Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Forget three decades’ worth of diminishing creative returns. Longevity equals prosperity for Bad Boys: Ride or Die in terms of the only measurable that matters for a franchise that remains on narrative autopilot.

Another empty exercise in style over substance, this flashy action saga — the third sequel to the original Bad Boys in 1995 — adheres to the buddy-comedy template without meaningfully developing its well-worn characters or escalating their stakes.

This installment returns us to Miami, where detectives Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) continue their love-hate partnership. Mike is still drawn to fast cars, and Marcus is still addicted to junk food. They know each other better than they know their wives. Ditto for fans.

At any rate, their beloved former captain (Joe Pantoliano) — killed by Mike’s estranged son, Armando (Jacob Scipio), in the previous film — has now been posthumously accused of corruption.

As Mike and Marcus to try to clear his name, they wind up as targets themselves, both from skeptics within the department and from a ruthless crime boss (Eric Dane) with cartel connections.

As their new supervisor (Paola Nunez) is distracted by romantic overtures from a shady politician (Ioan Gruffudd). a reluctant reunion with Armando might provide the disgraced heroes’ only hope for escape and redemption.

Any enjoyment the series retains at this point stems from the chemistry between Smith and Lawrence, who milk the wooden dialogue for some scattered laughs. Smith nicely covers for his partner’s declining physical skills in the more rigorous sequences.

The Belgian directing tandem of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returns for another go-around, admirably attempting to disguise the derivative plot with abundant drone shots, swirling cameras, and other visual trickery.

There are some set-piece highlights along the way, such as a brawl in a prison yard and a subsequent inmate transfer that goes haywire aboard a military helicopter.

Meanwhile, the derivative screenplay provides assembly-line banter for its stars to fill the gaps between the frenetic series of cat-and-mouse chases and shootouts. There’s not much intrigue, either, since the duplicitous villains are obvious from the moment they introduce themselves on screen.

Ride or Die again explores themes such as loyalty, mortality, and masculinity, but it’s becoming less about the stars than the mayhem around them. If that’s a new direction for the franchise, it feels like a dead end.

Rated R, 115 minutes.