Review of Bad Boys: Collectors Edition

Introduction

So here it is. The first film that I`ve bought twice on DVD. The original 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 the original DVD quite a few times, I was keen to get the new version DVD, whilst also being slightly peeved at having to buy it twice.

For those of you who still haven`t seen it (it`s already been on TV a few times now), 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.

Their only lead 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.

Video

As with the original version of the disc, we are treated to an excellent 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer and the picture from the DVD is brilliant - you can feel the warmth of the Miami skies and the glow of the neon at night.

The image is solid, sharp and the transfer is spotless. Even the explosions and smoke look good. This new edition hasn`t really improved over the original, but there certainly wasn`t anything lacking in the video quality department before anyway!

Audio

The sound is excellent too. We are treated to several DD5.1 soundtracks, including English and French and an isolated score.

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). It makes a good demo moment.

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. As with the earlier version, top marks for the audio.

Features

Now here`s where the original disc lost out, and probably the reason why I bought the film again. On the original disc you got a short "making of" documentary, the US cinema trailer, filmographies and 2 music videos.

On this disc you also get another music video, a new, more informative, documentary to replace the old one and a photo gallery.

There`s also a featurette that makes use of that "Multi Angle" button on your remote that you`ve probably hardly touched. This is called "Damage Control" and features multiple angles of things being blown up. Some of the shots used in the film have been re-created out in the desert, and filmed at different angles using cameras that can capture 2000 frames per second. This enables you to see bullets flying through the air, glass shattering and cars exploding in super slow motion, all from different camera angles.

And the final extra is the director`s commentary from Michael Bay. Having seen the film so many times this was the way that I watched the new disc for the first time. 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 I`m certainly looking forward to his next commentary on the forthcoming Criterion Edition of The Rock.

Conclusion

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, whatcha gonna do?

Go get this DVD, that`s what!

This is a great cop/buddy/action film, with great visuals and great sound. Fans of Smith or Lawrence will definitely enjoy it. It`s not deeply taxing on the brain but is a thoroughly enjoyable film.

If you already have the original version on DVD, then it`s a tough call. If you really like this film and want to find out more about it, you should buy this new version for the director`s commentary.

If you can live without the new extras, then check out the earlier version, which is usually to be found at a cheaper price nowadays.