The opening scene was not in the script: it was added late because Bay wanted more Smith-Lawrence scenes, was basically ad-libbed, and uses a cool yellow coloring for Miami.
Highlights include the carjacker's 'I'm a stand-up comedian and I suck' line and the Porsche argument ending in 'a shiny dick with two chairs in it' over the missing cup holder; it is one of the better four-minute openings for an action movie.
The partners staging an argument as a diversion before overpowering someone starts here, feels ad-libbed, and borrows an old Eddie trick from Beverly Hills Cop.
The opening is argued to be the best scene: it sets the push-pull brotherly relationship and answers whether audiences would buy Will as an action star.
The woman used as the decoy in the opening is identified as former Playboy playmate Lisa Boyle.
The first four minutes establish a Running Scared-style dynamic where the partners love each other but bust each other's balls; Running Scared is called the great lost buddy-cop movie.
Other favorites: finding the dead guy while Martin tries not to throw up, Julie's apartment chase by two inept men, the office 'zoo' argument, and Marcus's phone call with his wife.
The masseuse and dog-on-the-furniture stretch and the short liquor-store robbery with its tropical fruit Bubblicious and 'some Skittles' punchline are praised; the fake argument returns there.
The hotel lobby shootout with Smith running in slow motion, shirt open, and the low camera looking up after the getaway is peak Michael Bay establishing his style.
The ending drive is basically a Porsche advertisement, with the role reversal of Martin doing it.
Pick: the final gunfight before the car chase, where everything comes to a head after the dirty cop is revealed, with Martin's 'you forgot your boarding pass' shot; the studio should have given Bay the extra money for it. — Logan Murdock
Favorite scenes are the comedic ones; the pick is the baloney scene, where Julie describes how bologna is made until Marcus is disgusted, and the film is really a comedy-action more than an action comedy. — Van Lathan
Julie's sexual tension is with Mike Lowry as an idea, even after her best friend is killed.
A final most-rewatchable pick is the first scene, exciting to catch when flipping channels.

What’s Aged the Best?

Younger Will Smith; the music; rival-cop banter; Chet the doorman; Me Against the World; Passenger 57 references; Max; 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo; Miami backdrop; the comedic banter

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 00:52:03Read transcript

A point held for this category is raised early: Lethal Weapon 2 has vanished from TV because of Mel Gibson's behavior, which has helped Bad Boys feel fresher.
The Tupac song Me Against the World and the Jordan-retired joke were held for this category because they root the film in early 1995.
Younger Will Smith, the music, the rival cops busting each other's balls as Running Scared mastered, and Chet the doorman.
A whole point about Me Against the World, plus the Passenger 57 references that pay off later.
Maxie, aka Max, has only two movies on IMDb but remains a big-time model; she's delightful and should have been in the movie more.
The 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6, the last rear-wheel-drive Porsche Turbo, makes this an iconic car movie; Bay put his rare car at risk on set.
Miami as the backdrop is independently named by two participants, along with the banter, such as the 'your mama snorted up all the heroin' joke.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Michael Jordan retirement joke; Joey Pants basketball scene; kids snitching on their father; internal affairs character; no OJ joke; Volvo hatchback undercover car

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 00:56:19Read transcript

The Jordan joke ('retired like him too') aged worst in five seconds because Jordan had already returned before release.
Carjacking scenes feel less special than in the 90s, though being surprised by one is argued to have almost aged best; modern cars and phones make them unlikely.
Joey Pants shooting hoops with a cigar, his shots sailing over the backboard, is baffling.
The Club Hell car chase is called shoehorned, with a counterpoint that it is needed so Marcus's family sees him on the news.
Kids snitching on their father aged worst; the reply is that kids are snitches who sell out dad for mom.
The internal affairs character played by Helgenberger, who had a strong career, is a wet blanket like the Lethal Weapon psychologist; a counterpoint says the role is needed for urgency, but it needed someone funny.
Julie tagging along with her call-girl friend is questioned, with others labeled Julie defenders and a reminder to protect sex workers.
With no OJ joke, a stealth reference would have pinned the film in early 1995; it was likely filmed in summer 94.
Martin's outfits, especially the vest over a tank top, are called terrible; a counterpoint says people dressed like that, with an eighth-grade vest story.
A Volvo hatchback is too slow for an undercover car, like having a Prius.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Joey Pants

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:08:40Read transcript

Everyone is ineligible: under a house rule, if Joey Pants is in the movie he automatically wins the Joey Pants Award.
The French bad guy, whose name nobody can say and who is also in The Patriot, would otherwise be this movie's That Guy.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Max; Jojo; the captain

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:10:05Read transcript

The class is loaded: Joey Pants, Imperioli as Jojo with the 'you're selling tires' exchange, the liquor store guy, and John Salley, whose standing up is a sight gag.
Max gets the award: her death hurts every time, and Will Smith is attached to her while juggling many women.
Chet the doorman is in the conversation but is not the pick.
Pick: Jojo, the Imperioli character, a dopey informant played by a young actor with great things ahead; Chet was hysterical too, but it goes to Jojo. — Van Lathan
The only answer is the captain, who is in about three scenes and kills it every time with the 'you are Mike Lowry... you be you, but not in front of her' routine.
The captain is felt to be better in the next movie and a bit muted here, though his Michael Jordan reference is a buzzer-beater and no one but Martin goes at Will like he does.
The captain is conceded as the correct answer, yet Max remains a personal pick; an objection says this is the Dion Waiters Award, not a DJ Banga Award, and the reply is about being as upset as Will Smith every time Max dies.

Apex Mountain

Club Hell

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:18:17Read transcript

Will Smith gets a no.
Martin Lawrence is debated: one view says yes because of Martin and this hit, while others argue a second life with Life as a possible Apex, before conceding he never had as much juice as coming out of this film.
This was Club Hell's Apex Mountain; it never got better, and it sounds like a club Stefan would make up on SNL.
Michael Bay no; mid-1990s Porsches yes; Leoni no.
Is it the Apex for Miami movies? Miami is like Gene Hackman, always perfect, so the case is no.
A follow-up asks whether mid-90s Porsches are the Apex and answers not the Apex Mountain, then asks whether another hit buddy-cop movie came after; Rush Hour counts.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:27:29Read transcript

Could this be remade as a 10-episode Netflix show? The answer is no, thank you; another voice adds no, not into it.

Who Won the Movie?

Will Smith

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:30:30Read transcript

Will Smith: he needed politics to get into the movie and took second billing to Martin, then went from the safe, non-cursing guy to Independence Day and Men in Black.
Martin won the battle, Will won the war: Independence Day was Will's Thriller, and he became the biggest movie star of his generation, though Martin had big films right after. — Van Lathan
A case exists for Michael Bay, since this launches 25 years of Michael Bay, but it has to be Will Smith, the biggest star in the world within three years.
Bruckheimer could make a case too, going on to be the biggest guy in town; Leoni doesn't win.

Podcast choices

Speaker not identified: Will Smith
Van Lathan: Will Smith