1995’s Bad Boys is one of my favourite Michael Bay movies. Or at least it’s one of the few Michael bay movies that I don’t consider to be absolute dross. It’s not, objectively, actually a particularly good film, but it’s a 90s action movie, which follows most of the tropes you’d expect to see in a 90s action movie, so I liked it when I was a teenager, and consequently I am slightly blind to most of its failings when I watch it now.
If it’s not especially original, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are charasmatic enough to paper over the cracks in the lead roles and Joe Pantoliano is great value as their beleaguered captain.
Score for Christmasishness
It is not at all a Christmas movie, but makes the cut on the basis of an obscure reference to Santa Claus and a later plot point that involves a character recalling a New Year’s Eve party that went awry. I’ve included other movies for lesser reasons over the years, so Bad Boys might as well get in on the action.
James Proclaims! 