Badder than ever

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith team up for 'Bad Boys II'

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are back and badder than ever, reuniting with producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Black Hawk Down, Gone in Sixty Seconds) for another action adventure in Bad Boys II. The danger level is bigger and so are the laughs in this new instalment as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) become part of a high-tech team that must stop the flow of drugs into Miami.

However, the two uncover a conspiracy involving a drug lord who is determined to take control of the city�s drugs trade, killing anyone who stands in his way. To make matters worse, Marcus� beautiful sister Syd (played by Gabrielle Union), is an undercover agent who gets romantically involved with Mike, driving her protective brother crazy. But when Syd�s identity is almost revealed, it�s up to the Bad Boys to rescue her.

Bad to be back

�I haven�t had this much fun since the original Bad Boys,� says Martin Lawrence, who returns as the disgruntled Marcus Burnett in Bad Boys II. �Working with Will and Jerry � it just felt right.� And it's taken a long time to bring them all back together again � it's been 8 years since the original Bad Boys became 1995's highest-grossing movie.

�There were a lot of 'firsts� on Bad Boys,� says Will Smith. �Martin and I were at the top of our TV careers, but the idea of two black dudes headlining a major movie aimed at a general audience was pretty much a new concept.�

The original movie had a low budget and a lot of the scenes were improvised due to the lack of a script. Not so for Bad Boys II. At the beginning of the movie, Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) is coping with the pressures of family life � his teenage kids, a mortgage and concerns about his own future, worries that are fuelled by the antics of his partner Mike Lowrey (Smith), who never seems to grow up or settle down.

�Marcus is just not happy professionally,� says Lawrence. �He�d rather be doing something a little more serene. It�s not that he doesn�t have respect or even love for his partner, but he wants Mike to understand that as you mature, you want to be around to enjoy the fruits of your labour."

�The new story picks up our characters 8 years down the road,� adds Smith. �Both Marcus and Mike�s careers have advanced and our lives have advanced as well, except that my character is still a playboy.�

The situation becomes even more complicated with the appearance of Marcus� younger sister Syd. �Marcus is protective of Syd,� Lawrence explains, �especially when it comes to Mike. When he discovers Mike and his sister have been dating, it�s difficult for him to take, because he knows how Mike is.�

Action packed

Known for his intense action scenes, director Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, Armageddon) wanted the stunts in Bad Boys II to surpass the excitement in the first film. For example, in a car chase scene, cars fall off a car carrier. As the cars bounce off the carrier, the other cars travelling behind the carrier smash into them or deflect them, providing some incredible action shots.

Another extravaganza for stunt and special effects departments was the demolition of a beachfront house. �I was working on a movie in Hawaii when I got a call from Michael Bay's assistant telling me she was sending photos of a house,� recalls special effects supervisor John Frazier. �I thought Michael was looking to buy a home in Florida, and I told Carolyn that I thought it was too big for Michael. But Carolyn said: �Oh, he doesn�t want to live in it, he wants to blow it up!�� he laughs.

Will Bad Boys II live up to the hype? Check it out at cinemas now.

Vocabulary

reunite (v): to bring two or more people together again after they have been separated for a long time
instalment (n): one of the parts of a story that appears regularly
uncover (v): to discover something that was previously hidden or secret
conspiracy (n): a secret plan by a group of people to do something harmful or illegal
protective (adj): having or showing a wish to keep somebody/something from harm
headlining (v): to be the main performer in a concert or show
mortgage (n): a legal agreement by which a bank or similar organisation lends you money to buy a house
antics (n): behaviour which is silly and funny in a way that people usually like
professionally (adv): in a way that is connected with a person�s job or training
serene (adj): calm and peaceful
mature (adj): behaving in a sensible way
advanced (v): to move forward
playboy (n): a rich man who spends his time enjoying himself
intense (adj): very great; very strong; extreme
deflect (v): to change direction or make something change direction
extravaganza (n): a large, expensive and impressive entertainment
demolition (n): the destruction of a built structure