Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah’s Bad Boys For Life is a movie that cost $90 million to produce, yet somehow manages to look cheap.

Which in an odd way is a feat.

And as much as one can criticize Michael Bay–the director of the prior two movies in the franchise–there’s no denying that his movies are, visually-speaking, poetry in motion and expertly executed exercises in action-movie excess.

El Arbi and Fallah’s followup? Not so much. For the most it looks fine, making the moments when it doesn’t–of which there’re a few–sour everything in proximity to them.

And just as Bay’s movies have never been known for either their the depth of their writing or characterization, at least they looked really bright and shiny.

This movie, by way of comparison, is a bit tarnished.

And despite what I’ve writing above, it’s worth seeing because of Martin Lawrence, who’s the best part of the movie and the only character that in any way comes close to being an actual character, which is saying something considering how borderline irritating he comes off initially.