How many Bad Boys movies are there?

In 1995, action comedy, Bad Boys hit cinema screens. The high-octane buddy-cop movie, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, followed the story of two Miami Police Detectives who are given 72 hours to track down the whereabouts of millions of dollars worth of heroin.

In the film, Internal Affairs begin to suspect an inside job, leaving best friends and partners, Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett to solve the case. However, things soon get more complicated, leading to some explosive action and plenty of laughs!

When Bad Boys opened in US theatres in April ‘95, the film received a mixed response from critics, however it fared much better with audiences. Cinema-goers found the pairing of Smith and Lawrence to be a winner, and the movie became a box office hit.

Due to the success of Bad Boys, as well as its continued popularity on home video, the film was followed by multiple sequels. But how many Bad Boys movies are there? 

For all the explosive details and more, keep reading.

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Bad Boys movies

Bad Boys (1995)

In Bad Boys, Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett work in the narcotics department of the Miami police force. However, when $100 million worth of heroin is stolen from a police vault, they are given 72 hours to find it before Internal Affairs shuts down their entire department.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! movie critic Alex Wiggan said about Bad Boys:

“As an action film, Bad Boys proves some films can be perfectly acceptable for what they present, rather than what they don’t. If you enjoy a buddy cop movie, there’s no real reason not to like this one.”

Bad Boys II (2003)

Although Bad Boys was a hit at the box office, which pretty much guaranteed a sequel would follow, it took a while for the next film to get off the ground. The follow-up had a bumpy development, and it took until 2003 before Bad Boys II hit cinema screens.

However, when the movie arrived Mike and Marcus are now in charge of a task force which investigates the flow of ecstasy into Miami. Their investigation leads them to a deadly kingpin, whose plan to control the drug traffic in the city has kick-started an underground war.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! said about Bad Boys II:

“…Bad Boys II starts off on the wrong path, creates a lot of senseless havoc as it judders along, and is ultimately a destructive force. In an attempt to do something more expansive, the film jettisons the goodwill established by the first movie and tramples all over the great chemistry between Lawrence and Smith.”

Bad Boys for Life (2020)

Upon release Bad Boys II was another commercial success, but it was not a hit with critics and fans weren’t so hot on it either. As such, the movie series went on hiatus where it remained for 17 years. 

When Bad Boys was eventually revived for a third entry, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence returned for more action and laughs. In this third offering – titled Bad Boys for Life – Mike and Marcus investigate a series of murders tied to Mike’s troubled past.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! said about Bad Boys for Life:

“Thanks to an injection of new ideas, as well as some new energy, Bad Boys for Life is a breath of fresh air. Many action franchises fall apart by entry number three, yet Bad Boys for Life proves this doesn’t always have to be the case.”

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

Upon release (and perhaps to many peoples’ surprise) Bad Boys for Life was both a critical and commercial hit. As such, a fourth movie titled Bad Boys: Ride or Die was given the go-ahead, arriving in 2024.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! said about Bad Boys: Ride or Die:

“While it isn’t the best entry in the movie series, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is absolutely fine as a summer blockbuster. If straight-forward, reliable entertainment is what you crave, then Bad Boys: Ride or Die has it in spades.”

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Bad Boys movies in order

To date, there are four Bad Boys movies. If you wish to watch the Bad Boys films in order, follow this list:

• Bad Boys (1995)
• Bad Boys II (2003)
• Bad Boys for Life (2020)
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

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Who are the cast of the Bad Boys movies and are the films the work of the same director?

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are the lead stars of the Bad Boys movie series, playing the roles of Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett respectively. Other notable actors in the movie series include Téa Leoni, Joe Pantoliano, John Salley, Theresa Randle, Tasha Smith, Cory Hodges, Scott Cumberbatch, Gabrielle Union, Michael Shannon, Peter Stormare, Vanessa Hudgens, DJ Khaled, Eric Dane, and Ioan Gruffudd.

In terms of directors, the movies are the work of the following:

• Michael Bay directed Bad Boys and Bad Boys II
• Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah directed Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die

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Which is the best Bad Boys movie?

According to IMDb, the Bad Boys movies are rated as follows:

• Bad Boys (1995) – 6.8/10
• Bad Boys II (2003) – 6.6/10
• Bad Boys for Life (2020) – 6.5/10
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) – Not yet rated 

The in-house ratings from It’s A Stampede! are as follows:

• Bad Boys (1995) – 3.5/5
• Bad Boys II (2003) – 2/5
• Bad Boys for Life – 4/5
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die – 3/5

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Editor/writer/No.1 bad boy (for life)

Alex Wiggan

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I hope this information about the Bad Boys movie series has proved useful. Should you wish to know more about other long-running movie series on It’s A Stampede!, please check out one of the recommended reads below.