Bad Boys I & II (20th Anniversary Collection) (4K Remastered) [Blu-Ray] 
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence
Release Date: Now Available on Blu-ray
A Review By: Kevin Lovell
Disc Rating(s):
Bad Boys: 8/10
Bad Boys II: 9.5/10
Synopses:
Bad Boys: From director Michael Bay (Transformers) comes a thrill ride of explosive action from beginning to end. One hundred million dollars worth of confiscated drugs has just been jacked from police custody. Once the career bust of Detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), the missing drugs now threaten to shut down the Narcotics Division of the Miami Police Department. When the drug investigation turns deadly, the murderers kidnap the only witness, a beautiful police informant (Téa Leoni) and close friend of the boys. Experience all of the humor, thrills and action like never before with this 20th anniversary edition now fully remastered in 4K.
Bad Boys II: Fully remastered in 4K and for the first time on Blu-ray! Hang on for maximum mayhem, full-on fun and the wildest chase scenes ever put on film! The action and comedy never stop when superstars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunite as out-of-control trash-talking buddy cops. Bullets fly, cars crash, and laughs explode as they pursue a whacked-out drug lord from the streets of Miami to the barrios of Cuba. But the real fireworks result when Lawrence discovers that playboy Smith is secretly romancing his sexy sister, Gabrielle Union (Bring It On). Director Michael Bay (Transformers) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer (The Pirates of the Caribbean) deliver a high-speed, high-octane blockbuster that will blow you away!
While I’m a fan of many of Michael Bay’s directorial efforts, as well as the acting work of both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in general, there is no question that two of my personal favorites among the body of work for all three of these individuals are easily the ‘Bad Boys’ films which deliver hard hitting intense action perfectly combined with nonstop laughs and fun. I must say it was quite the wonderful experience finally being able to view both of these films back to back on Blu-ray and beautifully remastered in 4K to boo, and as many fellow fans are surely already well aware, this double pack also marks the first time ever on Blu-ray for ‘Bad Boys II’. For those who may be initially hesitant about a potential double feature release, rest assured that is not the case here, the 20th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray release comes with both films on their own discs and in their own BD cases (the artwork for the first film even representing the theatrical poster this time around) and an additional slip case holding the two together.
Fellow fans of the ‘Bad Boys’ films will without question want to make certain to pick up a copy of ‘Bad Boys I & II: 20th Anniversary Collection’ on Blu-ray to add to their collections. Even for those such as me who may already own the previous Blu-ray release of the first film, the brand new 4K remaster included this time around should be helpful in justifying the purchase as the second film is not currently available to purchase separately. While no new extras are included on the first film aside from the Trailer, all of the extras included on the previous release are present and accounted for, and the debut Blu-ray release of ‘Bad Boys II’ includes over 2 hours of entertaining and informative bonus content including ‘Production’ Diaries’ and much more (more detailed information regarding the bonus content can be found in the special features section of the technical specification coverage below) which altogether should easily make this release a must own for the majority of fans.
VIDEO:
Bad Boys: This latest Blu-ray release of ‘Bad Boys’ features a new full 1080p High Definition presentation fully remastered in 4K and utilizing the film’s original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. This remastered video presentation looks fantastic, delivering a detailed, clean and sharp presentation from start to finish with no notable faults to be found within, easily superior to the previous Blu-ray’s video presentation which itself was certainly no disappointment. Overall, this is an impressive new high definition video presentation that should easily thrill fellow fans of this classic.
Bad Boys II: The Blu-ray of ‘Bad Boys II’ features a new full 1080p High Definition presentation also fully remastered in 4K and utilizing the film’s original 2.40:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio. The sequel arrives on Blu-ray at long last looking absolutely wonderful, this fully remastered video presentation delivering a detailed and smooth presentation which is nearly flawless, holding up impressively even during the numerous darkly lit and fast moving sequences which occupy a large portion of the film, never resulting in anything occurring on screen to become negatively affected or rendered indiscernible. Overall, this is another top notch high definition video presentation from Sony that should easily more than please.
AUDIO:
Bad Boys: This Blu-ray features a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This lossless multichannel soundtrack sounds pretty great, although some may be disappointed by the reduced bitrate this time around, sequences on the original BD release which balance at a bitrate of around 4 mbps more commonly find themselves in the range of 2.5 mbps on this release, although while the bitrate may be notably decreased, upon comparing a few sequences the audio presentation itself doesn’t seem to be overly affected, delivering a sharp, clean and fairly active presentation. It regularly utilizes all five available channels in order to surround the viewer with the film’s score in addition to plenty of action oriented auditory effects; with no faults small or large noticeable throughout. Overall, this is a solid 5.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack that while sacrificing some of the bitrate definitely still delivers.
Bad Boys II: This Blu-ray also features a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This lossless multichannel soundtrack sounds quite amazing, providing a clean and sharp audio presentation that is also incredibly aggressive, far more so than its predecessor. It constantly utilizes all five available channels in order to surround the viewer with barrages of elements being thrown past, including everything from cars, boats and no shortage of bullets and explosions, not to mention the score and plenty more, while still managing to make certain that all dialogue which may be occurring simultaneously (a common occurrence in this film with the constant and hilarious bickering between Smith and Lawrence throughout the chase sequences) never becomes distorted or rendered inaudible. Overall, this is a hard-hitting and impressive 5.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack, easily the best the film has ever sounded at home.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Bad Boys: This Blu-ray of ‘Bad Boys’ contains a number of solid extras, although nothing in the way of new extras, the only difference between the bonus content on this release and Sony’s previous BD release being the inclusion of the films Teaser and Theatrical Trailers this time around. The Blu-ray includes an ‘Audio Commentary with Director Michael Bay’, along with a behind the scenes Featurette including behind the scenes footage and interviews/comments with the cast and crew titled ‘Putting the Boom and Bang in the Bad Boys’ (running approximately 24 minutes in length), in addition to 3 Music Videos (running approximately 11 minutes altogether): 69 Boys “Five 0, Five 0 {Here they Come}”, Diana King “Shy Guy”, and ‘Warren G “So Many Ways”.
Bad Boys II: The Blu-ray release of ‘Bad Boys II’ includes over two hours of entertaining and informative bonus content which appears to be identical to that which was included on the initial 2-disc DVD release of the film many years prior, although it’s certainly great to see all of these notable extras included here. The release includes a number of ‘Deleted Scenes’ (running approximately 7 minutes in length altogether), in addition to numerous in depth ‘Production Diaries’ (running approximately 1 hour and 7 minutes altogether), and ‘Sequence Breakdowns’ (approximately 45 minutes in total) which include tons of behind the scenes footage and interviews/comments with the cast and crew. The Blu-ray release also includes Featurettes focusing on ‘Stunts’ (approximately 9 minutes) and ‘Visual Effects’ (19 minutes), in addition to the ‘Jay-Z “La-La-La” Music Video’ (4 minutes) and 3 Trailers for the film: the Teaser Trailer and Theatrical Trailers 1 and 2.
*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray’s and resized. They additionally will suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.
Disc Rating(s):
Bad Boys: 8/10
Bad Boys II: 9.5/10
‘Bad Boys I & II: 20th Anniversary Collection’ is Now Available to own On Blu-Ray™ From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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