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Bad Boys: Ride or Die

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  • Awesome Music: "TONIGHT" by The Black Eyed Peas.
  • Captain Obvious Reveal: It is blatantly obvious that Lockwood is secretly a Corrupt Politician and The Mole for McGrath.
  • Catharsis Factor: The deaths of Lockwood and McGrath, given how the former was responsible for selling out cops to the drug cartels as well as the flow of drugs into America, and the latter for being directly responsible for ordering the hit on Captain Howard.
  • Heartwarming Moments: Callie going back to help wounded Armando, after he comes to her rescue. This culminates in Callie tearfully begging her mother Judy to spare Armando for his heroic actions. Judy relents and allows him to leave, despite knowing he killed their beloved father and grandfather.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight: This isn't the only work released in 2024 which had the Big Bad sporting white hair dying on a beach. Bonus points that both this movie and the finale of said work premiered around the same time, in June 2024.
  • Magnificent Bastard: James McGrath is a former DEA agent who's secretly behind many of the crimes scattered throughout the franchise. Having defected from his duties, McGrath conspired with Adam Lockwood to work alongside Johnny Tapia and various other drug cartels in exchange for riches and information that would prevent terrorist attacks. After Captain Conrad Howard suspected corruption in the department, he sent multiple officers to seek intel, only for McGrath to have them killed in fabricated accidents. Later, after Isabel and Armando Aretas began hunting police officials, McGrath added Howard's name to their list so they would take the blame for his murder. Upon manipulating the public into thinking Howard was behind the corruption, McGrath quickly killed anyone who could clear his name, eventually going after Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey and framing them for murdering US Marshals. When the duo survive multiple assassination attempts, McGrath goes after their families, successfully kidnapping Mike's newly-wedded wife and Howard's granddaughter and offering their freedom if Mike and Marcus give up Armando and other incriminating evidence.
  • Moral Event Horizon: McGrath is revealed to have crossed this during the events of the last movie by being the one who ordered the hit on Captain Howard.
  • Signature Scene: Reggie vs. 15 cartel mooks is by far the most talked about scene from the movie.
  • Strangled by the Red String: The introduction of Christine in the opening of the movie is her and Mike getting married. Aside from her not being given a prior characteristic besides "Mike's new wife" really early on — and that he met her while he was hospitalized after being shot — she also, other than both his fear of losing her and his drive to save her from McGrath during the climax, doesn't have any real bearing on the story otherwise. That it basically makes Mike's romantic subplot with Rita in the previous film null and void as well, also makes it stand out too.
  • Tear Jerker: Early on Mike gets a panic attack, we later learn why. He blames himself for Captain Howard's death. Later on, once Callie and Christine are saved, Judy allows Armando to leave. However, he and Mike have to part ways indefinitely. The father-son pair share a quick but warm goodbye. Mike urges Armando to head South and never look back, but Armando mildly implies that their paths may cross again. All Mike can do is watch in sadness as his son sails off into the distance.
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Judy Howard could have been a wonderful addition to the cast, especially as she's played by Rhea Seehorn, fresh off her acclaimed turn in Better Call Saul. A character related to the beloved Captain Howard, who feels betrayed at Mike gunning for his son when he murdered her father, it could have introduced some conflict towards her and Mike. Instead, she's merely in a few scenes and she and Mike don't have many interactions with each other. Her scenes could have easily been cut out and it wouldn't have changed anything to the story. That she doesn't realize her daughter's been kidnapped until just before the climax also takes her emotional stake out of most of the ending as well.
  • Trailer Joke Decay: Mike and Marcus being forced at gunpoint by rednecks to sing a Reba McEntire song only for them to break into "Bad Boys".

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