Miami Vice (R)
Mike:
Scott: I didn’t think it was hot enough here in Virginia, so I thought I’d go to California rather than see movies about Florida.
Mike: Alright then, what did I think?
Miami Vice
is back. There is no catchy main theme, no pastel clothes, sailboat, no alligator and no Phil Collins music. We do get Ferraris, Crockett and Tubbs, cigarette boats, t - shirts and coats and even Castillo, Zito, Switek, Gina and Trudy. There are times you will think that you are watching a very extended episode of the original series, but other times you will realize you are watching something quite different. I think this is a well done movie by the “Mann” (Michael Mann) who brought us Heat and Collateral as well as the original Miami Vice on TV.
Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx play Crockett and Tubbs. We don’t get too much background on either one, but they are good guys you can root for. This is definitely a good guys vs. the bad guys kind of movie. They are supported by the characters you can recognize from the TV show even if they are not named on screen. Trudy and Switek are actually called by name. The villains are played by relative unknowns, but Jose Yero (John Ortiz) is especially creepy, though. The leading lady and Crockett’s love interest Isabella is played by Memoirs of a Geisha’s Gong Li. My only problem with her is that her accent is so thick there are several times you can’t decipher what she’s saying.
I was a big fan of the original show. It was accused of being style over substance, but some of the episodes were very well written. This movie is not as cutting edge as the show, but it definitely has the feeling of being an updated version of the show that feels current. It seems as though this could be a picture of the ongoing war on drugs. I got the impression that if this movie was called something other than Miami Vice, people would probably be more impressed. Calling it Miami Vice invites comparisons whether they are valid or not. This movie is definitely darker than the show, but stylish in a new and different way. Also notice the thunder and lightning in almost every night scene.
The movie takes advantage of the fact that it is not a tv show, by amping up the sex, language and violence. Action fans will love the shootouts. Many moviegoers will love the fast cars, fast boats and fast planes. The movie jumps right in and there are no opening credits-at all. My main complaint would be that the movie gets a bit slow and talky towards the middle. The movie keeps your interest throughout. Like the old show it presents an interesting picture of the world of undercover vice police.
By the way if you are watching out for the scene with the remake of In the Air Tonight, forget it. They saved the song for the credits. The score owes a few nods to Jan Hammer, but this music is not 80s new age. There are a number of songs peppered throughout the film, but it seems like the producers were on a huge Audioslave kick. I could have sworn I heard them three different times. By the way they actually use the Linkin Park remix from the trailer in the first scene of the movie. When’s the last time you heard the music from the commercial actually appear in the movie?
What do I rate this film?
Mike: I give it a 4 overall and a 3.5 for Miami Vice remake. I enjoyed the movie and will probably pick it up on DVD. Michael Mann knows how to make a great movie, but I could stand a little more action for Miami Vice 2.
