Empire's Miami Vice Movie Review

Plot
Detectives Sonny Crockett (Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Foxx) work undercover investigating narcotics-smuggling in Florida. But when Crockett falls for the beautiful wife (Li) of a powerful arms and drugs trafficker, and Tubbs’ loved ones come under threat, their personal and professional lives start to mesh together.

It’s impossible to contemplate a big screen makeover of none-more-’80s cop show Miami Vice without some chortlesome comments about pastel suits, designer stubble, pet alligators and an aversion to socks. It’s similarly hard to quell uneasy thoughts of other cinematic retreads of venerable TV franchises, such as S.W.A.T. (which, lest we forget, also starred Farrell), Starsky & Hutch and The Dukes Of Hazzard. Still, only a fool would expect a filmmaker of Michael Mann’s calibre to deliver a camp, period-piece pastiche of the groundbreaking series that made his name. And if, through the lens of hindsight, the poncey apparel and gel-heavy coiffures of the original appear hilariously dated, it should be remembered that Miami Vice turned ’80s TV on its ear as surely as The Sopranos did a decade later. It was cool, intelligent, viscerally exciting fare. Much the same can be said of the movie.

Characteristically, Mann plunges us into the thick of his world with scant regard for exposition: a dazzling, kaleidoscopic nightclub scene finds undercover detectives Crockett and Tubbs (Farrell and Foxx) embroiled in a sting that has already gone catastrophically wrong. In short order, the tone of the entire movie is established — the clothes, the cars, the allure of Miami’s perfumed underbelly, the ever-present pall of danger and, above all, the minimal, cryogenic interplay between the two leads.

In complete command of his milieu, Mann states emphatically and immediately that this is not a buddy-cop movie. Throughout the entire film, Farrell and Foxx exchange barely a dozen lines. Their relationship is based on the kind of trust that makes words redundant. They don’t date each other’s sisters, they don’t pal around in the bar after work, and they don’t make wisecracks about their partner’s driving. These are stone-cold pros who subvert themselves unconditionally to the job.

In keeping with this, Mann mercilessly declines to conform to convention. As the plot thickens (and thickens and thickens) and Crockett and Tubbs delve deeper into the labyrinth of narcotics trafficking, the anticipated punctuation points of action and violence refuse to materialize. After a flurry of gunplay in the first reel, the machinations of the set-up become maddeningly protracted (the sub-plot with Farrell and Gong Li doesn’t help, either). And although the iconic Ferrari (now black) is present and correct, the obligatory set-piece car chase is conspicuously absent.

When the release does come, of course, it is with chest-caving intensity. Only Mann could make such routine guff as a SWAT-style hostage rescue or a drug deal gone bad look fresh, and if you thought not even he could top the gun battle in Heat, think again. But despite its uncompromising attitude — or perhaps because of it — there is a coldness, a serene aloofness to Mann’s film that keeps the audience at a distance. Because their lives depend on holding their true identities in check, we never get a fix on who Crockett and Tubbs are. One of the key themes of the film is the disorientating effect that deep cover exerts on those who pursue it, but it’s still difficult to identify with characters you can never fully identify.

Miami Vice is a flawed film, recondite and infuriatingly drawn out in places, yet it bears the stamp of authorship. It is Mann’s exercise in restraint, as far from the crass, clichéd male-bonding rituals of Bad Boys as you could imagine. And, naturally, it is never less than breathtaking to look at. No-one captures the intoxicating allure of the urban landscape at night like Michael Mann. Farrell and Foxx might get top billing, but it is the city of Miami, seductive, dangerous and teeming with nocturnal portent, that is the star of this show.

miami vice
oh yes......its that bad. its nothing like the original. a big dissapointment. ... More


Posted by antosh25 at 04:54, 05 December 2011 \| Report This Post



THIS FILM IS A DISCRACE !
I gave this dvd to charity ! ... More


Posted by elimonator at 19:56, 31 May 2010 \| Report This Post




no ! no no no no, it was so bad . ... More


Posted by hollywooodgoldenage at 13:58, 11 April 2009 \| Report This Post




no ! no no no no, it was so bad . ... More


Posted by hollywooodgoldenage at 13:58, 11 April 2009 \| Report This Post



hehe
Anyone noticed that this is a carbon copy of the Miami Vice season one episode Smuggler's Blues?. Oh, and the series' episode is much better done. The meet in Columbia is creepy; the smoke, the lighting, that creepy kid dansing with no music. And Johnson/Thomas does a much better job than Farrel/egomaniac. ... More


Posted by amerelium at 22:25, 25 November 2008 \| Report This Post



Stylish yet very dull in places.
The film is good but the characters are so emotionless that you just can't feel any excitement in the films only action scene which suffers from poor sound effects and ametueur camera work that theres no tension. The film really needed that boat race scene which they deleted in order to make it more enjoyable. ... More


Posted by Ricorodrigeuz at 11:36, 16 April 2008 \| Report This Post



A good TV spin-off
This is a very enjoyable movie from a brilliant director. Farell is superb ... More


Posted by blaud at 13:11, 05 March 2008 \| Report This Post




This is the problem I've always had with Michael Mann's films, I cannot understand what the hell the characters are saying most of the time, and like HEAT if I had kept watching it, I'd have probably been guessing what's happening through out the entire movie. ... More


Posted by dgribble at 13:27, 23 February 2008 \| Report This Post




This is the problem I've always had with Michael Mann's films, I cannot understand what the hell the characters are saying most of the time, and like HEAT if I had kept watching it, I'd have probably been guessing what's happening through out the entire movie. ... More


Posted by dgribble at 13:27, 23 February 2008 \| Report This Post



Not an entertaining way to spend 2 hours
I was genuinely surprised at just how dull i felt this movie was. I cant quite sum it up as i wish to but whereas collateral, heat and others felt paced, tight as a drum and entertaining - this movie never felt like a movie for my tastes. Its instantly forgetable and really dissapointing considering the calibre of those involved. Its as if all the things that made collateral work were absent in this movie. It is packed with style and undeniably well crafted but its sparse, protracted and m... More


Posted by Atomhammer at 00:49, 20 January 2008 \| Report This Post



This is RUBBISH
Yesterday I bought this film for £3 at Tesco, I want my money back. This film is sooo bad i couldn't even sit through to the end. The first hour and a half are just londg drawn-out conversations with people in the drug business with a few sex scenes every now and again for good measure. Empire this does not even come close to 4 stars and is hardly even worthy of 1. ... More


Posted by jonjon2nd at 18:24, 04 January 2008 \| Report This Post



Another stylish thrill from Mann, but it lacks a bit, dialogue requires subtitles.
. ... More


Posted by David G at 23:58, 02 January 2008 \| Report This Post




The sort of moody, atmospheric style-fest that Michael Mann can conjure in his sleep, the lead pair of Foxx and Farrell look every bit the cool A-list partnership, both exhibiting some seriously good acting in between the ruthless bouts of razor-sharp dialogue and intense, breathless action. A final gun battle for instance rekindles the sort of heightened, brutal realism so wonderfully executed in Heat. What a shame then that Miami Vice is undone by some chronicly impenetrable sound engineeri... More


Posted by Eomer_King at 16:32, 19 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Miami Vice (2006)
Started to watch this and couldnt understand a word being said. So started again with the subtitles on which greatly improved the experience and actually turned out to be a good film. Subtitles is the answer. ... More


Posted by shool at 11:47, 03 September 2007 \| Report This Post



Oh please....
Don't even bother watching this load of old tosh. Stylish ? Superior entertainment ? Where on earth does Empire find these reviewers !? Poor style as it was so deliberate (style for the sake of it), terribly filmed action sequences (the shoot out, I couldnt even see what the hell was going on), poor sound, poor script and the acting could have been performed better by 2 planks of wood. Need I say anymore. Michael Mann is better than this. ... More


Posted by moonlightallan at 03:55, 19 August 2007 \| Report This Post




This could of and should have been a masterpiece and yet fails in the unlickliest of manners. With Michael Mann at the helm this should of been kick-ass but dosn't live up to it's full potential. The story's confusing, what characters doing what and where are they. It leaves you feeling unwelcomed as if they didn't want you to watch it. Jamie Fox should of been more invovled, but there's not enough of him. Collin Farrel does an iffy jiffi job and always get the women. The action didn't sizzl... More


Posted by Big Alex at 11:30, 06 August 2007 \| Report This Post



AWFULL!!
How the hell has Empire seen fit to give this 4 stars??? Terrible/non existent plot, can't even make out what the hell they're saying as the sounds either v.poor or the slang used no-one outside Miami can understand! What a load of old tosh. ... More


Posted by rougier at 11:45, 30 July 2007 \| Report This Post



yawn
The only reason this gets 2 stars is for style. Everything else is bland. Probably the most boring film I've ever seen. ... More


Posted by jhill25 at 12:36, 28 July 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Miami Vice
Watched this last night for the 1st time since seeing it last summer in the theatre. The 1st time I saw it I pretty much thought that, ok, while not reaching the high's of Heat or Collateral, it was still a good movie. Mann, along with Ridley Scott and Fincher, for me, always make really good looking films. But last night, having revisited, it I have to say it's better the second time round imo. Interestingly I watched it with the subtitles on because the 1st time I found the scenes b... More

Posted by Peter Dragon at 10:17, 04 June 2007 \| Report This Post



Divisive
Miami vice is a daring film in that it disregards convention by making the characters quiet and avoiding the obligations in typical fare like this. It avoids the common car chase and exposition. I admire it for its daring experimentation but as Empire said, it is a flawed film and no flawed film deserves four stars. The film comes close to being dull, but the film looks sublime. The main problem with the film is how it fails to make the characters relatable making the viewer more then a little ... More


Posted by Ace Rothstein at 18:02, 25 May 2007 \| Report This Post



Divisive
Miami vice is a daring film in that it disregards convention by making the characters quiet and avoiding the obligations in typical fare like this. It avoids the common car chase and exposition. I admire it for its daring experimentation but as Empire said, it is a flawed film and no flawed film deserves four stars. The film comes close to being dull, but the film looks sublime. The main problem with the film is how it fails to make the characters relatable making the viewer more then a little ... More


Posted by Ace Rothstein at 18:02, 25 May 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Micheal is the Mann
sorry I've been so long in getting back to this topic. When I said the movie was horrible I should probably have listed my reasons: 1. Sound-I found it difficult to make out anything Farrell was saying. He spoke in a low whisperd voice the entire way through to mask his thick Irish accent. I had the surround sound up near enough to full volume and struggled to hear him. The same goes for Li Gong, the asian actress. Very difficult to understand. 2. Pace-I thought the movie was very s... More

Posted by Enda at 19:02, 13 May 2007 \| Report This Post



Micheal is the Mann
watched Maimi Vice on DVD and it was ACE! all the critic's of this movie need there eye's tested,cause it was'nt the movie i was watching.It was well paced with the usual MANN trade marks throughout,and Farrel and Fox where excellent,and the final gunfight was very close to HEAT,but just not as nerve shearding ... More


Posted by davieboy at 17:11, 13 May 2007 \| Report This Post




I just think Mann was misjudged in disregarding the TV series that made him famous. By naming the characters Crockett and Tubbs, it was immediately going to bring negative comparisons to a TV series which a lot of people enjoyed then and still do. I have a sneaking suspicion that Mann was already going to make a film about undercover cops when someone in Hollywood said that by calling it Miami Vice it would have a guaranteed box-office return and studios would queue up ... More


Posted by davieboy at 17:09, 13 May 2007 \| Report This Post



what the hell is wrong with you all
This is a great movie great directoin by Mann ( no suprises there) good acting and a brilliant plot. This movie is not your usaul cop-thriller this movie is more to show the pressure of deep undercover and the balance of staying on the right side. the action was great and so was the rest of the movie ( abit disapointed about the extras) ... More


Posted by davieboy at 17:07, 13 May 2007 \| Report This Post



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Miami ViceCrockett and Tubbs are back, with not a shred of irony in sight

Miami Vice
Crockett and Tubbs are back, with not a shred of irony in sight