Whatcha gonna do?

Introduction

So here it is. My first "triple dip". Bad Boys was the first film that I bought twice on DVD, and now the Blu-ray version is here. The original DVD version of Bad Boys was one of the first discs to enter my collection (and one of the first discs to leave it when news of the Collector`s Edition came out).

Having seen this film quite a few times since its release, and having watched both DVD versions a lot, I was keen to see how it made the move up to Blu-ray.

For those of you who still haven`t seen it, the plot goes something like this. $100 million of seized heroin gets seized back from the Miami PD by some nasty drug dealer types. Detectives Lowrey (Will Smith) and Burnett (Martin Lawrence), who captured it in the first place, have to get it back before their department gets shut down.

They have only one lead in the case - and she will only talk to Lowrey, but Burnett (the family man) has to impersonate his absent (and cooler) partner to stop her from leaving town, a job that he keeps up admirably...for a while.

(The screenshots in this review are from the DVD version)

Video

As with the DVD versions of the disc, we are treated to a rather good 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer - you can feel the warmth of the Miami skies and the glow of the neon at night.

This film is 15 years old, so the Blu-ray transfer won't match up to something shot more recently, but this is the best that you're going to see it looking over the next few years.

Audio

The sound is excellent too. This time around we get a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and again it's worth remembering that it is 15 years old, so it won't quite match up to something recorded today. It's still pretty good - there`s plenty of musical accompaniment during the film, gunshots flying around the room (and your speakers), explosions, and also a neat little effect in a scene with a dead body (I`m not saying any more, just listen out for it).

The soundtrack is loud and fast paced (like the film) and gives all of your speakers something to do. There are quite a few bassy tunes pumping during the film, and plenty more besides.

Features

The Blu-ray release will contain all the same stuff as the last DVD release right?

Wrong!

They've decided to leave some stuff off, incuding the interesting "Damage Control" featurette which showed multiple angles of things being blown up. Some of the shots used in the film were re-created out in the desert, and filmed at different angles using cameras that can capture 2000 frames per second. That enabled you to see bullets flying through the air, glass shattering and cars exploding in super slow motion, all from different camera angles.

What's left then? "Putting the Boom & Bang in the Bad Boys" (not in HD) is the new documentary that was created for the second DVD, and it's still worth watching.

Three music videos (also not in HD) - Diana King's "Shy Guy" (which really takes you back to 1995), "Five-O, Five-O (Here They Come)" by the 69 Boyz and Warren G's "So Many Ways."

And the final extra is the director`s commentary from Michael Bay. The commentary is very interesting and informative. There are one or two gaps in places which can be distracting, but Bay has got so much to say in other places that it`s not too annoying.

There are plenty of stories about filming, about how a lot of the dialogue between Smith, Lawrence and Leoni was ad-libbed on the day, about how he used to wind them up in an almost childish manner - "in this next scene, call him a bitch and see what happens", about how he forked out his own money to get the hangar scene filmed (Columbia eventually paid him back) and about how throwing tantrums did and didn`t pay off.

A great commentary track, and well worth a listen.

You can also watch with Sony's movieIQ turned on (internet connection required), and there should be some BD-Live content available shortly soon.

Conclusion

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, whatcha gonna do?

Go get this Blu-ray, that`s what!

This is a great cop/buddy/action film. Fans of Smith or Lawrence will definitely enjoy it, and it's an example of what Michael Bay does best. It`s not deeply taxing on the brain but is a thoroughly enjoyable film. It's a perfect example of a 1990s action film - far from perfect, but it tries really hard!

If you already have a version on DVD, then it`s a tough call. If you only have the original version, upgrade now. If you have the "Collector's Edition" then it all comes down to how much you want to see the main feature in HD...