For those that don’t know, the comedy team of Martin Lawrence and Will Smith ranks right up there with Cheech & Chong, Eddie & Arsenio, and Mark Sanchez & Thanksgiving. The chemistry they share is so potent that it’s only sold to the public on an average of once every 10 years (Bad Boys 3 coming 2015). It’s evident with the back-and-forth between them in this scene, where Martin’s nonchalant nature collides with Will’s keen attention to his car’s detail, that these two men’s distinct personalities compliment each other like gin and tonic.
You got Will gloating at the fact that his Porsche is a limited edition model, to which a frustrated Martin replies, “You damn right it’s limited! No cup holders. No back seat. It’s a shiny d*ck with two chairs in it! I guess we the balls just dragging the f*ck along in it.” Whether you want to call it hating or negative observations, you can’t help but laugh and ultimately agree with how incomplete a limited edition car can be with a price tag of $105,000. Not to mention anytime you show off limited edition cars, kicks or purses, it’ll always attract the wrong kind of attention. Even a limited edition soda can cause problems (Pepsi Throwback led thirsty dudes in my hood to perform many a muggings).
Seriously, when will we as men learn that flashing limited edition anything will lead to nothing but trouble? Still, most men possess that old, “I have to have what everyone covets in order to show it off and become the object of envy,” kind of train of thought. And just like a man with that materialistic sort of mentality, Will falls for the distraction of a young, thick, and full lipped exotic looking young lady with the kind of cleavage that would take attention away from Kat Dennings.
After pulling to the curb due to Martin dropping French fries all over the European interior (never mess with a black man’s brand new car), Will gets the buffalo eye from the petite traffic stopper, but little does the superficial Smith know that he’s being set up for a jack move that’s about to be executed by Rob & Big. Even with two burners to their grills, Will and Martin never break character. Martin is still complaining (“Why I always got to get the big thick mother*ckers?”) and Will's still acting smooth and stylish during a carjacking. Even after identifying himself as a cop, “Rob” responds with sarcasm, “Oh yeah, Well I’m a standup comedian. And I suck!”
Once they realize that identifying themselves as Po-9 wasn’t doing anything to diffuse the situation, Will and Martin create a diversion by doing what they do best, arguing. Using their back-and-forth exchanges to their advantage and turning the tables like DJ Drama, the duo layeth the smacketh down like Dwayne Johnson in the late ‘90s. “Wesley Snipes! Passenger 57! Now get me a muthaf*ckin’ Handi Wipe!” is Martin’s way of describing what he just did. FYI, Wesley Snipes was one of the few black action heroes during the 90’s. That was the equivalent to a white kid yelling, “Larry Bird!” while attempting a jumpshot in the 80’s. On the other hand Will is cooler than Freddy Jackson sipping a milkshake and simply states, “Now let’s hear one of those jokes, b*tch.”
Regardless on how you may feel about Will Smith’s star status, it was obvious that Martin Lawrence was the funnier of the two and stole the show whenever the two were sharing screen time. Having been the original host to Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam, Martin was never scared to tarnish his image with loud, obnoxious, and offensive language in his films. Will Smith was the perfect compliment to his style. Though his comedic style was more suited for Wilmer Valderrama’s Yo’ Mama, the former PG-13 rapper was still able to match Lawrence’s edginess throughout the film and together they made an action/comedy classic. And this scene right here was the perfect introduction to the one of the greatest comedic duos of our generation.
