# Roger Ebert's 'Bad Boys 2' review.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760 "2003-07-20T16:29:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@minega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minega)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/1 "2003-07-20T16:29:06Z")
Did anyone else read Roger Ebert’s review of ‘Bad Boys 2’? he hated it, but what really suprised me were the things he picked on. The scene where Will and Martin bully a young guy, and another scene where their car plows through a shanty town. It was a strange review from a guy who loved ‘Full throttle’ and ‘2 fadt 2 furious’ was anyone else bothered that he chose to pick on these things as his main reason for hating the film? Interestingly enough, Harry Knowles picked the ‘bully’ scene as one of his favorite scenes in the movie… Here is the review : [http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert1/wkp-news-boys18f.html](http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert1/wkp-news-boys18f.html) Also what i am trying to say is…was the film really that bad/ ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/2 "2003-07-20T16:51:10Z")
I’m not going to give Bay/Bruckheimer a red cent of my money, but when I saw the scene of the Hummer demolishing the shantytown in the preview, I thought the same thing that Ebert did. How fucking callous can you get? ---
**Author:** ![joshmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@joshmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joshmaker)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/3 "2003-07-20T16:58:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minega \*It was a strange review from a guy who loved ‘Full throttle’ Do you meen Charlie’s Angel: Full Throttle? Ebert gave that movie thumbs down. I have not seen the movie in question, however the bully scene he described certainly sounds in very poor taste to me. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/4 "2003-07-20T17:21:35Z")
I’ve seen about a half dozen reviews, and they’re all unanimous in proclaiming it the worst movie of the year so far. So it’s not just Ebert. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/5 "2003-07-20T17:22:35Z")
Why did they even make this Sequel. A Waste of Film, the first Movie Sucked as it was. And then it took them 8 years to make this Movie. I like Will Smith - would see any film he is in, but I hate Martin Lawrence - so I will not see any film he is in, thus I did not see Bad Boys, and won’t see Bad Boys 2. Hopefully this movie Tanks at the Box Office, so they won’t make a Bad Boys 3. If I was Will Smith, I would turn it down if offered. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/6 "2003-07-20T17:47:37Z")
I haven’t seen BBII, but reading Ebert’s review reminded me of the similar scene in Jackie Chan’s Police Story. I wonder if Ebert would consider that equally offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/7 "2003-07-20T19:33:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Intaglio \* > \*\*Why did they even make this Sequel. A Waste of Film, the first Movie Sucked as it was. And then it took them 8 years to make this Movie. > > I like Will Smith - would see any film he is in, but I hate Martin Lawrence - so I will not see any film he is in, thus I did not see Bad Boys, and won’t see Bad Boys 2. Hopefully this movie Tanks at the Box Office, so they won’t make a Bad Boys 3. If I was Will Smith, I would turn it down if offered. \*\* Wait, if you’ve never seen the first movie, how can you say it sucked? I’m not disagreeing with you, but it just seems like a lot of people say horrible things about a movie, but when you ask them if they’ve ever seen it, they say “Well… no.” ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/8 "2003-07-20T20:27:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nonsuch \* > \*\*I haven’t seen BBII, but reading Ebert’s review reminded me of the similar scene in Jackie Chan’s Police Story. I wonder if Ebert would consider that equally offensive. \*\* The difference being that in _Police Story_, people really did get hurt. I think also it’s a difference of the movies themselves- with Jackie Chan films, you have a sense of wonder ands awe. With Bruckheimer/Bay, they throw so many over-the-top chases and explosions at you that your mind starts tune it out to wander to mundane stuff during the movie. Maybe it’s just me- I know I’ve done that in every other BruckBay flick I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/9 "2003-07-20T23:14:34Z")
How the F did BB2 make #1 at the Box Office? ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/10 "2003-07-20T23:45:56Z")
Just another example of how low ‘whore-y-wood’ will sink our society for a cheap buck. \ ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/11 "2003-07-21T00:18:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Intaglio \* > \*\*How the F did BB2 make #1 at the Box Office? \*\* All kinds of awful movies are no. 1 on their opening weekend. Hard to say why exactly -probably because you’re smarter and have better taste than everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![stylize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@stylize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stylize)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/12 "2003-07-21T01:30:19Z")
I saw it. It is what it is. It isn’t supposed to be L.A. Confidential but there are parts that were funny. I know it is said all the time and almost excuses “bad” movies but…it is a perfect mindless summer movie. But the shanty town scene did have me WTF?-ing. It wasn’t necessary. The boyfriend scene was kind of funny. I guess I am “stupid” but I didn’t mind it. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/13 "2003-07-21T02:17:38Z")
That review is not unrepresentative of Ebert’s ouvre (meant ironically and unironically). He is an impressionistic reviewer and allows the reader to come to their own conclusion about whether or not they will like the movie based on his impressions. When I read that review, I thought to myself, “I know this type of movie.” And that’s all I needed to know in this case. I get the feeling that the intended shot sequences were probably edited out of order or mix-and-matched for the sake of startling you out of thinking about the plot holes or morality of what is going on. From that review I can infer (incorrectly but close enough) that John Woo directed it and (correctly) that Jerry Bruckheimer produced it. Hyperkinetic Editing over Style. Style over Substance. Meanspirited, Testosterone-inspired overcompensation, blah blah blah. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/14 "2003-07-21T02:56:22Z")
I saw _Armageddon_. That was enough to make me hope Michael Bay dies soon. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/15 "2003-07-21T03:10:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baldwin \* > \*\*I saw _Armageddon_. That was enough to make me hope Michael Bay dies soon. \*\* I don’t remember hating this movie. As much as the concept seems Bruckheimerian (and I wish he didn’t warrant having an -ian or -esque suffix but he does) and as much as it stars Ben Affleck I think I kind of liked it. I’ll have to take another look perhaps I’ll enjoy hating it this time. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/16 "2003-07-21T03:58:17Z")
I saw it too. In a weird way, it’s so over the top and amoral that’s it _is_ entertaining if you just take it on it’s own terms. It’s like a live action version of the “Grand Theft Auto” video games. Morality isn’t the point. The theater I was in was packed and the audience laughed all the way through it. The scene with the boyfriend got the biggest laughs in the movie. I wondered about the shanty town too, but hell, it’s just a movie. It’s a set piece. Enjoy it as a set piece. If you like GTA: Vice City, you’ll probably like this movie. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/17 "2003-07-21T04:25:12Z")
I just got back from the theater and I really liked it. I don’t know why all of you are offended by the shanty town scene. The shanty town was all owned and inhabited by cocaine makers. Does that make it bad to destroy? It was fun. It was an action-cop-buddy flick. Don’t go to it and expect “Gladiator” or something that will change your life. Go expecting gun fights and car chases and “Good-guy gets the girl and the bad guy dies” kind of action. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/18 "2003-07-21T04:41:04Z")
Every bad review I read of this movie made me want to go see it even more. I wanted the movie to be an over-the-top, outrageous string of one incredible set of explosions after another. A lot of the reviews I read complained that these were in the movie (duh, that’s what this movie is FOR), or even worse, chastised anyone who might enjoy such scenes. Get your morality off me! What is so terrible if I enjoy seeing a fictious shantytown leveled in a movie? I think a lot of reviewers misunderstood the use of violence. When taken to the extreme that Michael Bay appears to do in this film, violence has a comedic effect rather than an horrific effect. When you take something to an extreme, it has the opposite effect. Just take a look at **RoboCop**. I’m not going to attack or defend the movie yet, because I’m not seeing it until tomorrow. But I think the reviews of this movie were wrong. They seemed to have more to do with a prejudice towards Bay and Bruckheimer and a distaste for violence than the merits of the film. One of the few complaints I read in the reviews that actually had something to do with the movie is that it was too long, which Bay is notorious for. ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/19 "2003-07-21T06:23:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*If you like GTA: Vice City, you’ll probably like this movie. \*\* Not necessarily. Things that I can do in GTA may give me pleasure just for living a fantasy, where I do no real harm, only to fictitious characters. I don’t enjoy bullying in movies just for laughs. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760/20 "2003-07-21T14:29:58Z")
**Intaglio** ,I’ve found that wondering why a big movie that’s supposed to be awful opened at number one over the weekend is pointless. Watch and see how much a movie drops off during the second weekend. If people really don’t like it, it will drop a lot from it’s huge opening weekend take, meaning people (especially teens) aren’t going back for repeat viewings. If a big movie can’t sucker people in to see it twice, that means it won’t have “legs”, and keep bringing in money. That’s why the studios bank on a huge opening weekend, even more so during the summer. Just look at how much films like _Charlie’s Angels 2_ and _LXG_ have dropped off after their opening weekends. More than a 50% drop, that’s a sign that people didn’t like them. Look at _Pirates Of The Caribbean_ and _Finding Nemo_, both have “legs” and retained their audiences to keep making money. I want to see the second weekend take for _Bad Boys 2_, since I loathe Michael Bay and Martin Lawrence, with Will Smith it depends on the movie. But I hated the first film, and just the trailers for this one got on my nerves, so it won’t be getting my money. The reviews I’ve read have only reinforced my certainty of that. I sat through 2 1/2 of Bay’s first three movies, only _The Rock_ was worth a damn to me because the actors were better than the material. After two failed attempts to watch _Armegeddon_ (that’s the 1/2), I said no more. I know Bay claimed that John Frankenheimer was his father, but even if he were, the talent gene skipped him. He’s too busy showing off with his cameras, pointless slo-mos, and endless quick cuts, jacking off with the equipment as far as I’m concerned. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roger-eberts-bad-boys-2-review/189760.md?page=2)