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Miami Vice (2006)
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Colin Farrell
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Run Time: 134
min.
Release Date:
July 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Chad Wilson |
During it’s
run in the 1980’s, the Miami Vice television series
distinguished itself via a stylized cast, sharp action, and some strong
characterizations. With a 2006 feature film update from Michael Mann –
who executive produced the series – the movie retains most of the
series’ virtues in spirit if not in practice. The result, an unabashedly
Mann film shot with style, cast with grace, executed with skill, but
suffering from too many vices of its own to create a solid film like
Mann’s previous hits HEAT and COLLATERAL.
Lacking credits and even studio logos, MIAMI VICE jumps right
into a night club under surveillance by undercover narcotics detectives
James "Sonny" Crockett (Colin Farrell, THE NEW WORLD) and Ricardo
“Rico” Tubbs (Jamie Foxx,
DREAMGIRLS). In the process, an old
informant of the duo calls Crockett about an FBI setup to catch some
drug dealers that’s gone bad. The FBI wants to take down the crooks but
their internal security has been compromised, so they recruit the two
outside detectives Crockett and Tubbs. Acting undercover as drug
transporters the pair infiltrate a large drug organization, Crockett
becoming emotionally involved with the shady Isabella (Gong Li,
MEMOIRS OF A
GEISHA)
and culminating in a big drug deal that puts Tubb’s girlfriend at risk.
Vice does a credible job of dumping the two characters into a
larger crime circle normally outside their beat in Miami. The film first
visually carries the audience along for a ride then drops pieces of
dialogue to fill out the story. Again working with his digital cameras
from previous work Collateral, Mann creates a very dark world
of undercover narcotics investigation that retains focus and style
without sacrificing the image. Farrell and Foxx are well cast and up to
the challenge of portraying the ever-so-serious characters of the
script, each bringing a grounded, realistic performance to match the
nearly documentary style shooting of the film. When the movie works as a
down-and-dirty, in-the-trenches story, it works well. When more
cinematic drama is required, this is where both the shooting style and
the script hits a few speed bumps.
Director Michael Mann’s choppy, on-the-fly editing for Vice is
his method meant to simulate the main character’s undercover life as a
fluid, ever-changing playing field; it’s do or die. Sounds great in
theory, but in practice the film feels very disconnected from one scene
to the next. Miami Vice lacks a coherent flow and during the
lengthy middle scenes of the film the movie just can’t create any subtle
buildup and the actors can’t create any feeling leading to a dramatic
climax. The film does have an explosive finale with all the
you-are-there camera work and visceral energy we’ve come to love from
Mann’s films. Yet without a compelling ride, the payoff feels like too
little, too late.
This new Miami Vice does have style, the characters do their
cool act, and the villains are sufficiently menacing. Problem is, film
audiences have seen style, cool, and menacing many times before nearly
every summer. Vice doesn’t bring anything new that hasn’t been
done in the past, especially by Mann himself. Those expecting anything
as iconic as the clothing in the original 1980’s series will be
disappointed and film fans expecting some drama to hold together the
brief action will miss out as well.
A better than average summer action movie, but a less than average
Michael Mann film
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Image from Miami Vice
DVD cost: $14.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Just before the climactic
shoot-out, "In the Air Tonight" by Nonpoint can be heard. The original
Phil Collins version was featured prominently in the TV series.
Movie Quote: "There
is undercover, and then there is 'which way is up.'"
Other Actors/Actresses
from Miami Vice
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