‘Bad Boys 4’ Completely Changes Captain Howard’s Death With Major Retcon

Bad Boys: Ride or Die makes the death of Joe Pantoliano’s Captain Howard an important part of the story, but completely reframes its motive. Many were surprised to see Pantoliano as part of the cast. Bad Boys: Ride or Diegiven Howard’s rather unambiguous demise during the third film. Along with lead actors Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Pantoliano is the only actor to have appeared in every film Bad boys film franchise. Although Howard’s death was a shocking moment in the third entry, it served a narrative purpose.

Howard played the role of the angry captain typical of most cop movies, but Pantoliano brought both humor and heart to what could have been a one-note character. Bad boys for life emphasized his love for his “bad boys” Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Lawrence), but The death of Captain Howard at the hands of Mike’s son Armando (Jacob Scipio) raised the stakes.. Bad boys for life Howard’s death looked like a revenge plan on the part of Armando and his mother, but Ride or die shows there was much more to it.

‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ Changes Motivation for Captain Howard’s Death

Howard’s death in Bad Boys for Life was due to an undercover corruption investigation.

In the third film, Mike was tormented by his ex-lover Isabel (Kate Del Castillo) and a son he didn’t even know he had. On the surface, Howard’s shocking demise was another way for them to hurt Mike, but when the captain is posthumously accused of corruption, Mike and Marcus realize that was not the case. From a conversation with Armando in prison: Mike and Marcus learn that Howard was cleared to kill because of his investigation into connections between the cartels, the police and the FBI..

Bad Boys: Ride or Die main villain James McGrath (Eric Dane) is a former DEA agent who worked with the cartels for years after 9/11; in exchange for helping bring drugs into America, the cartels helped secure the borders. Howard learned of this Faustian pact, but didn’t keep Mike and Marcus in the know when the two other cops he put on the case turned up dead. The captain continued his investigation, but McGrath eventually ordered Isabel and Armando to silence Howard when he got too close to the truth..

Captain Howard’s Death Is Now Linked to Bad Boys 2

McGrath has been in the shadows for most of the Bad Boys franchise.

Captain Howard makes several brief appearances throughout the series. Bad Boys: Ride or Diemostly in the form of video messages he recorded before his death. They are intended to set Mike and Marcus on the right path while warning them not to trust anyone in the department. This turns out to be sound advice as they are soon framed for murder and forced to flee. In addition to adding additional context to the events of the third part, Ride or die even connects Howard’s murder to the events Bad Boys 2.

The captain’s suspicions about police corruption stem from a botched drug raid, but as Howard digs further, he discovers connections leading to Zoe Pound’s Haitian gang from the second film. This suggests that McGrath was working with the antagonist of this article, Johnny Tapia (Jordi Molla), helping his cartel deliver massive amounts of ecstasy to Miami. If so, this makes McGrath one of the main villains of the entire franchise, even if he went unnoticed until Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Bad Boys 4 Changed Captain Howard’s Death So He Could Return

“Ride or Die” makes Howard’s murder a huge part of the story.

Rather than being a cheap death to surprise viewers, the aftermath of Howard’s murder continues to linger in Bad boys row. The captain’s final speech to Mike, reflecting on where his life was heading, had a profound impact on the detective.and the former bachelor even got married when Ride or die begins. Despite pulling the trigger on Howard, Mike does not blame Armando for his death and works on building a relationship with his son.

Ride or die skillfully makes Howard part of history through his video messagesgiving the story some personal stakes. This made it necessary to provide a detailed explanation of the motives for his death, which also brought new meaning to the events Bad boys for life. Mike and Marcus also have several dreams/visions about their late boss, whose ghostly words guide their actions. It wouldn’t be a proper sequel without Howard Pantoliano.although as potential Bad Boys 5 will deal with this, it is unclear.

Although his death was painful, Part 4 was right in not trying to undo his passing. Armando must bear the guilt of killing a good man while the consequences impact every character, including Howard’s U.S. Marshal daughter Judy (Rhee Seehorn). Despite Bad Boys: Ride or Die This is perhaps the funniest part of the saga so far, with Captain Howard’s story giving it an emotional core.

Source: Cashier Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes