The plot of "Miami Vice" is a typically convoluted affair involving drug smugglers, undercover cops and a lot of gunfire. Such merriment has long been fodder for all manner of TV shows, of course, including a certain '80s trendsetter called "Miami Vice." What Michael Mann -- executive producer of the TV series and writer/director of the new film -- has done is take that story and strangle all the fun out of it. Mann's films tend to be melancholy, even somber ("Ali," "Collateral," etc.), but never has he seemed so hell-bent on dreariness. The story, easily handleable in a two-part TV episode, is stretched out for 133 minutes, its themes repeated endlessly. Occasional bursts of action provide temporary respite. Then it's back to the dreariness. The fact that I've never seen an episode of "Miami Vice" does not appear to be a liability. Are the cops known as Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) the same character types as their TV counterparts were? Probably not: I'm guessing the TV versions had personalities. The movie versions are bleak, taciturn figures who are interchangeable with one another. One of them has a girlfriend and one is single, but that's as far as it goes. (The one only has a girlfriend for the same reason all movie cops have girlfriends: so she can be abducted by the bad guys.) Crockett and Tubbs are Miami police officers who go undercover to stop a huge drug-smuggling ring that involves white supremacists and good old-fashioned South American kingpins. There are several layers of employees between the street and the head honcho, and one of those layers is Isabella (Gong Li), a Chinese-Cuban femme fatale for whom Crockett has a serious case of the hots. Despite it being the worst idea either of them has ever had -- which is saying a lot, considering the hairstyle he has chosen -- they embark on a personal relationship that's bound to run into snags when he either a) reveals his identity and arrests her, or b) reveals his identity and has to kill her. Mann has the right idea in providing no superfluous exposition, instead dropping us right into Crockett and Tubbs' shadowy world and letting us catch up as we go. One must pay attention to the dialogue or risk becoming hopelessly lost; in the debate over how much to spell things out, Mann errs on the side of under-explaining. The film has, in other words, the appearance of being a very smart, sophisticated crime thriller. Except that it's not. The story, as I said, is elementary, dressed up with shaky camerawork and cryptic dialogue but still a by-the-numbers undercover-cop story -- MINUS the thrills that usually go along with it. Because in Mann's attempt to make something artsy and grown-up, he has neglected the element of fun. Listening to Colin Farrell and Gong Li fret soberly about their future as a couple, which they do in about 1,000 different scenes, is not my idea of a good time. Please let us know if this review was helpful (click below) If you have any questions about this review please contact us at contact@ck-auctions.com Posted by CK-AuctionsRead full review
Miami Vice Really good!! But this movie could've been a lot better! I'm not a huge fan of Miami Vice, but I'm a huge fan of this movie. The action scenes are great, Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrel are awesome as Crockett and Tubbs. The feel of this movie is absolutely amazing. This movie could've been a little better at times, but not by much. Final Verdict: 4/5 Rent or Buy?: You'll have to decide that for yourself, I won't buy it because I'm not a Miami Vice fan, but if you're a fan, you'll want to own it. IF YOU FIND THIS REVIEW HELPFUL PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE. Thank you.
In the 1980's TV brought us the mesmerizing tales of "Miami Police" Narcotics Detectives Crockett and Tubbs in "Miami Vice". Set amongst beautiful backdrops of a gorgeous "Miami" TV had us entranced into this Caribbean Crime-Caper and sold our loyalty to it weekly. Today "Miami Vice" (UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT) has hit the big screen and doesn't miss a beat !!!! (The same Producers and Directors that brought us "HEAT" and "Collateral"...) - From an explosive and hectic opener, (make sure you are completely settled in before you start the movie....) we can see that "Miami Vice" is loaded with cartel drugs, explosions, kidnappings, high-speed pursuits on land and water, seductive women and temptations, which "Crockett and Tubbs" constantly battle as they struggle to stay on the right side of the LAW. I wish we had this a few years ago, while Hollywood was stumbling through remake upon remake of films already made. Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell could not have been more perfectly casted. (I honestly don't feel that any other 2 actors would have pulled this off so intensely). Farrell "marries" his role as Crockett and Foxx only takes his lead in adopting "Tubbs"....as the two set-out to Investigate the Murder of Federal Agents and are spun into a maddening world that explodes into high-tech warfare, gun-battles and special-effects worthy of "Independance Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow". (Meaning the effects are breathtaking and fuel an adrenalized action-adventure that I feel has been a long-time coming). Not since "Bad Boys", (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence), has a Cop-Movie been so hip, upbeat and adrenalized....minus the comedy. "Miami Vice" presents us with a dark and underground vision of Miami, (it seems almost always nightime). The underworld/underbelly of "Miami" is so dark it feels worthy of "Scarface". (Say Goodbye to constant shots of "Miami's" gorgeous side....and their is nothing humorous about it). The Cinematography is absolutely amazing and makes the look and feel of this "Miami Vice" all the more enthralling !!!! (Applauds to Producers for recognizing that this film will be.... AND IS.... a major success without turning it into a cliched one-liner of comedy setbacks like "The Dukes of Hazzard" turned out to be). "Miami Vice" (UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT) hits hard and you will love every pulse-pounding second !!!! PLEASE SEE MY OTHER REVIEWS FOR GREAT FILMS !!!!Read full review
I don't usually rate a film on ebay based on the actual content of the movie, but in this case, that is all this disc has going for it. The transfer is usually pretty awful, like most Warner transfers, and the sound is good. The only reason to buy this film is for the cars, boats, and not so involving plot. Sometimes you just need a movie that doesn't take energy to follow. The U-Control on this movie is fun and worth a try if you have seen the film before. All in all, consider this movie for the fun of the film, not the quality of the transfer. whether 24" in 1080p or 120" in 1080i, this movie was not about the image quality.
This is one of the first movies shot entirley in High Definition, which one would think would make the transfer to HD-DVD spectacular... There is line noise throughout the entire movie... The colors are very rich and done nicely, but the red lighting which some producers choose just doesn't sit well in high definition... It does use the "U-Control" feature and has HD extras, as well as being a combo format, but I just expected more out of movie shot entirely in high definition...
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