Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back together after eight years as Mike and Marcus for this sequel - a sort of Lethal Weapon without the crackling chemistry between the partners - one an adrenaline fiend (Mike), the other a steadier family man looking for a way out. The plot is brutally simple: get the Cuban drug lord. Add in a subplot: Marcus' daughter is Mike's lover, and she's also with the cops chasing the evil Cuban; and there's plenty of room left over for endless chases, gun battles and pithy, well-timed quips. M and M start off busting a load of small-time drug-dealing Klansmen, and from there it's a question of joining the dots and calling on incredible police resources to hunt down the rogue Cuban. Their journey takes in some memorable scenes - a comedy sketch in a TV shop and a gross-out search of a morgue - before a final showdown in Cuba. The action is endless and often verges on becoming tedious, but is spread out with funny scenes and snappy humour. Some of it prompts snorts of laughter, though much of it fits racial or sexual templates. Silly? Yes. Funny? Not always. M and M's relationship, and its breakdown and recovery, is poorly portrayed by both leading men, and the clanking script doesn't help. But Joe Pantoliano does an excellent irate police captain. And director Michael Bay (The Rock, Armageddon, Bad Boys) has slickly put together the speedboats, choppers and fraught radio communications ("Go! Go! Go!"). His best camerawork is involving, which is just as well, as the film is far too long at over two hours 20 minutes. Special effects and the muscle of the US authorities are on proud display, and in stereo splendour those machine guns each have their own wonderful notes: some chatter, some thud, some burst. There's lots of energy, but not much else. Bad Boys II is neither good nor bad, just OK. Bad Boys will be featuring at Brynaman Cinema from Friday, November 7, for seven days. To reserve your ticket contact the box office on 01269 823232