Miami Vice

Michael Mann is back and he's resurrected one of his early creations Miami Vice. Being a real fan of the 80's TV series I was really looking forward to this film and I wasn't to be disappointed. We weren't to be taken back to the 80's as the new film is set in the present and unlike its TV origins there is no underline comedy. None the less Crockett and Tubbs are back.

No Don Johnson or Philip Michael Thomas this time, we now have Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx bringing the two vice cops back to life. So with Miami being one of the major entry points of drug and arms trafficking into the US there is plenty of work for our crime fighting duo to be getting on with. There is no messing around with this film as Michael Mann takes us straight into the story with no character build up; you'll get to know them as the story unfolds. The two undercover vice cops are quickly recruited by the FBI to help bring down a large Columbian arms and drug trafficking cartel. It’s not long before Sonny and Ricardo are in the thick of things and managing to get their personal lives mixed up into the action too.

Michael Mann's middle name should be "STYLE" with a capital S. From the opening shot every frame is perfectly composed. With its beautiful photography and matching soundtrack it is easy to feel this movie. For just over two hours I wasn't sat in my local cinema in Cardiff, I was taken to Miami, South America then back to Miami. This film is definitely one for the boys! Fast cars, speed boats, big guns and beautiful women (shooting big guns). Farrell and Foxx's performances along with their co-stars are adequate, however none are Oscar winning. Then again it's not an Oscar winning film with exception maybe of cinematography.

With Heat being one of my favourite films I wondered if Mr. Mann would give us some gunplay to rival the bank robbery shootout in Heat, and he sure did! The films final gunfight with the use of "hand held close up photography" puts you right in the middle of the good guys and bad guys.

You may have got the impression I enjoyed this film and you'd be right!! It's not Mann's best work but fits well into his portfolio. Fans of Michael Mann are going to like it, and if you are not familiar with his work then Miami Vice is a great film to cut your teeth with. Fans of the TV series should be pleased with the present day revamp. There are two things missing from the film that the original series had, firstly no underline comedy which I mentioned earlier. This I feel wouldn't have worked in this movie. Which then leads us to the second element that is missing....?

 …….No pet alligator called "Elvis".

by Jay