I'm reading all the bad comments here and I cannot believe these are about the same movie I watched yesterday. The only reason I see is that the majority of those are from mindless action-deprived teenagers who expected a video-game like run-and-gun action movie like MI2 or something. There's so many of those "too much talking", "dull and boring" and similar complaints. What's even more perplexing is that teenagers shouldn't be this movie's first choice of target audience - hey, it's "Miami Vice", people who enjoyed this TV show are now late 20's, early 30's, and they should enjoy a more down-to-earth approach.
That said, I must say I really enjoyed Miami Vice. Sure it has almost othing to do with the series, but as respectful as I am of the TV show, it was such an iconic 80's thing you really couldn't recreate it truthfully any more. Pastel suits, 5-minute synth-music interludes... it just wouldn't work.
So Mann did the best thing he could. He stripped "Vice" to the basics - two vice detectives trying to bust a drug-smuggling operation, some flashy cars and speedboats, good soundtrack. This is where all similarities stop. The rest is a gritty, down-to-earth movie with more talk then action. I find this a good thing. I don't need my main character jumping from two trains, five helicopters and a few buildings in the space of 15 minutes, then dusting off and saying a witty remark. I like movies that at least try to be realistic.
I can see the movie is not for everyone. Not enough action. Dangling sub-plots. Talk, talk, talk. Characterization. Confusing and hectic shoot-out scenes. No snapping remarks. No comic reliefs. Explosions and bullets actually kill people. Boy, you can find so much wrong with this movie.
Anyway, I enjoyed it. It was a nice break from the usual Hollywood crap-o-rama, it hit my nostalgic note a bit and it kept my attention with an actual plot, not a string of action-scenes tied together with flimsy story-line. My recommendations.
8/10
That said, I must say I really enjoyed Miami Vice. Sure it has almost othing to do with the series, but as respectful as I am of the TV show, it was such an iconic 80's thing you really couldn't recreate it truthfully any more. Pastel suits, 5-minute synth-music interludes... it just wouldn't work.
So Mann did the best thing he could. He stripped "Vice" to the basics - two vice detectives trying to bust a drug-smuggling operation, some flashy cars and speedboats, good soundtrack. This is where all similarities stop. The rest is a gritty, down-to-earth movie with more talk then action. I find this a good thing. I don't need my main character jumping from two trains, five helicopters and a few buildings in the space of 15 minutes, then dusting off and saying a witty remark. I like movies that at least try to be realistic.
I can see the movie is not for everyone. Not enough action. Dangling sub-plots. Talk, talk, talk. Characterization. Confusing and hectic shoot-out scenes. No snapping remarks. No comic reliefs. Explosions and bullets actually kill people. Boy, you can find so much wrong with this movie.
Anyway, I enjoyed it. It was a nice break from the usual Hollywood crap-o-rama, it hit my nostalgic note a bit and it kept my attention with an actual plot, not a string of action-scenes tied together with flimsy story-line. My recommendations.
8/10