Glad you liked it. At least some people saw what I did in it.

I don't get why WOM has been so poor. I didn't really see anything wrong with it.

:lol: Oh please. Mann turned Miami Vice into an art house film, obviously wom wasnt gonna be any good.

It was far more exciting then Scarface, Goodfellas, Collateral, or Heat.

It was far more exciting then Scarface, Goodfellas, Collateral, or Heat.

I would recommend everyone to go to the bathroom before the trailer park scene.

If you miss anything from that scene on... then you have missed something fantastic.

Saw it again tonight (gotta love all day matinee). I was a bit worried it wouldn't hold up as well on a second viewing, because the feeling of a sudden explosion at anytime would be largely gone.

Well, that feeling was gone, but I must say... I enjoyed it just as much tonight as I did the first time I saw it. I was able to catch certain things I missed the first time in the labyrinth plot, and the film flew by even quicker this time around. I don't know how Mann managed to make a nearly two and a half hour long epic feel like thirty minutes, but he did here. Incredible stuff.

Wow, I loved it. It wasn't shoot outs every five minutes, but this isn't Bad Boys II here, it's a crime drama. It was far, far more thrilling then say Scarface or many other films like it. It's an absolutely beautiful film to look at, with hypnotic cinematography and editing that engages like few movies can. A-

I find Gong Li's Spanish here strangely appealing... brilliant work from her.

I really, really liked this film.

I love Mann, but it took me almost three weeks to actually see this and by today my expectations had dropped to pretty much nothing. My mistake. This was great, intoxicating stuff.

When it was first announced that the popular 1980's television series "Miami Vice" was going to be adapted into a major motion picture, many were filled with skepticism. It had been over fifteen years since the series aired its final episode and since then the world had become a very different place. Some wondered how the storylines and characters that were present would be translated to modern times. Thankfully, many breathed a sigh of relief when Michael Mann, the show's executive producer, signed on to direct the project. Mann had just had the biggest hit of his career in 2004's Collateral, a thrilling and exciting action film that won over critics and audiences everywhere. He enlisted a talented ensemble for the film including Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx and sex symbol Colin Farrell. It seemed as if he had another smash on his hands. Unfortunately, the film no longer seems poised to set the box office on fire. Despite a talented cast and crew, Miami Vice is one of the most uninteresting and utterly mediocre summer offerings on display this season.

The incredibly confusing plotline involves two detectives, Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) who work along the drug infested streets of Miami. After a tragic occurance resulting in the death of an informant (John Hawkes) and his family, the FBI enlists their help and asks them to go undercover - in an attempt to expose a vicious and intelligent arms and drug trafficker named Arcangel de Jesus Montoya (Luis Tosar). The pair soon find themselves under his good graces, and Crockett begins to feel a strong attraction towards Montoya's beautiful banker and assistant Isabella (Gong Li). But soon the two find themselves in too deep, and after a shocking incident sends Tubbs' girlfriend (Naomie Harris) to the hospital - they must band together to bring down Montoya and everything he stands for.

Despite being released in the midst of many summer blockbusters, do not go in to Miami Vice expecting a film that in any way resembles the original television show. The names are the same, as well as the general concept. But other than that this is a largely bleak affair, with the sense of fun and excitement noticeably absent. Despite claims that the movie is an action-adventure film, the action sequences are few and far between. Instead, the film drags on with meandering and confusing dialogue sure to alienate the viewer - and a plot that is filled with predictable cop movie cliches. None of the characters are given any sort of back story, which serves as a good explanation for why they are not charismatic in the slightest. Everyone here is sad and dejected, with the same look present on their face throughout the entire duration. Because of all this, the film seems as if it will never end, and by the time it does you will likely be running out of the theater.

Michael Mann, after doing such brilliant work on Collateral, really should have known better. I expected more from him with this project, especially since the show was one that he helped get started. He understood what made that series work and it seems as if he has completely disregarded it here. The show thrived off interesting characters and the tone switching appropriately from light to dark - leaving the audience with a satisfying and entertaining experience. There was also humor on display to brighten up the mood at times. It seems odd that he would throw that all away for this slow and incredibly boring screenplay. However, proof that he is still a solid director is still present here. He has a unique visual style that feels realistic but is also a feast for the eyes. The color schemes present here are excellent, and Mann uses all of his locations to perfection. While it isn't his best work, he still manages to show how much talent he really has.

The cast is one of the most disappointing aspects of the film, especially considering how talented each and every actor is. Jamie Foxx, who gained a bad reputation on this project for being notoriously hard to work with, is bland here and seems very bored with the character that he is playing. Colin Farrell, who is given much more screentime, is better - attempting to give the role some emotion and character. But for the most part both of the portrayls are very unenergetic and lazy, hardly allowing the viewer to become captivated by their characters. The actors also suffer from sharing next to no chemistry, playing "buddies" who never really seem to show any sign of actually liking each other. Naomie Harris, who delivered a scene-stealing performance in this summer's blockbuster Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, lightens up the atmosphere for a brief while and manages to charm the audience - despite the fact that she barely appears onscreen and is soon put into a coma in order to increase dramatic tension that is never present in the first place. The best of the cast is Gong Li who serves as the most interesting character of the entire piece. She gives exactly what is required of her - and makes the role her own by adding sass and a sense of mystery as well.

This could have been such a great film. Mann is an excellent director and the cast is full of talented thespians. Unfortunately, Miami Vice is a mess - and a boring one at that. These characters are certainly not ones that will stay with you and the bland performances pretty much ensure this fact. The screenplay attempts to create tension that never materializes, and action sequences are few and far between. This overlong and talky film is not only one of the year's biggest disappointments, but also one of the worst films of this summer season. Crockett and Tubbs, may you rest in peace. Your franchise is officially dead on arrival.

4/10 (D+)

The cinematography here DEMANDS a big screen viewing. Seeing it for the first time on DVD is the equivalent of not really seeing it at all. Some of the aerial shots are among the most spectacular images I've seen onscreen, like, ever.

Also, I didn't realize until the end of the movie that the boat chase had been cut out. I'm hardly an action movie junkie, but good lord, the things I would have done to keep it in the movie somewhere...

Completely in agreement. I was blown away. Miami felt like Miami. The city sparkled. Everything was so wonderfully shot... by far the best cinematography of the year. Perhaps my favorite shot was this random aerial over a massive waterfall that the drug lord (can't recall his name) lived near. It was... wonderful.