DotTheEyes
Movie Fan
TRAILER: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/miamivice/
If you don't know director Michael Mann's name, chances are you've seen at least one of his acclaimed films: Collateral, Heat, The Insider, or The Last Of The Mohicans, to name but a few. With Miami Vice, Mann returns to his roots, directing a modern cinematic version of the hit television show he executive produced in the '80s.
Don't expect the film to be a big-budget, two-hours-long episode of the show, however, or you'll be disappointed. There are few similarities. Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson are replaced by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell and the pastel color scheme is M.I.A. In fact, if it weren't for the protagonists' names, the setting, and a cover of Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" by Nonpoint, I might've wondered why this action-thriller, one of the grittiest and most intense of the year, is called Miami Vice at all!
Michael Mann is one of the most talented directors of his generation and he proves it yet again here. His innovative use of digital cinematography gives the film an intimate, raw feel, especially during the action sequences, and the effect is superb. Though the graceful, special effects-filled action sequences of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Superman Returns, and X-Men: The Last Stand were all impressive, Mann's Miami Vice proves old-fashioned shootouts, car chases, and boat races still have a high-ocatane, pulse-pounding kick when done right. He also pens the screenplay, which will surprise many moviegoers by being a summer movie with, GASP!, character development and a plot. In addition to wowing you with it's fast, furious action, Mann's film intrigues you with it's twisty plot and has you caring about the characters and their fates.
Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell far surpass what Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson did with the roles of hard-edged police officers Ricardo and Sonny. Not too long ago, Foxx was known mainly as a second-string comedian. His performances in Collateral (also directed by Mann), Jarhead, and especially Ray changed this perception and he furthers cements his star power and talent with an intense performance here. Even better is Colin Farrell, an Irish actor who, yet again, adopts a perfect American accent. He's appropriately downcast and edgy as Sonny as he continues to recover from a devastating debacle, Oliver Stone's reviled Alexander. Stealing the show, however, is not Foxx or Farrell, but instead Gong Li. A well-known and respected actress in China, she's most known among American audiences for her villianous turn in last year's Memoirs Of A Geisha. Here, she delivers an engrossing and seductive supporting performance.
Overall, Miami Vice is one of the year's best films (thus far). If you want an intelligent, sharp action-thriller with both a brain and adrenaline-pumping action, this is the perfect moviegoing choice. Recommended.
If you don't know director Michael Mann's name, chances are you've seen at least one of his acclaimed films: Collateral, Heat, The Insider, or The Last Of The Mohicans, to name but a few. With Miami Vice, Mann returns to his roots, directing a modern cinematic version of the hit television show he executive produced in the '80s.
Don't expect the film to be a big-budget, two-hours-long episode of the show, however, or you'll be disappointed. There are few similarities. Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson are replaced by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell and the pastel color scheme is M.I.A. In fact, if it weren't for the protagonists' names, the setting, and a cover of Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" by Nonpoint, I might've wondered why this action-thriller, one of the grittiest and most intense of the year, is called Miami Vice at all!
Michael Mann is one of the most talented directors of his generation and he proves it yet again here. His innovative use of digital cinematography gives the film an intimate, raw feel, especially during the action sequences, and the effect is superb. Though the graceful, special effects-filled action sequences of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Superman Returns, and X-Men: The Last Stand were all impressive, Mann's Miami Vice proves old-fashioned shootouts, car chases, and boat races still have a high-ocatane, pulse-pounding kick when done right. He also pens the screenplay, which will surprise many moviegoers by being a summer movie with, GASP!, character development and a plot. In addition to wowing you with it's fast, furious action, Mann's film intrigues you with it's twisty plot and has you caring about the characters and their fates.
Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell far surpass what Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson did with the roles of hard-edged police officers Ricardo and Sonny. Not too long ago, Foxx was known mainly as a second-string comedian. His performances in Collateral (also directed by Mann), Jarhead, and especially Ray changed this perception and he furthers cements his star power and talent with an intense performance here. Even better is Colin Farrell, an Irish actor who, yet again, adopts a perfect American accent. He's appropriately downcast and edgy as Sonny as he continues to recover from a devastating debacle, Oliver Stone's reviled Alexander. Stealing the show, however, is not Foxx or Farrell, but instead Gong Li. A well-known and respected actress in China, she's most known among American audiences for her villianous turn in last year's Memoirs Of A Geisha. Here, she delivers an engrossing and seductive supporting performance.
Overall, Miami Vice is one of the year's best films (thus far). If you want an intelligent, sharp action-thriller with both a brain and adrenaline-pumping action, this is the perfect moviegoing choice. Recommended.
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