Even before I started writing reviews of movies, I was always fascinated with them. As I grew up, the summer blockbusters started to become the norm, and every summer the newest action movie seemed to want to top the last with overblown extravagance. Since the mid-nineties, the Kings of producing extravagant action flicks have been Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay, who has helped to bring us such mind-numbing (yet box-office successful) popcorn fare as "Bad Boys," "Armageddon," "The Rock," and "Pearl Harbor." While credit can be given to Bruckheimer for churning out intelligent products such as television's "C.S.I." and "The Amazing Race," as well as last week's enjoyable "Pirates of the Caribbean," his name will synonymously be known with the Summer Action Spectacle. So it was, that after an eight-year gap, Bruckheimer and Bay have teamed up again for a sequel to 1995's "Bad Boys" (staring the relative new-comers Will Smith and Martin Lawrence). Then, after what must have been hours and hours of thought (and probably $1 million of the budget), they came up with the thoroughly creative title: "Bad Boys II."

What, you were expecting more? Didn't you see they changed the "2" to the structurally solid "II?" Well, I hope you weren't hoping for too much outside the box thinking; after all, this is Bruckheimer and Bay. If you were expecting more creativity, you can stop reading this review, and don't even bother to see the movie. However, if you go in to the theater expecting nothing more than over-the-top explosions, expletives, and excitement, then you'll get what you pay for. The Summer Action Spectacle is back.

The sequel assumes where the other left off. Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are Narcotic officers, still tracking down the drug lord baddies in the heat of Miami, Florida. This time they're on the case of a local drug kingpin who, they've been told by one of Mike's snitches, is bringing in the largest shipment of Ecstasy into the United States. The closer they get to the "big guy," the more car chases ensue, and the more things get blown up. That's about all you need to know, isn't it?

Oh yeah, I guess I should add that Marcus' younger Sister Sydney (Gabrielle Union) is along for the ride as an undercover DEA agent, and who, unbeknownst to Marcus, also happens to be dating Mike. But who cares? Back to the stuff blowing up...

The story underlies the action, so Mike and Marcus are constantly on the run, shooting up houses as they try to get to informants; chasing down gang members who steal a car carrier; crashing down a mountain in a Hummer taking out an entire village; you get the picture. Shooting, exploding, racing, and flying through the entire movie, it's like one long roller coaster ride.

What makes "Bad Boys II" (as well as its predecessor) enjoyable is the chemistry between Smith and Lawrence. After the eight years between films, it's as if the two never skipped a beat, and the two have their comedic timing down pat. Lawrence gets most of the one-liners here as the sillier sidekick, but Smith has his share playing the more straight-faced leader. Smith also doesn't shy away from the PG-friendly crowd he has built over the years. Don't expect him or Lawrence to hold back on any of their expletives, as they are constant in the dialogue.

Gabrielle Union's character starts off strong, but ends up being lost in the extravagance of the film, which is a shame because she contains both a natural beauty and a commanding presence when given the screen time. At one point in the film, Marcus tells Sydney "they're just using you for your looks." Unfortunately, that's what she ends up being; more eye-candy in an already visually stimulating film.

If there is one thing that I found at fault in the film, it's the racial stereotypes that are on blatant display. White men start the film out in a KKK rally. The villain and all of his henchmen are all unshaven, hair in their face Cubans that seemed to watch "Scarface" too many times. Even Smith and Lawrence degrade a scene in which a 15 year old shows up at the door to take Lawrence's daughter on her first date. While I found the scene to be hilarious in it's implications (father wanting to put fear into the boy dating his daughter), I found it disappointing that they had to fall into the stereotypical "thug" characters to do so. Smith uses the "N" word at least 20 times, waving his gun in his face and drinking a bottle of champagne while Lawrence cusses at the boy.

However, the film is still enjoyable if you're able to look past its downfalls (as I'm sure most of us are). As yet another entry into the already played-out "buddy cop" genre, the characters work because the actors mesh together well, unlike this summer's earlier pairing of Harrison and Hartnett in "Hollywood Homicide." The humor bridges the action, which is typical Bruckheimer/Bay fare. Gratuitous violence, insane explosions, and dialogue that could make a sailor blush, "Bad Boys II" is an enjoyable 150 minutes (!) if you sit down with your popcorn and your drink, and relish in it's extravagance. Just leave your mind at the door.