Review of Miami Vice (2006) by Harry W — 13 Nov 2013

Miami Vice feels like it started midway three quarters into an episode of the original tv series because it jumps into the undercover work and the characters' realisation of something. It feels like a sh*tload of important storytelling has been ignored. The plot is consistently some of the most basic and cliche writing in movie history, because it's the most routine crime drama I've seen in a long time. Only the problem is that this bears the name Miami Vice but is bereft of an atmosphere that reflects the groovy tone of the original tv series of a story which is any more original. So many things stand in the way of Miami Vice being labeled anything more than the most uncreative and unoriginal crime drama which is nothing more than overly simple in plotting and underdeveloped in bringing back the spirit that made the original TV series the hit it was.

For Michael Mann, the insightful creator of such films as Ali and Public Enemies to helm such a routine and dull film is beyond me.

The characters are also weak, because there is no real chemistry or connection between James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs and they both seem just like two standalone figures who lack a sufficient reason why they would be paired up for the the police force or for a film. Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell fail to ignite any kind of chemistry, and they're left as poor remnants of the characters that Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson were in the original tv series.

Despite some good cinematography and decent action, Miami Vice is just boring. There is too much talking and too little entertainment, nothing really interesting is happening in lieu of the same basic. Even the soundtrack only makes use of altered versions of original songs, which includes a horrendous cover of Phil Collins' classic In The Air Tonight.

Really, there doesn't feel like there is any characters whatsoever in Miami Vice, and although Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell do a decent job standing alone, it's just an inferior effort to what once was.

Frankly, Miami Vice was terrible. It was routine, predictable, dull and poorly lit, and yet it used the name of a breakthrough TV series from the 80's to sell off its $125 million budget.