| Product: |
Miami Vice (Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx) (DVD) |
| Date: |
08.12.07 (120 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Jamie Foxx in the shower.
Disadvantages: Weak story, poor performances.
Having watched and enjoyed the spoof re-make of Starskey & Hutch a few years ago I rented this film in the hope that I might find a film on a similar vein or a least a bit of 80s nostalgia for the eponymous TV series. It just shows that I need to research films a lot more before I add them to my rental list! Firstly there is no comedy and secondly there is no 80s nostalgia - no designer stubble, electro pop soundtrack or rolled up jacket sleeves. What we have here is just a generic, present day, cop 'buddy' movie that happens to be set in Miami at least some of the time.
The film jumps straight into the action as Crockett (Colin Farrell with dodgy hair and an even dodgier moustache) and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) are in a nightclub trying to make a bust when Crockett gets a call from one of their informants who has been working with the FBI, and has had his cover blown. Crockett and Tubbs then take over the drugs deal for the FBI and this leads to Crockett meeting and falling for a Columbian drug baron's mistress Isabella (Gong Li) and Tubbs' girlfriend being kidnapped by white supremacists. I found this part of the film all a bit confusing, and the film didn't really engage me. Whether I was confused because the film wasn't holding my attention and I lost the plot or whether the film was confusing anyway and I just got bored I'm not sure, although I suspect the latter. There were some fast car chases, some gun battles and a token effort at romance.
The acting performances were disappointing; all the lead players have done so much better in other films. Foxx is certainly capable of so much more then looking brooding, and for me, was at his best when he was naked in the shower. Farrell, once I got used to the dodgy moustache, was OK. I have never really rated him apart from in 'Phone Booth' and he didn't really do anything for me to change my opinion. Don Johnson, the original TV Crockett, may not have been known as the greatest actor but at least he had charisma, something Farrell sorely lacked. There was absolutely no chemistry between him and Gong Li, and no rapport between Farrell and Foxx. There was no witty banter going between them like in your typical cop buddy movie, in fact there was barely any dialogue at all.
The film is directed by Michael Mann, who produced the original TV shows and as such I think I was right to expect a little bit more of a nod to the shows. Direction was slick, cars and boats were fast but that was about it.
Overall I was very disappointed with the film. Once I'd given up trying to work out the connections in the sub plots and went with the flow, this was a better film for the action. The romance part was hardly worth the effort and the 'buddy' aspect non-existent. I would struggle to recommend the film - it just wasn't engaging enough and is likely to only appeal to cop movie fans. Unfortunately it isn't even that good a cop movie.
This is a film only review. Although there were extras on my rental DVD I wasn't interested enough to watch them. It is a Certificate 15 for some scenes of sex and violence and drug references.
Summary: Weak cop 'buddy' movie.
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