Exclusive 'Bad Boys For Life' Clip Gives Praise To Joe Pantoliano

Joe Pantoliano (or Joey Pants, as he's known to some) is one of those legendary character actors who always elevates whatever role he's playing, no matter how small. It's just fun to watch him work. And one of his most memorable roles is that of Captain Howard, the perpetually anxious police captain in the Bad Boys franchise. Not only did series mainstays Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return for the latest entry in the series, Bad Boys For Life, but Pantoliano came back as well. An exclusive Bad Boys for Life clip below sings the praises of Pantoliano, and his character.

As directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah put it in the clip above, you can't have Bad Boys without Captain Howard. And sure enough, Joe Pantoliano returned for the third entry in the franchise. The clip is an excerpt from the special features included on the home media release for the film – including the digital release, which is today, March 31. Those features include:

I'll admit I went into Bad Boys for Life with low expectations. But I ended up being pleasantly surprised with the final result. In fact, I honestly think it's the best entry in the series. As I said in my review:

But it's the unexpected amount of heart that ends up making Bad Boys for Life a pleasant surprise. In the previous two films, one gets the distinct sense that Mike and Marcus really don't give that much of a shit about each other – or anyone else. Sure, they say they ride together, die together – but it's hard to buy it in those movies. Smith's Mike Lowery in particular often comes across as a borderline psychopath in those first two movies – someone who only cares about his own image. Mike starts like that in this film as well, but as the story races on, he softens a bit. He may not want to admit it – we learn he's started dying his goatee – but he's getting older now. And some people mellow out when they get older. They slow down, and they realize they've been taking certain things for granted. If the Bad Boysfranchise of all damn things can have actual emotional growth there might be hope yet for all of us.

Bad Boys For Life is now on digital, and is due out on Blu-ray April 21.

The original Bad Boys, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), are back. After a string of assassinations and an attempt on Mike's life, he convinces a hesitant Marcus to hold off retirement and partner one last time. Together, they team up with AMMO, the new hotshot division of the Miami PD, to take down the merciless head of the Aretas Cartel. Rounding out the cast are Vanessa Hudgens (Spring Breakers), Alexander Ludwig (TV's "Vikings"), Charles Melton (TV's "Riverdale"), Paola Nuñez (TV's "The Purge"), Kate del Castillo (The Book of Life), award-winning recording artist Nicky Jam and Bad Boys franchise veteran Joe Pantoliano.