Captain Howard’s Ghostly Cameo in Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Newsflash: The Ghost of Bad Boys Past has made a special appearance in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”. That’s right, friends, Captain Conrad Howard, who met the chilly hand of death in “Bad Boys for Life”, can’t resist a good party, even in the afterlife.
Smith’s Spectral Surprise
The unexpected return of Captain Howard is a head-scratcher, but folks, it mainly comes down to Will Smith’s fondness for ghostly cameos. As franchise star Joe Pantoliano told Inverse, Smith was adamant that the police chief should rise from the grave. “Will really wanted this to happen,” Pantoliano said. “That was my ace in the hole that he wanted to see the captain come back, and then they came up with this idea.” Smooth move, Mr. Smith.
Ghostly Guidance
In the grim turn of events in “Bad Boys for Life”, Captain Howard gets his ticket to the other side punched in broad daylight by Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio), the estranged son of Detective Lieutenant Mike Lowrey (played by Will Smith himself). The latest installment gives us a heart-stopping plot twist with Detective Lieutenant Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) suffering a sudden heart attack during a wedding celebration. As Marcus dances on the edge of this mortal coil, he gets a glimpse of the afterlife where Captain Howard tells him, “it’s not your time.” Cowabunga, Captain!
Pantoliano, thrilled with his celestial cameo, gives full credit to the VFX team for making the afterlife scene look as real as a screamin’ banshee. “I was fascinated by it: the blue screen and the way that they do this stuff now,” he said. “That moment was, I don’t know, maybe 10 frames, 15 frames, and then seeing it all put together — it’s getting harder and harder to find the smoke and mirrors.”
The Rebirth of a Loved Character
In the vortex of “Ride or Die”, the specter of Howard is a constant feature. However, Howard’s post-mortem reputation takes a hit as crooked law enforcement officers frame him for underhanded dealings with drug cartels. Nevertheless, Pantoliano was pleased to once again don the character’s cloak.
“Ride or Die” is smashing it at the box office, raking in a whopping $398.3 million globally, nipping at the heels of “Bad Boys for Life’s” franchise record of $426.5 million. It’s the life of the party on streaming platforms too, with a spectacular 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Cheers to that, boys!
Star-Studded Spectacle
The cast continues to light up the screen featuring the talents of Eric Dane, Paola Núñez, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Ioan Gruffudd, the hilarious Tiffany Haddish, and Tasha Smith, among others. The grapevine is buzzing with the whispers of a potential “Bad Boys 5.” Until then, you can relive the action and drama of “Ride or Die” on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV.
Well, folks, unmasking the smoke and mirrors behind the scenes of Bad Boys was a thrilling ride, wasn’t it? Until our next cinematic adventure, keep it rolling!
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