Miami police officers Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett aka Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back “Bad Boys-style” with their new motto “Ride or Die”. Ironically, this threefold revival of the much-loved police buddy series turned out to be a happy revival on many levels, especially for Smith.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is back in pursuit of happiness with its latest theatrical premiere on June 7. Supposedly shut out of the cinematic marketplace (or any place — even the hearts of his fans in some cases) after the infamous Oscar slap, Smith has apparently been warmly welcomed back with the resounding applause of social media praise-showering with lines such as “Will Smith had my support before the slap, in the middle of the slap, and after the slap.”
Keeping all the critical reviews aside, her much-awaited action-packed, peppy movie with Martin Lawrence has the support of the internet and even at the box office.
As opening weekend box office estimates for Bad Boys: Ride or Die come out Saturday morning (US time), a new era of Will Smith renaissance seems unstoppable.
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Will Smith surprises fans at the theater
Paying back the love he’s been receiving, the Bad Boys star was first in line to happily scare his fans at a Los Angeles theater. User @norbertoncn gushed about Smith’s surprise theater outing at Cinemark Hall.
The video shows Smith exiting the Bad Boys 4 show with the rest of the audience. However, no one noticed him until someone in the lobby noticed him, causing a panic among other moviegoers who slowly realized what had happened.
@norbertoncn wrote the perfect caption to the video: “Surprise, when you walk out of a Bad Boys movie and Will Smith walks out with you after watching the movie!! Only at Cinemark!”
Finally, X/Twitter user @Kharijonesjr also shared his perspective on the Bad Boys’ unexpected appearance. According to his post and replies, Smith surprised fans at the Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw in Los Angeles.
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Bad Boys 4 is a meta-reference to Will Smith’s infamous Oscar slapping controversy
The following fiery scene, full of love for the actor from fans at Cinemark, was a stark contrast to the tirades and slapstick reverberations on social media worldwide following the incident at the 94th Academy Awards.
Smith didn’t take his dramatic return lightly either. Lawrence’s character repeatedly slaps Smith’s mic, a nod to the infamous onstage incident between him and Chris Rock. Though self-conscious, a “late meta-joke” about Smith’s controversial fall reportedly succeeded in eliciting audible reactions from audiences at advance screenings of the film.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Box Office Opening Projection
As far as Bad Boys’ box office returns go, deadline According to reports, the Sony film grossed $21.6 million in the US on Friday, registering an estimated $53 million collection in the opening weekend. Promising its “exhilarating blend of thrilling action and outrageous comedy”, the fourth cinematic outing has already garnered a 97% audience score and an A- CinemaScore on Rotten Tomatoes.
Smith and Lawrence’s friendly venture reportedly attracted 44% black moviegoers, 26% Hispanic and Latino, 18% Caucasian, and 12% Asian American/other.
