That slap – it’s difficult to have a conversation about Will Smith without referring to it. It’s telling that the first project released after having slapped Oscar host Chris Rock at the 2022 awards ceremony was fairly safe ground for the 56 year old actor, not only relying on a tried and tested formula, but also sharing the responsibility with fellow leading man Martin Lawrence, for the fourth instalment of their Bad Boys franchise.

But it begged the question, how would an audience react to bad boy off screen Smith to bad boy on screen?

They say that the day you get married is the happiest of your life, but it doesn’t quite go that way for Mike (Smith) as he marries his physio Christine (Melanie Liburd), and his partner Marcus (Martin Lawrence) has a heart attack at the reception.

In hospital Marcus has visions of their former boss Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano), who offers him a warning. It’s an experience that also leaves him feeling invincible, after cheating certain death.

They are both soon greeted by a news report claiming that said boss Howard has been found guilty of corruption whilst on the job. The duo are incensed that he could ever be accused of such a thing, and are determined to prove his innocence and keep his legacy intact.

They decide to turn to one person who could help them, Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio), who just so happens to be in prison. It’s not long after talking to him, and having him confirm that the allegations of Howard’s corruption are unfounded, that they discover they are now in danger, and whoever set up Howard are now coming after them.

After all the attention that Smith has received, you can hardly blame him for going for the safe option on his return to the screen. And Bad Boys: Ride or Die is very safe indeed.

The story is embarrassingly weak and generic, but no one goes to a Bad Boy’s flick for the story, they go for the buddy cop relationship between Smith and Lawrence. And it works well, for the most part, although there are scenes where it clearly feels forced and a little bit strained. It leans on the notion that Marcus is invincible a little too heavily, and the narrative that comes with it doesn’t wholly work.

The film is saved however by some dynamic direction, with Belgian duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, AKA Adil and Bilall, returning after having helmed the last entry, 2020’s Bad Boy for Life. There’s a modern fluidity to many of the camera shots at play, giving many of the action sequences a raw energy to them. It’s visually impressive, and just a shame that it’s let down by such a bland script.

Still, with this entry making roughly the same money as the last (just over $400 million, on a similar budget of $100 million), it seems the slap didn’t put audiences off from bad boy Smith, which must be some relief to the actor. And certainly the fact the incident is referred to in a comic fashion in the film certainly helps.

It seems to have given Smith the green light to his career however, with a number of projects coming up, including a sequel to his I Am Legend, and a remake of Trains, Planes and Automobiles alongside Kevin Hart.

So playing it safe has worked out for the actor, giving this bad boy just what he needed – a career lifeline. Whether he deserved it is another matter entirely.