Miami Vice (DVD, 2006, Anamorphic Widescreen)

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 !!!!

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.

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Posted by CK-Auctions

This movie is not bad. I would not have called it Miami Vice as it had little to do with the TV show it was named after. I think if anyone knows the TV show and and the game Vice City this should have ben called Vice City. I am a big Miami Vice fan I also like J.Fox but not C.Farell although I think they did a great job in the movie. The plot was good and the back ground was great (Not for Miami Vice was to dark.)But I was looking for more of the TV show back ground Bright and flashy. I would have liked to see the same interaction with other characters. Missing were Lary Z., Stan S., LT. Castillo, Jena C., Nuggie and Izzy . It just wasn't what a vice fan want's to see there beloved show to turn out like and is why others will give it bad marks. If you look at it as just another movie it is good but again not Mimi Vice. Worth seeing but buying is up to you I would rent first and then buy if you like it.

The Good:
-Storyline kept me interested the whole time
-Action was good. Violence was done pretty well and was fairly intense without being disturbing.
-Two lead actors did a great job of portraying characters who you wanted to know more about. Supporting actors/actresses did well.

The Bad:
-That shaking camera stuff in one of the action sequences. If I wanted to feel like I was in the middle of a fight, I'd go get in one. Movies are a perfect opportunity to create great shots of action that you'd never experience in real life (though it could be argued most people will never be in a gun fight... alas). Still, this movie didn't overdo it.

Not much bad to say. If you like a good spy or cop story then this should be a good one to watch a time or two.

Not a bad movie but so unlike the original... and Collin Farrell? BLAH. Miami Vice(THE TV show) opened with exciting and well-chosen music...several scenes of Miami in full style...Females skate blading around the beach and locals at their wirdest. This movie is not only a toned down version of the TV series, it actually comes off as a lame copy. The excitement is gone