Top 10 Funniest Moments from the Bad Boys Franchise

When Mike and Marcus chase Zway-Lo into Overtown, things go from fast-paced action to gut-busting hilarity. The laughs begin during the exhilarating chase when Marcus tries telling Mike that he’s given up violence. Of course, that doesn’t sit well with Mike, who eventually takes a shot at Zawy-Lo’s motorbike, knocking him down. When the two approach their target, they are repulsed by a grotesque hematoma on his head. Marcus first looks to be holding back his lunch, but quickly sticks his finger out wanting to give it a feel. One touch wasn’t enough though, as the “Bad Boy” goes in for another poke. Turns out Marcus’ squeamishness is no match for his curiosity.

After all their explosive adventures, and with Fouchet dead, an exhausted and injured Marcus is ready to go home. And hey, we don’t blame him. So, when Julie asks the boys, “What’s next,” Marcus makes it clear “there won’t be no next.” He promptly slaps some handcuffs on Mike and Julie and exits to get some “quality time” with his wife. As he limps away, Mike and Julie are left calling out for the keys to the cuffs. Making things even more amusing is Marcus’ muttering about all the abuse he’s endured. Did we mention Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys” song begins to play during this conclusion? It’s a fitting end that’s full of laughs.

In the first “Bad Boys” outing, Martin Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett is forced to impersonate his partner Mike Lowrey in order to gain the trust of Julie Mott – the witness. The situation, and hilarity, quickly escalate when he takes Julie to Mike’s apartment. It’s here that his lies become comically obvious. For one, he doesn’t know where anything is. Plus, he must somehow explain why there are pictures of the real Mike all over “his place.” It’s one of the funniest moments in the film and it’s played with impeccable comedic timing, especially by Lawrence. Plenty of films have used miscommunication for laughs, but not many do it as well as “Bad Boys.”

As we’ll see a few times on this list, some of the funniest moments in the franchise come from “ordinary people” reacting to Marcus and Mike’s aggressive absurdity. This was the case when the duo took part in a not-so-quiet discussion aboard a commercial airplane. Their back-and-forth banter about the details of their mission is met with shocked reactions, as is Marcus’ declaration that, “we fly together, we die together.” It’s all very comical with the passengers hilariously caught in-between their conversation. The sequence also serves as a testament to how well Smith & Lawrence play off each other in personal moments, a true key to the series’ success.

When Mike and Marcus find themselves surrounded by corpses in a morgue autopsy room, they become increasingly uncomfortable – taking their focus away from the task at hand. From Marcus breaking out “the Pepto” to Mike overexplaining the embalming process, there are plenty of gags at hand. When Marcus goes to check one of the bodies though, the dead guy’s top pops off – literally. Making matters worse, when Mike finds what he’s been looking for, a bag of narcotics in a corpse, Marcus inadvertently ingests a couple of pills when they fall into a glass he uses to drink water from. It’s just one outrageous situation after another with these two – and what can we say, we love it.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence aren’t the only ones who get to flex their comedic muscles in the “Bad Boys” films. Joe Pantoliano as Captain Conrad Howard is known for his uproariously intense outbursts in the films. And while there are many great moments to choose from, it’s his attempt at shooting hoops in the original film that takes the cake. Tearing into Marcus and Mike, the good Captain, with a cigar in his mouth no less, manages to hit everything but the net. Pantoliano's knack for physical comedy is on full display here, and it’s just one of the reasons why the no-nonsense character is a certified favorite among fans of the franchise.

During an interrogation in the first film, Mike goes a little too far with his “bad-cop” routine. You see, while questioning an informant named JoJo, Mike dishes out some serious threats, making it clear that he has no problem getting trigger happy. Marcus plays along in hilarious fashion, getting driven up the wall in the process. Worried about “brain fragments” getting in his clothes – among other things, he’s constantly interjecting. Marcus’ unease paired with Mike’s blunt intensity leads to Jojo’s squirms increasing to the point where he eventually spills the goods. You can’t argue with the results!

When Marcus, Mike, and their witness, Julie, discuss a drug deal gone wrong in a liquor store, the store clerk overhears and begins to mistake them for criminals. It’s made worse as Marcus and Mike go into detail about the shocking crime. So, after spotting their guns, the clerk decides to pull his own, this to stop what he perceives to be a robbery about to happen. The back and forth between the three men is really funny stuff, as the clerk’s threats also take on double meaning. It all culminates with Mike and Marcus having enough and draw their own guns. Their demands? Why that would be “a pack of tropical fruit Bubbilicous! - and some Skittles.”

It’s yet another hilarious instance of ordinary people getting the wrong idea about what’s going on. This time, Mike and Marcus talk about some personal issues behind closed doors at a video store. However, unbeknownst to them, they are being recorded by a camera that, yep, you guessed it, is being broadcast all across the shop. The customers give shocked and repulsed reactions as Marcus goes into TMI territory very quickly. Mike doesn’t help matters with his responses, leading everyone listening in to rush to sharp judgments. It all adds up to a wonderfully comedic twist on an otherwise touching moment between these partners and friends.

Just imagine you are a teenage boy meeting your girlfriend’s father for the first time. Now imagine that her father is a police detective. To say you’d be nervous would be an understatement. Well, in this hilarious scene, poor Reggie comes knocking on Marcus’ door to take out his daughter. What follows is the funniest interrogation of a boyfriend ever, as both Marcus and Mike do all they can to intimidate the clearly frightened young man. Heck, they even pull a gun on him! It’s a masterclass in comedy from Smith and Lawrence, but also Dennis Greene who plays Reggie. How he was able to stay hilariously stone-faced throughout is beyond us.

What moment from the “Bad Boys” films had you dying from laughter? Share the comedy gold in the comments below.