Writer-director Michael Mann's work has always been marked more by style than substance, but in this splashy big-screen version of the 1984-89 television series that first won him widespread public attention, even the style eludes him. The small-screen Miami Vice was nothing more than a standard-issue cop drama, but it was distinguished by an MTV-inspired look, reflected in the stars' natty pastel wardrobe, the flashily neon color schemes (in which luminous blues and pinks dominated), lustrous camera work, and ostentatious editing. Story-wise, Mann's lavish two-hour-plus revisiting of the show strictly follows the TV formula, with Detectives Crockett and Tubbs (Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx) going undercover to bust an international drug-trafficking ring. Unfortunately, while the straight approach is certainly preferable to Hollywood's recent tendency to opt for the camp route when bringing old TV series' to the big-screen, the plot here isn't much different from countless other contemporary big-budget cops-and-crooks action flicks. Add to that the absence of vibrant color (the film is mostly metallic blacks, grays, dark blues, and greens), and Miami Vice ends up being nowhere near as stylish as the original, but just as vacuous in the narrative department. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either R-rated or unrated versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by writer-director Michael Mann, a “Miami Vice Undercover” featurette on real-life undercover agents (13 min.), “Visualizing Miami Vice” (13 min.), a “Miami and Beyond” location featurette (10 min.), three behind-the-scenes featurettes—“Gun Training,” “Haitian Hotel Camera Blocking,” and “Mojo Race” (10 min. total)—and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing big screen adaptation.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 2, 2008—Universal, 140 min., not rated, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2006's Miami Vice (Unrated Director's Edition) features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. The extras on the disc are almost identical to the previous DVD release, including audio commentary by writer-director Michael Mann, a “Miami Vice Undercover” featurette on real-life undercover agents (13 min.), “Visualizing Miami Vice” (13 min.), a “Miami and Beyond” location featurette (10 min.), three behind-the-scenes featurettes—”Gun Training,” “Haitian Hotel Camera Blocking,” and “Mojo Race” (10 min. total)—and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “U-Control” interactive feature with bonus cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage presented in a picture-in-picture track, a “Tech Specs” feature that allows viewers to check out the specs on cars and boats used in the film, a “GPS” tracker that lets viewers track the action onscreen through Google Maps, and “Cast Bios” and “Production Photographs” details viewable during the film. Bottom line: some cool Blu-ray features don't make this a better film.]
Miami Vice
Universal, 133 min., R, DVD: $29.99, Dec. 5 Volume 21, Issue 6
Miami Vice
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