Try as I may, I can't think of a movie that I’ve been dreading from the January release season more than the mere concept of a third film in the "Bad Boys" franchise.

To provide some perspective, as somebody that’s been something of an unabashed Michael Bay critic for the better part of a decade now, I have nothing but unapologetic love and adoration for the "Bad Boys" movies. Between Bay being surrounded by his element, providing an unparalleled energy to bring to life a buddy cop comedy on steroids with comic book logic and being anchored by the chemistry of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in their prime, they're an unintentional commentary on their own genre while simultaneously being said genre's peak in a way no film of the last decade and a half as managed to match.

So the idea of a sequel 17 years after the previous release, not being overseen by the director that brought that energy to the table and being dumped in January while seeming to feature some sort of old guard vs. the kids-these-days subtext in the form of a newly introduced crime solving division of millennials clearly being set up for some sort of hopeful spinoff, did little to set my world on fire. I can only imagine that if every January were allowed to kick off with this much of a surprise hit, the month wouldn't have such a dour reputation. "Bad Boys for Life" isn't just a shockingly good "Bad Boys" movie; it’s the kind of blast of a blockbuster release I'm almost shocked didn't try for some sort of June release date.

Reuniting Lawrence and Smith as the former gears up for retirement, tragedy sees Smith's Mike Lowrey grappling with his own age after being critically wounded in an assassination attempt carried out by the son of a Cartel boss played by Kate del Castillo for past transgressions from one of Lowrey's first cases as law enforcement. In investigating his own hit, Lawrence's Marcus Burnett is forced to break from his retirement to make sure that his best friend doesn't get himself killed for one last mission. The setup may sound stock and more than a little convenient for a reunion of two aging stars — one of whom hasn't exactly maintained an action star build over the course of the 20 years between installments — but the execution delivers from top to bottom.

"Bad Boys for Life" would be a passable watch solely on the grounds of its stylishly edited, clearly shot and decently choreographed action but what really gives the movie a strong sense of personality, is the way it all manages to mix into a cohesive tone. This isn't just a fun movie; it’s a laugh out loud funny one that reminds me of how much audience enjoyment can occasionally enhance solid cinematic foundation.

Lawrence and Smith bring their A-game and despite the film never shying away from their aging stature, the two pick up the roles with the same level of energy exuded by themselves onscreen decades before they even approached midlife. They make good jokes great, bad joke chuckle worthy, and always play the insanity they're surrounded in tongue in-cheek without the production ever having to spell jokes out for you. There's a scene in the second half of the movie in which Lawrence takes an oath of pacifism that Smith has to convince him to break by pointing out the ludicrous circumstances they're finding themselves in as a sign of divine intervention and permission from God to be the most irresponsible cops that they can be, while being proud of it. I don't know if the satire in these sorts of moments was intentional or not. I know that they're hilarious, so I don't even care.

By no means is "Bad Boys for Life" some sort of creative masterpiece, but as far as action comedies of its ilk go, I haven't been this entertained by one in a while and if this is the kind of quality I can expect from 2020, than I look forward to the goodies that cinema has to bring for the coming decade.

4 out of 5