You can’t keep a bad boy down for long. We haven’t seen on the big screen (Antoine Fuqua’s excepted as a straight-to-streaming drama). But he’s finally making his triumphant (hopefully!) return alongside Martin Lawrence in , the fourth installment in the beloved buddy cop
comedy franchise. This is comfortable territory for Smith to rebound: a light action comedy where he gets to look cool and competent across from a supportive co-star who has his back, in a film series with a proven track record for success. If anything can get him out of
Hollywood jail, it’s . So will audiences buy it? Well, you can decide for yourself upon viewing the trailer, which is indeed a return to form. There’s a fun bit where Marcus (Lawrence) and Mike (Smith) squabble during a convenience store stick-up, and another where they’re caught stealing clothes from some gun-toting confederate flag enthusiasts and can’t name a single song. (C’mon, those guys don’t know about “a single mom who works two jobs”?) But the bad boys also have to investigate a frame
Job against Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano), who was assassinated in the previous film. Unfortunately, that investigation leads to Marcus and Mike being set up as well—and they are “some terrible fuckin’ fugitives.” The
trailer release for comes almost exactly two years after the fateful
Oscars ceremony during which Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage and found himself on the outs of the entertainment industry. In fact, it was reported at the time that was one of multiple in the wake of that event, but the film nevertheless moved forward. And it’s not just Smith’s comeback story, either. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who directed the previous installment (and yes, the stars are well aware they for the fourth film), are also making first blockbuster since their film was shelved at Warner Bros. Discovery. Essentially, the whole team has something to prove, so hopefully the film can live up to it.