Miami Vice

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated this, but it's been a hectic summer. Now that things are leaning toward the fall side of summer it's time to get back and hack away at the keyboard a little more often. First off I am in LA again and am looking forward to spending much of the fall here catching the occaisional film in the best theaters in the nation at 'The Bridge : Cinema de lux." It's within walking distance of my hotel so I have absolutely no excuse not to catch a film or two each trip out here. The rest of the time I tend to work late anyway.

Tonight in an effort to celebrate the capture of Jon Benet Ramseys alledged killer in Thailand I thought I would try to see "Little Miss Sunshine" a little film that got some great publicity at Sundance this past January. Unfortunately the addage that everything in LA is 45 minutes away bit me yet again as I had to only go about 3 miles or so to another Southern California culinary institution, Tico's Tacos. Now I'm a bit weird about my tacos, I know where the best in this country are and I'm not telling, but this place easily comes in number two on my list. Homemade, cheap, and tasty real meat and refried beans. Real lettuce and real cheese to boot. Add a tasty hot sauce that isn't too hot and you've got a winner. I heard about this place from my eye doctor's technician, and though the lines were long to get the food, they moved quickly. Unfortunately though, it put me late at The Bridge so I couldn't see Sunshine.

What I did decide to see though was "Miami Vice". Now when the TV show came out in the 80's it was a trend setter and being a part of that era, the thought of going back to the stylish fun of Miami held great promise. Add to that the director of the TV series was the director of the film and I thought this would be a fun evening. Unfortunately, someone is apparently masquerading as Michael Mann, the director, because this movie didn't have an ounce of the atmosphere that the TV series carried. For that matter the music supervisor must have come from a 3rd world country because even the music that was so much a part of the TV series was just a bust in the film. That's a shame because I know Jan Hammer still is around, and I know that the budget for the film was sufficient given the exotic locales. And the casting.....I just don't get Colin Farrell, it was if he was mumbling through his lines again in The New World. The original Sonny Crockett made me want to grow a day old beard and buy pastel t-shirts to wear under white sport coats. This Sonny Crockett made me want to buy some new blades for my razor. It was so bad I swear that Gong Li and Colin Farrells speach coaches switched places. And what about the story? Well nothing original there, bad guys, guns, a dope deal gone bad, the good guys sleeping with the bad girls, and revenge on everyones mind. You've seen it before and you've seen it executed better. Even the dancing sequences were poor, see the second Thomas Crown Affair for good dancing, Li and Farrell would be the first ones gone on a reality TV show. The worst thing about the film though, is that it didn't even make the exotic locations look like places I would want to visit. In the TV series, Miami comes across beautifully, with it's neon, and pastels and the turqoise waters. In this film version, for long stretches you could have set this in the 9th Ward of New Orleans and not known the difference. Miami comes across looking depressed and just one trailer park away from your hometown. And as much as I love home, I just don't want to be reminded that I need to take out the trash when I'm there. Leave this film down on your Netflix Queue.

SAP Scores
Story: 3
Acting:3
Production:4
Enjoyment Factor: - (minus)
Overall: 1 1/2 Stars