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by Blender Dumbass

Aka: J.Y. Amihud. A Jewish by blood, multifaceted artist with experience in film-making, visual effects, programming, game development, music and more. A philosopher at heart. An activist for freedom and privacy. Anti-Paternalist. A user of Libre Software. Speaking at least 3 human languages. The writer and director of the 2023 film "Moria's Race" and the lead developer of it's game sequel "Dani's Race".

Bayhem! - the Michael Bay approach to cinema, was under attack when Bay tried to win some awards with Perl Harbor. He was going to try to make a serious picture, but couldn't make himself do it. His Bayhem! sensibilities were too strong. Perl Harbor traumatized Bay so much, that he needed to take it out of his system. He needed to make a movie that will be pure Bayhem! He needed to make Bad Boys II.

Bad Boys II continues the adventures of the two cop bodies from the first film, which also was directed by Michael Bay, but this time everything is cranked to 12. Not even to 11. The humor is absurdier, the action is epicer and the R rating is R-ratinger. Bay is going for the ultimate Bay experience. And makes one of the most Bayhem! movies in existence.

Similarly to Michael Mann's Miami Vice Bad Boys II is about love, man... It is about how both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence love Gabrielle Union. And how they are willing to do international terrorism and kill many many people, to save her. True love bro!

There a scene toward the end of the film ( spoilers ) that gives me goosebumps every time I watch the movie. Momentarily the film stops being silly and goes full force with seriousness. It is when we learn that Jordi Mollà's psychopathic mafia boss character has kidnapped Gabrielle Union's character. And they are now flying away to Cuba. Bay was holding himself from using his rotating camera shot until this very moment. And suddenly when shit gets real, Michael Bay gets real too. The following sequence of pathos and sad men teaming up to commit international terrorism to save this one woman is breathtakingly beautiful. Love goes beyond any logic. Beyond any diplomacy. Beyond any external politics.

The film has tons and tons of action. And the action is not simple. It borrows from Steven Spielberg's Minority Report with how it seems like you know when the action should stop, but the movie simply refuses to stop the action for a few more sequences. But unlike Spielberg, Michael Bay goes R Rated with his action.

I don't know if anybody on set ( whether Bay or the writers ) were trying to do it, but they made the perfect introduction to Dennis McDonald's character Reggie. A lot of people rightfully criticized the film for that the main characters attacked the poor teenage boy when he tried taking Bianca Bethune's character Megan to a date. But this gave the character a perfect setup to later pay him off as absolute kick-ass of a marine fighter 2 films later. There is even a line from one of them asking Reggie if he can fight. And he stands there, refusing to yield to their pressure, telling that he knows how to fight. Doesn't even yield when Will Smith starts pointing a gun at him. This is some kick-ass fighter material there.

I tend to come back to films like Bad Boys II a lot and it is a shame that the third and fourth films weren't Michael Bay's, because even though the directors did a good job, they are not on the same level of Bayhem! It is not easy to Bayhem! the film the way Bay can do it. And Bad Boys II is the most Bayhem! movie out there.

Happy Hacking!!!


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