Miami Vice (Unrated Director's Edition) [Blu-ray]
Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell go deep undercover in the explosive, action-packed Miami Vice Unrated Director's Edition! When detectives Ricardo Tubbs (Foxx) and Sonny Crockett (Farrell) are asked to investigate the brutal murders of two federal agents, they find themselves pulled into the lethal world of drug traffickers. From the acclaimed director of Heat and Collateral comes an exclusive motion picture experience you won't want to miss!
Bearing absolutely no resemblance to the 1980s TV series that helped to propel Michael Mann into big-time filmmaking, Miami Vice is the kind of serious, and seriously stylish, crime drama that Mann does better than anyone else. As written by Mann himself, this undercover sting thriller doesn't reach the peak intensity of Mann's 1995 classic Heat, and it lacks the tight, nail-biting suspense of Collateral, but that doesn't mean it doesn't occasionally pack a wallop. As Miami detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs (respectively), Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx don't have to do much but mumble their plot-thickening dialogue and look ultra-cool in the casual cop attire, and their partnership is rather lifeless on screen (perhaps owing to the fact that this was a troubled production, with an actual shooting that occurred during filming, and Foxx's refusal to risk his life on dangerous locations in South America). But once Mann shifts into high gear with a plot to foil a powerful drug kingpin (Luis Tosar) and his ruthless middle-man (John Ortiz), Vice pays off with the kind of smart, realistic action that Mann's fans have come to expect. With Chinese superstar Gong Li as Crockett's love interest on the wrong side of the law, Miami Vice covers territory that's a little too familiar, and one suspects Mann's screenplay might've been punched up with a polish or two. Still, this is an above-average crime thriller that demands and rewards close attention, with a climactic shoot-out that's pure Mann, worthy of the brooding drama that precedes it. --Jeff Shannon
Miami Vice (Unrated Director's Edition) [Blu-ray] Accessories
Batman Begins [Blu-ray]
The Departed [Blu-ray]
American Gangster [Blu-ray]
Blood Diamond [Blu-ray]
Shooter [Blu-ray]
The Kingdom [Blu-ray]
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
I Am Legend [Blu-ray]
Top Gun [Blu-ray]
Mission Impossible III [Blu-ray]
Miami Vice (Unrated Director's Edition) [Blu-ray] Reviews
In the classic John Candy/Steve Martin flick "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", John Candy's character says "Love isn't a big enough word" to describe how he feels about his late wife. Well "SUCK" ain't a big enough word to describe this gawdawful bomb from hell.
Though HEAT nor COLLATERAL didn't have this either. No flashy fashion, nice cars, but it is Miami. Not the best movie, but much better than i remember of it. After the movie, I was very disappointed, I felt like i just sat through a two plus hour television show.
We were both surprised. I was pumped up to see in. and at the end of the day, they still standing by each others side, regardless of what happens. Expecting to see shoo-outs like HEAT, i was let down.
Now 2 years later, I just finished watching it with family members who never seen it, and were expecting Don Johnson in pastels. From the beginning, Sonny and Ricardo know who they are, who their partnera are. I think what i realised the second viewing, is that this it true gritty detective work. No happy ending, no hero saves the day feeling.
Importantly, there is no Heroes Journey, no real character arc. I originally saw this in the theatre, after seeing Collateral and being told how this was similar to HEAT. It was much better than I remembered and much better than they were expecting. They are still partners friends, family that rely on each other.
The movie was too long, filled with wooden acting and a very predictable plot. As for the movie, I adore Gong Li, and I wanted so much to like this movie, but it was terrible. Boring. Movie was very grainy and quite frankly I saw no improvement over the DVD version. I was extremely disappointed in this Blu-Ray disk.
The problems start when Rico, played by Colin Farrell, allows his false identity to compromise the mission. On the outside, the movie is about a team of undercover detectives trying to bring down one of the largest drug cartels in the world. And while the characters come off screen, the master cinematography brings the audience on screen. I really wouldn't want to give away any more of the story than that but believe me, there's an all-star cast of actors in this movie, they may not all be actors that you're familiar with but they're better than a lot of the ones you are.
There aren't too many directors who can orchestrate a crime thriller with such poetic justice. Its rare that a film compliments audiences with such in your face thought provoking subject matter. Well Done. Every character has a dimension that comes off screen. He's not a director who just gives you empty good guys and bad guys and likes to blow stuff up.
Forget the campy 80's crap you might have watched in that worst decade ever. No one makes a movie like Michael Mann.
Must buy. I thought that Michael Mann updated his classic show just right in this movie and the Blu ray quality is EXCELLENT for PQ & SQ.
|