Bad Boys for Life Is Surprisingly Solid <
This week at the movies, we’ve got?a?couple of good guys?(, starring??and?) and an adventurous doctor (,?starring??and).What are the critics saying?Bad Boys for LifeWill SmithMartin LawrenceDolittleRobert Downey Jr.Michael Sheen
Nobody asked for another sequel to?, the-directed 1995 action hit starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, but somebody got it in their head to do one anyway, and 17 years after the first sequel came out, here we are with another installment.?reunites Smith’s suave, playboy Miami detective Mike Lowery with his family-man partner, Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett, after the two have walked their own paths for some time. As they both prepare for retirement, a cartel boss with connections to their past initiates a vendetta against Mike, forcing them to work together alongside a team of younger cops to bring him down. Critics say the new film, helmed by the directorial team of?and, improves on the template set by the previous two films, pulling the best elements from them and infusing the story with more heart, and the result is a surprisingly enjoyable ride.?The film is somewhat tamer than Bay’s typical macho posturing and wanton destruction, which is mostly a welcome development, and Smith and Lawrence sizzle on screen together like they haven’t spent the last decade and a half apart. At the end of the day,?Bad Boys for Lifeeven had some critics looking forward to another installment, which says a lot for a movie hardly anyone wanted in the first place.Bad BoysMichael BayBad Boys for LifeAdil El ArbiBilall Fallah
Writer Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle character has already been brought to the big screen twice before, most recently by Eddie Murphy, and neither of those efforts wowed the critics; this week’s?doesn’t seem likely to buck that trend. In his first post-role, Robert Downey Jr. stars as the titular veterinarian with the power to communicate with animals, who is grieving the loss of his explorer wife when two children pay him a visit. One () wants to become his apprentice, while the other () is a lady in waiting to the Queen who hopes to enlist his help?find an antidote to the poison the Queen has ingested. Together, the three of them embark on a journey with a gaggle of animals voiced by the likes of,,,,,, and a litany of other A-listers, while,, andmake up a trio of adversaries who stand in their way. Unfortunately, all that star power doesn’t seem to have made a difference, as critics say?Dolittleis a joyless, misguided, bizarrely directed adventure that largely wastes its talented cast and its special effects budget. It’s not particularly funny or clever, its tone is unfocused, and for his part, Robert Downey Jr. seems unsure of what he’s trying to accomplish with the character. All the CGI animal sidekicks may be enough to keep the youngest viewers engaged, but there may be little else to appeal to anyone older.DolittleMCUHarry CollettCarmel LaniadoEmma ThompsonJohn CenaSelena GomezRami MalekOctavia SpencerRalph FiennesMichael SheenAntonio BanderasJim Broadbent
Also?Opening This Week In Limited Release
Weathering with You (2020),?
Makoto Shinkai’slatest animated film, about a teen who meets a girl who has the power to control the weather, is Certified Fresh at 95%.
Feedback (2020),?about a late night radio host whose live show is interrupted by a pair of armed men with a secret agenda, is at 77%.
The Wave (2020),?starring
Justin Longin a sci-fi comedy about a man on vacation who undergoes a psychedelic journey after tripping on hallucinogens, is at 56%.
Disturbing the Peace (2020), starring
Guy Pearcein a thriller about a U.S. Marshal living in small-town Texas who takes on a biker gang, is at 0%.
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