"We did a lot of improvisation on the first movie," says Bay. 'We really didn't have much of a script to begin with, and the budget was so low that we didn't have much time for rehearsal. But on this one, we spent a lot more time rehearsing and coming up with new ideas before we got to the set."
At the beginning of Bad Boys II, Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) is coping with the normal pressures of family life: His teenage kids, a mortgage and concerns about his own future, worries that are fueled by the reckless antics of his longtime 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 labor. Marcus wants to spend more time with his family and be the kind of husband and father his family deserves, but Mike constantly puts them into dangerous situations, which makes him angry. And then he realizes anger is completely destructive to his life. It’s a vicious circle, so Marcus considers counseling to deal with it."
"The new story picks up our characters eight years down the road," adds Smith. "Both Marcus and Mike’s careers have advanced, our lives have advanced as well, except that my character is still a playboy. Marcus is tired of all the running, jumping and shooting on the job, while Mike is still into it, clinging to his 20s, partying, playing with lots of women, guns, getting into fights. As a result, the two of them are growing further and further apart."
When Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) also adopts Marcus’ new philosophy on life, the friction increases. "Both the Captain and Marcus get into this anger management thing," Smith says. "They try to stay focused and keep it together, which is rough for Mike because his behavior seems outside the norm."
The situation becomes even more combustible with the appearance of Marcus’ younger sister Syd (Gabrielle Union). "Marcus is overprotective of Syd," Lawrence explains, "especially when it comes to Mike. When he discovers Mike and his sister have been dating and he sees them flirting, it’s difficult for him to take, because he knows what a player Mike is."
Marcus not only learns that his sister has been seeing Mike behind his back, but that she’s working as an undercover operative for the D.E.A., heightening his concerns for her safety. "The realization hits him right between the eyes during a big fight and chase scene," says Lawrence. "Even though it’s a serious moment, it turns comedic. One of the best things about the Bad Boys films is that comedy happens when you least expect it."
"What makes something funny is sometimes undefinable," muses Bay. "With Martin and Will, it’s about timing. The comedy emerges from the way they talk, their cadence, and if you cut into it incorrectly, it’s suddenly not funny anymore. It all comes down to the way they play off each other, the way they deliver the joke. And with Martin, especially, so much of his comedic genius is in those incredible facial expressions."
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