Two undercover Miami cops get pulled into an undercover operation that maybe over their heads.
A “re-imaging” of the classic, and some might say, kitschy 80s TV show that was almost as much about pastel coloured clothes and fast cars as it was about crime. That statement does do the TV show a dis-service as the show was great in its time, its just that now it looks very 80s, and that isn’t a good look.
Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx star as Crockett and Tubbs, undercover cops battling drug smugglers. Michael Mann, who produced the original series, as well as such great movies like Heat and Collateral directs Miami Vice. Straight from the first scenes, it is obvious that this is nothing like the TV show. Camera angles take in as much of the actors as the background. Long panning shots set the scene and with some of the filming taking place during hurricane season, some of the sky shots are truly spectacular.
The movie is a lot darker as well, both visually and content wise. Looking similar to Manns previous output of Collateral, most of the action takes place at night, often in the seedier side of Miami. Gone are the glamorous shots of Miami Beach, taking its place are the docks, a dirty, worn down area.
One of the things that made the original show such a hit was the music. Jan Hammer created a music score that helped each episode, and yes, while the music is heavy on the synths and so 80s, it did work. The soundtrack is by John Murphy and to my ears anyway, seemed to sound very similar to a lot of Hammers work. Yes it was updated with more natural instruments but it still worked the same way, and worked very well.
If there is one thing that Michael Mann does well, its action and gun fights and Miami Vice will not taint his reputation one bit. I have never heard a more realistic gun fight and man was it loud.
Its a long movie, well over two hours, but I didn’t once get bored or wonder when something was going to happen. I can’t wait to see the extended version on the DVD. I loved this movie, much as I loved the original series, but this movie will stand up the test of time a lot better than the show.
