Bad Boys II entertains, impresses

The Bad Boys are back and funnier than ever. "Bad Boys II" is the action-packed sequel to the 1995 super hit. Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) conduct a cocaine bust while their personalities clash. Needless to say, not much has changed for the characters after five years. Marcus is still the family man, and Mike is the smooth operator with the cool cars. As the movie opens, the partners crash a Ku Klux Klan rally to bust Ecstasy smugglers. Things, however, don't go exactly as planned. They fail to confiscate the "biggest shipment of Ecstasy ever," and the dealer is still at large. After this bad day at work, the two head to Marcus' for a family cook out. At this family outing, the audience is introduced to Sid (Gabrielle Union), Marcus' sister and Mike's new love interest. Marcus isn't exactly thrilled when he learns his cocky partner is dating his baby sister. The plot thickens when Marcus and Mike find Sid working on the same bust. Obviously, the hot chick gets kidnapped and is helpless. So, the partners must risk their lives by traveling to Cuba to save the girl and get the drugs. As expected, the action sequences in this movie are certainly not lacking. There are plenty of gun fights, car chases, kidnapping and drug smuggling to keep audiences interested. By simply putting Smith and Lawrence in a room together, the director was guaranteed an instant comedy hit anyway. Marcus accidentally pops a couple of Ecstasy tablets at the wrong moment. The two also scare off a date and come out of the closet in an electronics store. With action and comedy, what more can audiences expect? Music and beautiful scenery? Although the leads constantly sing the "Cops" theme, the movie's background music is actually pretty good and may sound familiar to rap fans. Most of the movie's soundtrack was produced by Dr. Dre, who always delivers. The beautiful scenery in the film doesn't last long. If you see a nice shot of the beach, it will be demolished in only a few seconds. All in all, the eight-year wait for a sequel was well worth it. This movie lives up to the original and at times surpasses it. For those who have already seen the movie, it should be no surprise that it went straight to the top, earning $46.5 million. This instant hit is a must see for college students, who will be recalling lines from it for years to come. Grade: A