Bad Boys (1995)

Take Will Smith and Martin Lawrence out of Bad Boys and you’ve got a cop movie with a forgettable villain and a plot about missing evidence. Leave them in and it’s a blast. Lawrence plays a stressed-out family man forced to pretend he’s his smooth, single partner, and his panic carries the whole middle of the movie. Smith is already a movie star here, all swagger and great timing. Téa Leoni holds her own as the witness who doesn’t trust either of them. This was Michael Bay’s first feature, and you can watch the habits forming: orange sunsets, slow-motion struts and enough explosions to light up Miami. Tchéky Karyo’s villain is just a guy in a nice suit waiting for his scene to end. It made $141.4 million worldwide on a reported $19 to $23 million. A 6.1 because the jokes still hold up and the story is filler between them. $2.62 says you answer your next phone call pretending to be your roommate and crack in under a minute.

What works: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence bounce off each other perfectly, and the identity swap gives Lawrence room to panic in style.

What doesn’t: The villain is forgettable, and the evidence plot is just a reason to get from one argument in the car to the next.

Who it’s for: Buddy-cop fans who care more about the bickering in the front seat than the case they’re working.