted, it effectively balances its humor with its emotionally heavy moments. More than anything else, Bad Boys 4 is also being appreciated for staying true to the classic tropes of buddy cop cinema, making it reminiscent of the best ’80s and ’90s movies of the subgenre. This adds a layer of nostalgia to the film, drawing in viewers who fondly remember the franchise’s early installments and other action classics.

Why Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s RT Critics Score Is Much Lower Than Its Audience Score

Many Critics Are Unimpressed With The New Bad Boys Movie’s Action & Inconsistent Narrative

Given how Bad Boys: Ride Or Die has a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 64%, many critics seemingly share the same opinion as the viewers. However, since the critics’ score is not as unanimous as the viewers’, many critics also likely have reservations and complaints about the action film. For instance, one critic (Jeff Mitchell via Art House Film Wire) said the film series is becoming more and more like the Fast and Furious franchise, which can be both good and bad.

Many also expressed their concerns surrounding the film’s inability to maintain a consistent storyline and have any semblance of logic in its action sequences. Case in point: One critic (Sean Collier via Pittsburgh Magazine) pointed out that the film’s “glimmers of summer-movie fun” are often buried in “meandering plot and uninspired action.“ Another reviewer (Evan Dossey via Midwest Film Journal) expressed his issues with the sequel’s young directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah attempting to sell the franchise to younger audiences but failing to achieve the same despite its best efforts.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Continues A Franchise Trend

All Bad Boys Movies Have A Significantly Higher Audience Score

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is not the first film in the franchise to experience such a massive disparity between audience and critics’ opinions. Even the first movie in the franchise, which premiered in 1995, has a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 44% but a relatively positive audience score of 78%. The difference between audience and critics’ ratings is even greater for Bad Boys II, which has an incredibly low critics’ score of 24% against an audience score of 78%. The third film, Bad Boys For Life, is an outlier as it got the franchise its first and only “Certified Fresh” Rotten Tomatoes score of 76%.

However, despite landing in most critics’ good books, the third film continued the franchise trend by earning an impressive 96% score from viewers. This recurring divide between audience and critics’ opinions surrounding the film highlights how viewers focus more on the franchise’s entertaining qualities and expect it to be nothing more than a mindless action comedy. In contrast, as most Bad Boys: Ride or Die reviews suggest, critics expect new installments to reinvent the original formula and bring something more refreshing and unique to the table.