Bad Boys 4 completely changes Captain Howard's death with a major retcon

Bad Boys: Ride or Die makes the death of Joe Pantoliano's Captain Howard an important part of the story, but completely reframes the motive behind it. Many were surprised to see Pantoliano in the cast of Bad Boys: Ride or Dieconsidering Howard pretty clearly died in the third film. Besides the main actors Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Pantoliano is the only actor who appeared in every part of the film Bad boys film franchise. While Howard's death in the third entry was a shocking moment, it served a narrative purpose.

Howard took on the role of the angry captain typical of most crime films, but Pantoliano brought both humor and heart to what could have been described as a one-note character. Bad boys for life highlighted his love for his “bad boys” Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Lawrence), but The death of Captain Howard at the hands of Mike's son Armando (Jacob Scipio) raises the stakes. Bad boys for life made Howard's death look like a revenge plot on Armando and his mother's part, but Ride or die reveals that there is much more to it.

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The ending of “Bad Boys: Ride Or Die” is explained

The ending of Bad Boys: Ride or Die reinforces the themes laid out in the previous film and reveals some major retcons about previous villains.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die changed the motivation behind Captain Howard's death

The deaths of Howard's “Bad Boys for Life” were due to a secret corruption investigation

In the third film, Mike was tormented by his former lover Isabel (Kate Del Castillo) and the son he never knew he had. On the surface, Howard's shocking death was another way for them to hurt Mike, but when the captain is posthumously accused of corruption, Mike and Marcus learn that this was not the case. About the conversation with Armando in prison, Mike and Marcus learn that Howard was given the green light to kill because of his investigation into connections between the cartels, the police, and the FBI.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die's The main villain, James McGrath (Eric Dane), is a former DEA agent who worked with the cartels for years after 9/11. In return for helping them bring drugs into America, the cartels helped secure the borders. Howard learned of this Faustian pact, but kept Mike and Marcus out of traffic when two other police officers he had assigned to the case were found dead. The captain left his investigation open, but McGrath eventually ordered Isabel and Armando to silence Howard when he got too close to the truth.

Captain Howard's death is now linked to Bad Boys II

McGrath has been in the shadows for most of the Bad Boys series

Captain Howard makes several brief appearances over time Bad Boys: Ride or Diemostly in the form of video messages that he recorded before his death. These are intended to put Mike and Marcus on the right path while warning them not to trust anyone in the department. This turns out to be good advice because they are soon accused of murder and forced to flee. In addition to adding more context to the events in the third part, Ride or die even links Howard's murder to the events of Bad Boys II.

The captain's suspicions about police corruption stem from a failed drug raid, but as Howard investigates further, he discovers connections to the Haitian Zoe Pound gang from the second film. This suggests that McGrath was working with this entry's antagonist, Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla), helping his cartel bring large quantities of Ecstasy to Miami. If yes, This makes McGrath one of the overarching villains of the entire series, even if he remained invisible until then Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Bad Boys 4 changed Captain Howard's death enough to allow him to return

“Ride or Die” makes Howard’s murder an important part of the story

Rather than being a cheap death designed to surprise viewers, the effects of Howard's murder are still felt Bad boys Series. The captain's final speech to Mike, in which he reflected on where his life would lead, had a profound impact on the detectiveThe former bachelor even got married when Ride or die begins. Despite pulling the trigger on Howard, Mike does not blame Armando for his death and works to build a relationship with his son.

Ride or die Howard cleverly makes part of the story with his video messageswhich gives the story some personal aspects. This made it necessary to further explain the motives for his death, which also framed the events Bad boys for life. Mike and Marcus also have several dreams/visions of their deceased boss, whose ghostly words influence their actions. Without Pantoliano's Howard it wouldn't have felt like a proper sequelbut like a potential Bad Boys 5 It is unclear who will deal with this.

Although his death was painful, it was right not to try to undo his death in the fourth part. Armando must bear the guilt of killing a good man, while the repercussions weigh on every character, including Howard's U.S. Marshal daughter Judy (Rhea Seehorn). Although Bad Boys: Ride or Die is probably the funniest appearance in the saga so far, the Captain Howard story gives it an emotional basis.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth installment in the action-comedy film series starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The series focuses on hard-boiled Miami detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett as they take on dangerous drug lords and thwart dangerous plans while trying to stop the flow of illegal drugs in their city.

director

Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah

Release date

June 7, 2024

Studio(s)

Columbia Pictures, 2.0 Entertainment, Don Simpson Films, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Westbrook Studios

writer

Chris Bremner

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