bad boys Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Face it -- it's Michael Bay's world now, and we just live in it. Weary of dominating the world with gigantic robots and Megan Fox, Bay might just be returning with the Bad Boys. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia has hired Peter Craig to pen a third installment of the Bad Boys series, and hope to get the old team back together in the truest sense of action movies.

The studio hopes that a strong script can lure them all back for another mission. Neither Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith or Martin Lawrence have a deal to return, and since this is still in the early stages of development, that's no surprise. However, THR notes that all have expressed an interest in returning if the story is strong enough. The potential hurdle is the massive salaries Smith and Lawrence now command, something that's proving to be a problem with many action movies these days.

So, what else can I say? Bad Boys 3 is coming. I'll make a shocking prediction and say that it'll take place in Miami, feature a drug cartel, some human trafficking, and a lot of explosions. Explosions with tanks coming out of them. There will be at least one smoking hot chick. At the end, Smith and Lawrence will sing Bad Boys with the wrong words. It's going to be Baytastic, but at least it isn't a Bad Boys reboot.

If you know your pirates and are a fan of classic cinema, then I'm sure I don't need to tell you about Captain Blood. The 1935 swashbuckling classic starred Errol Flynn as a doctor convicted of treason who escapes to the Caribbean to join forces with a French pirate, and was the role that made Flynn a star. But here we are 74 years later and suddenly the word 'remake' started to come up in conversation over at Warner Bros. That was almost a year ago, but not only is the film still in the works, the story is about to get one hell of a venue change. Variety now reports that Daybreakers duo Michael and Peter Spierig have been hired to direct an update that would transplant the action to outer space.

Back in December, Monika brought us the news that John Brownlow had been hired to pen a faithful remake, but now it looks like Brownlow will be going back to square one with his script. Blood's producer, Bill Gerber, promises that even though there are some changes afoot for the update, "There are some things you don't mess with, and that is as classic a movie storyline as you will ever find."

But here's the big question: Who will be our new Captain Blood? It's a mighty big part to fill; Flynn was a legend of Hollywood and the granddaddy for every bad-boy with a heart of gold to come after him. It's a role that requires charm, action, and a way with the ladies. The project could be a gamble for WB, but I guess as long as it doesn't turn into Ice Pirates 2, things should work out just fine.

After the jump: My suggestions for the new interstellar Captain Blood...

Us critics, we don't hate Michael Bay. Well, not all of us, and not all the time. I wasn't a fan of his Transformers, nor Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and I haven't watched The Rock or Armageddon in their entirety in years, but I distinctly enjoyed 2005's The Island during its ill-fated theatrical run (gross: $35 million, cost: between three and four times that), and I still do as a decent sci-fi/action matinee outing.

But how?, I've been asked. It does after all bear every other trademark of a Michael Bay outing: explosions, rampant product placement, blatant racial stereotypes, explosions, perpetual dusk lighting, explosions, and a female lead constantly flattered by her wardrobe (yeah, a real woe-is-us scenario).

Since this week finds fireworks in the sky and a new Will Smith action flick in theaters (Hancock), we thought it might be fun to take a look back at Smith's previous action films and try to decide which one we like the best. We're not including all of Smith's films here, because, well, it's kinda unfair to compare, say, The Pursuit of Happyness or Ali to Men in Black or I, Robot. Perhaps next time we'll take a look at Smith's watered down, dramatic efforts, but for now we'll stick to the rock-em-sock-em fan favorites.

And since I always give my opinion before asking for yours, I'm going to say that out of all of Smith's action-adventure films, Bad Boys is my favorite. Yes, I've gone with the Michael Bay film -- kill me now! Actually, now that Smith is a huge, mega star, we don't see him in buddy films anymore -- and watching him opposite Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys (as well as Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black) was an absolute blast. The sequel(s) ... well, how about we not go there. What say you, Will Smith fans -- which of his action films is your favorite?

Look, I like Martin Lawrence. I like him as a stand-up comedian and I like him as an actor -- but I absolutely hate the roles he takes on. He sort of reminds me of Eddie Murphy in that both men have made some great little flicks (Bad Boys for Lawrence and Beverly Hills Cop for Murphy), but then somehow found themselves climbing out of a deep hole filled with crap. In fact, the two even starred in one such "winner" -- remember Life? Ugh.

I've always wanted to see Lawrence grow up a bit, take on a role that's not so silly and ridiculous, while adding a nice touch of heart in at the end. Well, his next project may just make all my Martin Lawrence wishes come true. Universal Pictures has attached Lawrence to star in The Better Man, with Malcolm Lee (Roll Bounce) set to direct. Pic revolves around a popular syndicated talkshow host who, after attending his parents 50th anniversary alongside his famous wife, begins to ponder whether he's getting the most out of life. It appears Lee agrees with me, as he goes on to say: "There's emotion and pathos here that give Martin a chance to display more layers than usual." Yes! Give us that! Get out of the fat suit for God's sake and take on a real role. The Better Man will be produced by Scott Stuber and Mary Parent, and will go into production this March.

What do you think of Martin Lawrence? Has he shown us all his cards, or do you feel he still has a few surprises left up his sleeves?

A couple weeks ago I pondered the question: does the opinion of a bunch of white film critics matter when it comes to a film like Madea's Family Reunion? Three weeks of box office later, the numbers tell me the answer is a resounding, "Hell, no!" To date, Madea has raked in an impressive $60 mill at the box office (although this week there was a serious drop off - the film only made $5 million in the last week), off an estimated budget of $6 million. Pretty darn impressive take for a film that has a less-than-impressive 30% over at Rotten Tomatoes. The film's success pretty much guarantees we'll be seeing a lot more Madea, and Tyler Perry, no doubt, is chuckling all the way to the bank. Big Momma's House and Big Momma's House 2, which also targeted primarily African-American audiences, also ripped up the box office in spite of being panned by critics. The original Big Momma, with an RT score of 30%, took in $117.5 million off a $30 million budget. Big Momma 2, with a dismal 6% over at RT, still managed to make a $27 million profit ($67 million on a $40 million budget).

If the success of Madea  and the Big Momma films are flukes, it would be one thing, but they aren't. Year after year critics and movie fans alike bitch and moan about how much crap comes out of Hollywood, and year after year the critics try their darndest to point audiences to what they consider to be good, even great films, only to watch, befuddled, as audiences flock to the dreck with relentless tenacity. Hollywood, meanwhile, continues to churn out heaps of mediocre (or worse) films, because all too often, mediocrity is what brings in the bank, and it takes lots of cash to support Hollywood in the opulent lifestyle to which it's become accustomed.