Miami Vice2006

When perusing what was newly added to streaming, I stumbled across a film I hadn’t even thought of in years: Miami Vice.  Based on the classic 80’s television series Miami Vice (TV), with Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas being replaced by Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, respectively, this film was a big deal before it came out in 2006.   With director Michael Mann (Heat) at the helm and Foxx and Farrell in front of the camera, there’s no way this could miss – could it?

Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx team up for Miami Vice, and both seem to have a weird chip on their shoulders.  They are an unlikely pairing, and neither seems to like each other very much (despite what the film makes them say).  They are one of the worst buddy cop pairings seen in a non-spoof movie, and their active dislike for each other is apparent in every scene.  Despite their ability to act solidly when separated, that contempt really destroys any partnership they are supposed to have on-screen.

The rest of the cast backing them up in Miami Vice is pretty solid though.  Gong Li seems to have a connection with Farrell, while Naomie Harris has one with Foxx, which makes both their roles more interesting.   Ciaran Hinds and Barry Shabaka Henley do the best with the thin script they’ve been given, while Justin Theroux is so under utilized he’s basically just a background character.  Same with Domenick Lombardozzi, who folks may know from Reacher (TV).  As for the rest, well, they aren’t as recognizable, and are basically given nothing to work with at all.

On paper,  Miami Vice seems to make sense. Two cops go undercover, one gets attached, and they do their best to bring down a drug trafficking ring.  Simple enough.  Unfortunately, the script never delves very deeply into any character, relying on the television series to provide the backstory for Farrell’s Crockett and Foxx’s Tubbs.  As for the rest, honestly, calling them cardboard cutouts is too good – it implies they have some sort of depth, even if it’s only a little.  For most of the characters in this film, a cardboard cutout would have worked as a stand=in, and wouldn’t have changed much of anything.  The actors try to do what they can, but with nothing to work with, most viewers may feel sorry that these familiar faces got roped into this.

The action sequences are decent enough, but with most of the action happening at the end of the film, it’s definitely not the action-packed flick viewers were probably expecting.  Instead, most of it is spent trying to fill in the plot enough to make it make sense, and the action only occurs much later.  When it does, it all happens at night, and the camera usually gets blinded by the weird lighting.  It’s probably supposed to be disorienting (as a real gunfight at night would be), and when something important is happening with one of the main characters, they are suddenly spotlighted clearly.  While it makes it seem a bit disjointed, it’s much better than having to squint to take in the action (like in S.W.A.T.).

For fans of the classic television show, this adaptation will feel like a travesty.  While everyone in the cast is decent, Farrell and Foxx share zero even friendly vibes together – a friendship that the whole series relied on heavily.  That lack of camaraderie dooms this movie even before it begins, leaving the audience feeling let down right from the start.  Add the obviously unfinished script and viewers will be hard pressed to not feel sorry for any of the actors who got roped into this mess – including Farrell and Foxx, as their obvious dislike for each other must have made filming Miami Vice incredibly difficult.