How many “Bad Boys” movies are there? Here's how to watch every film in order

Whatcha gonna do to stream these action classics?

The blockbuster buddy cop film series Bad Boys, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami Police Department officers Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, respectively, has seen them face high-speed car chases, intense hand combat, and explosive shootouts galore across nearly 30 years.

Mike and Marcus always get the job done — whether they're facing off against drug dealers or crooked cops — and sing the titular 1987 song by the reggae band Inner Circle as they ride off into the sunset. The duo rival Buzz and Woody, even though both the Bad Boys and Toy Story stars lost out to Tommy Boy at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards for Best On-Screen Duo. But the unique chemistry Smith and Lawrence share is hard to deny.

The first Bad Boys entry was a game changer, catapulting Lawrence and Smith from TV to the silver screen. It cemented them as bonafide movie stars and launched the career of Michael Bay, along with his signature "Bayhem" filmmaking aesthetic. Bay went on to helm Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, several Transformers movies, and, most recently, 2022's Ambulance.

The brotherly, goofball cop (Marcus) and aggressive straight-man cop (Mike) dynamic fuels the Bad Boys franchise, and fans can't get enough of it.

But how many Bad Boys movies have been released? What's Mike and Marcus' story up to this point? With the release of the latest installment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, here's what you need to know about the Bad Boys franchise.

Where can I watch the Bad Boys movies?

The first three Bad Boys entries — Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, and Bad Boys for Life — are readily available to stream on Hulu. The first two entries — the "Bay Boy entries," if you will — are also conveniently streamable on Disney+ as part of the Disney+ and Hulu bundle. Just make sure you get the kiddies out of the room if you stream it on Disney+.

All three entries are also available to rent or buy at whatever digital retail platform you use to store your movie library, such as Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, or Vudu.

How can I stream the Bad Boys movies for free?

You can stream the first two Bad Boys flicks for free via Pluto TV .

How can I watch all the Bad Boys movies in order?

Bad Boys (1995)

Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are lifelong besties working as detectives under the Miami Police Department's narcotics program. Burnett has a wife and kid, and Lowery lives a casual bachelor lifestyle, yet they are focused on taking down crime together.

When a hundred million dollars worth of confiscated heroin is elaborately stolen from police custody by a criminal gang, it's enough to put the narcotics division down, threatening both of their jobs.

Under Captain Conrad Howard's (Joe Pantoliano) directive, they have 72 hours to bust the gang behind the plot and recover the drugs.

Their explosive investigation gets even more dangerous as Mike and Marcus must protect murder witness Julie (Téa Leoni) from a French drug kingpin and his deadly henchmen after surviving a shoot-out.

Until June 30, 2024, you can see where the Mike and Marcus adventures began with the first Bad Boys through your Apple TV+ subscription. Watch Bad Boys for free on Pluto TV and stream on Hulu.

Bad Boys II (2003)

Eight years later, Mike and Marcus are now investigating the influx of ecstasy drugs coming into Miami. Their procedural only ups the ante as the boys raid a KKK rally (one of the members is played by Michael Shannon in an early role), and Mike betrays his best friend two times over — accidentally shooting him in the rump and secretly dating his younger sister, DEA Special Agent Syd (Gabrielle Union).

This time, their wild goose chase of an investigation takes the ever-bantering odd cop couple from Miami to Cuba. If Michael Bay was in restraints before, Bad Boys II is the result of a filmmaker unleashed. He goes full Bayhem with his bloody shoot-'em-up sequences, exhilarating car chase set pieces, and a finale featuring a minefield. There's no better Michael Bay, baby!

Watch Bad Boys II for free on Pluto TV and stream on Hulu.

Bad Boys for Life (2020)

Jumping 17 years later, Mike and Marcus enter a new chapter: middle-age. This time around, Marcus is a grandpa as his daughter Megan (Bianca Bethune) and longtime boyfriend (Dennis Greene) have a baby and eventually get married. While Marcus wants to put down the PD badge and retire, feeling guilt for all the bad guy bodies he buried during his career, Mike would rather wear his detective suit for life.

But Mike's past seems to catch up to him as a kingpin cartel widow, Isabel (Kate del Castillo), and her son Armando (Jacob Scipio) begin assassinating people tied to her husband's downfall, including Mike.

Armando puts Mike in the hospital through an assassination attempt to the dismay of Isabel, who wanted him to die last. When he recovers, Mike is filled with rage. With the help of Marcus, his latest ex-girlfriend, Lt. Rita Secada (Paola Núñez), and her operative team at Advanced Miami Metro Operations (AMMO) — Rafe (Charles Melton), Dorn (Alexander Ludwig), and Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) — they try to track Mike's assailant and investigate the string of murders connected to Isabel.

Stream Bad Boys for Life on Hulu.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

Four years following the events of Bad Boys for Life, Mike finally hangs up his bachelor days and gets married to his physical therapist, Christine (Melanie Liburd). At his wedding, Marcus experiences a heart attack. Luckily, he survives with a newfound confidence, if not delusion, that he's invincible.

Around the same time, Mike begins having panic attacks linked with witnessing the murder of Captain Howard at the hands of Armando, who was revealed to be Mike's son in Bad Boys for Life. Feeling guilt for his inability to save Howard, Mike fears that he's unable to save Christine.

Soon, Mike and Marcus learn that the Miami PD has posthumously accused Captain Howard of having ties to the Romanian mafia. Through a pre-taped video Howard made, the Bad Boys learn that the corruption is stemmed within the department halls. As the boys investigate the case, they're framed for murder — and made out to be fugitives.

Now they must team up with Armando to survive, all while being hunted after a bounty is put out on them. U.S. Marshal Judy Howard (Rhea Seehorn), who also happens to be Howard's daughter and is out for vengeance against Armando, is among the people searching for the Bad Boys.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is in theaters now.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.