We Ride Together, We Die Together. Bad Boys for Life

Bad Boys 2 was and still is one of the funniest and most intense movies I have ever seen. With two main actors Will Smith and Martin Lawrence you are bound for a treat. But what gives this movie its edge over most movies aside the actors? Yes, I will agree the script, story line, and acting were all on point but when all of that is going on what stays consistent? When Will Smith in the movie is hauling ass down a sidewalk in a Ferrari one isn’t going to feel very relaxed. Actually, quite the opposite and that is what a soundtrack is going for. “When I first read the script and started thinking up the music and really wanted to give the audience a sense of isolation and loneliness.” Said Mansell (Music and Mood) There is no easy way of putting music to a film, you have to almost think of the music as another character playing a huge role.

            I mentioned earlier a scene with Will Smith driving his Ferrari down a sidewalk, and for obvious reasons this is a pretty intense moment in the movie as his sister is in grave danger with some rather ruthless thugs. There is a hint of logos right before the chase and gunfight occurs as the music in the background begins to intensify and draw your attention to the fact something big is going to happen. The camera swoops intensely into a close up from a view to the driver side door from the passenger’s side only to be introduced to a loud screech and a gunshot. The gunshot kills a man and starts the fast paced music along with the car chase, as if to start the runners in a race. The pathos effect kicks in as we are starting to feel scared, rushed, and nervous for the upcoming scenes as the music starts to go crazy. Not once in this entire scene is there ever a lyric sang but the integrity of the music and scene are tied into that very same fact. “In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of the given peace. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.” (Gianneti: Understanding Movies) With this particular scene if there hadn’t been a fast tempo, than none of the fast paced action scenes would have seemed right.

            The next piece of music I chose was actually a piece that was composed for this movie. This song actually brings out all of the elements that you hope for in a Bad Boys movie. It is a hip hop song by Nelly, Murphy Lee, and P. Diddy. This song is simply put about having more swag than anyone else and getting the job done what ever that may be. The song itself is about having the swag of a rapper and picking up chicks, but the songs lyrics have a different meaning for the movie. As the characters in the movie always seem to get things done in a VERY unconventional way but always have that swag about them to finish the job Bad Boy style. Hence Will dressing with the Swag about him.

(song playing during this scene)

                                             (video is not fuzzy just looks that way here)
      I loved the movie as well as loved the soundtrack to the movie. I am a big fan of movies having artist compose songs for their movies specifically, I think it adds a factor that ties you into the movie that much more. And the fact that this movie having many twists and turns in the love story part, the action scenes, and the dramatic scenes the integrity of the movie held up though all of the music and songs. For that I give it a 3 out of 3.