Just caught a pre-screening of Miami Vice, and thought I’d share a few quick thoughts without giving too much away. For fans of the show, it’s not the show, which can be good or bad depending on your point of view. For me, it was a very well executed extension of the show’s premise, I’ll leave it at that. For us gun enthusiasts, Michael Mann once again will impress viewers with his weapon choices, and more importantly their implementation. I’m sure pros will confirm or deny, but this looks to be another very very accurate movie from a tactical/shooting standpoint. There is lots of shotgun action too, in addition to the "standard" carbine/SBR stuff. As for the choice of actors, again, Mann seems to be very deliberate, and Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx both do a very good job, with Foxx getting the not for intensity, he’s downright scary in some scenes. I won’t give away the plot or anything, but all in all this is a SOLID action movie that I think lives up to the spirit of the ground breaking show. The movie seems to be much darker and more intense. Go see it.
Miami Vice
- Thread starter Rob1035
- Start date
- Status
Finch
Member
I've been sick lately and have been thinking about calling in sick when I remembered this movie is coming out tommorow. Michael Mann is one of my favorite directors (C'mon -- HEAT) and I have been looking forward to this movie for a while. Yup, calling in sick...
I agree with Rob's assessment. For those curious like I was, personal weapons for the main characters included a SIG for Tubbs and a 3" 1911 for Crocket. Really this is beside the point though. The movie is extremely well-made, and the characters much better cast than I'd originally guessed.
The cinematography takes Mann's technique of experimenting with traditional cameras and digital steadicams (ala Collateral) to a whole new level. It's a great action movie, a great gun movie, and an intense drama. I'm a latecoming fan to the old series, and this wasn't an extended episode of the show. IMO, the characters, story, and filmmaking were exceptionally better. Mann's decision to make a movie that takes place primarily at night makes for some sweeping nocturnal views of the locales used in shooting. Naturally, the gun handling/shooting is on par with what all of us would expect from a Mann piece. What I was most impressed with, however, was the focus and devolepment of the other members of the vice squad.
One more thing, see this in the theater. The guns are louder, the views are broader, and the action is more intense. Miami Vice was worth the total price of admission to every movie I saw and probably will see this year.
The cinematography takes Mann's technique of experimenting with traditional cameras and digital steadicams (ala Collateral) to a whole new level. It's a great action movie, a great gun movie, and an intense drama. I'm a latecoming fan to the old series, and this wasn't an extended episode of the show. IMO, the characters, story, and filmmaking were exceptionally better. Mann's decision to make a movie that takes place primarily at night makes for some sweeping nocturnal views of the locales used in shooting. Naturally, the gun handling/shooting is on par with what all of us would expect from a Mann piece. What I was most impressed with, however, was the focus and devolepment of the other members of the vice squad.
One more thing, see this in the theater. The guns are louder, the views are broader, and the action is more intense. Miami Vice was worth the total price of admission to every movie I saw and probably will see this year.
Last edited:
El Tejon
Member
They don't give Tubbs a pistol grip only shotgun again do they?
Man, all the questions at the gun shoppe I had to answer about the fecklessness of pistol grip only shotguns! Whatever they see on the movie screen or television, they want.
I shudder to think how this movie will impact the current generation of gun shoppe clerks.
Man, all the questions at the gun shoppe I had to answer about the fecklessness of pistol grip only shotguns! Whatever they see on the movie screen or television, they want.
I shudder to think how this movie will impact the current generation of gun shoppe clerks.
Nightcrawler
Member
One scene involves the very realistic application of a .50 caliber autoloading rifle, too. The movie was very good.
Very different from Collateral and Heat, mind you.
What I really liked, though, was the character of Isabella. I liked her because she's very similar to how I originally imagined the character of Ling in my story. I'm glad to see that Michael Mann and I are on the same page like that.
Very different from Collateral and Heat, mind you.
What I really liked, though, was the character of Isabella. I liked her because she's very similar to how I originally imagined the character of Ling in my story. I'm glad to see that Michael Mann and I are on the same page like that.
Devonai
Member
I'm gonna buck the trend here and say that I wasn't very impressed by this movie. In all fairness I'm a little too young to remember the original series so I evaluated the movie on it's own merits.
Michael Mann can certainly deliver action, and this movie is no exception. Unfortunately there's not enough of it, and the only one action sequence rang true for me. I have to feel like the main characters are in serious jeopardy to like an action sequence, and I didn't get enough of that out of this movie.
In Heat, I couldn't be sure who would walk away from the bank robbery action sequence. Everyone involved had some level of character development, even the cops who were seen less often. Danger and jeopardy don't involve killing off nameless red-shirts or kicking the snot out of the protagonists' uninteresting love interests (exception to Isabella there). Being outmanned, outgunned, and low on ammunition makes for a much more interesting action sequence than two relatively equal sides blasting away at each other with automatic weapons.
So to summarize, I didn't think this movie gave me enough reasons to care about enough characters to make combat exciting. Great sound effects, though.
Michael Mann can certainly deliver action, and this movie is no exception. Unfortunately there's not enough of it, and the only one action sequence rang true for me. I have to feel like the main characters are in serious jeopardy to like an action sequence, and I didn't get enough of that out of this movie.
In Heat, I couldn't be sure who would walk away from the bank robbery action sequence. Everyone involved had some level of character development, even the cops who were seen less often. Danger and jeopardy don't involve killing off nameless red-shirts or kicking the snot out of the protagonists' uninteresting love interests (exception to Isabella there). Being outmanned, outgunned, and low on ammunition makes for a much more interesting action sequence than two relatively equal sides blasting away at each other with automatic weapons.
So to summarize, I didn't think this movie gave me enough reasons to care about enough characters to make combat exciting. Great sound effects, though.
Buddy Rabbit
Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Messages
- 31
Interesting take - from a whole different perspective.
I'm new here. Great site, probably the best on the Internet for what it is.
Being involved in high-performance offshore powerboats, I also visit a site that is devoted to high-performance boating enthusiasts. . . . . they HATE the film, because many of the boat racing scenes were edited from the film's final cut ( many of them became involved in the sport BECAUSE of the TV show ). Quite a few of them provided their boats, and their time, to the production of the film, only to see their efforts wind up on the cutting-room floor. They are citing "too many love scenes", "too much time spent on character development", etc., as the inherent flaws.
It is just interesting to me to see the reactions here, from a firearms-oriented, gun-handling point of view. . . . sounds like a film I would pay to see.
I'm new here. Great site, probably the best on the Internet for what it is.
Being involved in high-performance offshore powerboats, I also visit a site that is devoted to high-performance boating enthusiasts. . . . . they HATE the film, because many of the boat racing scenes were edited from the film's final cut ( many of them became involved in the sport BECAUSE of the TV show ). Quite a few of them provided their boats, and their time, to the production of the film, only to see their efforts wind up on the cutting-room floor. They are citing "too many love scenes", "too much time spent on character development", etc., as the inherent flaws.
It is just interesting to me to see the reactions here, from a firearms-oriented, gun-handling point of view. . . . sounds like a film I would pay to see.
Gotta chime in with the thumbs down crowd. Overall, it was okay. Gun handling and action scenes were top notch, cinematography and soundtrack were typically stylish for a Mann flick (I was really digging it). Story was pretty bland, though, and the pacing of the movie was worse than "Heat." Love scenes are painfully long and slow, while the rest of the plot sometimes flies right by. Too herky-jerky for me. I thought the acting was pretty one-dimensional as well (everybody's a humorless badass). In fact, a touch of humor might be just what this movie needs to help the audience care for its protagonists and be more emotionally involved. The original TV series had it, this movie does not.
Again, it was okay. Prolly better in the theaters, as mentioned above, but really not worth more than a rental in my book.
Again, it was okay. Prolly better in the theaters, as mentioned above, but really not worth more than a rental in my book.
Nightcrawler
Member
One thing I didn't like about it was that things seemed to progress too fast. Cuts were sometimes too abrupt.
The movie was over two hours long as is. I have a distinct feeling that Mann was forced to cut more than a little it of material from his film.
The movie was over two hours long as is. I have a distinct feeling that Mann was forced to cut more than a little it of material from his film.
aaronrkelly
Member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2005
- Messages
- 1,087
I thought this was a horrible film. Very little action and it just seemed to drag on.....I honestly started to get up and walk out atleast 3 or 4 times but thought "it will get better".......it never did. Im really disappointed.
Kor
Member
I thought it was OK at matinee prices, but not for full price.
The gunfights were definitely excellent, although not of the same surpassing beautimousness as the bank-robbery scene in Heat.
The romance between Colin Farrell and Gong Li seemed contrived, more for the convenience of the plot than anything else, and lacking in chemistry. Gong Li's performance nearly crossed the line between understated and wooden several times, I wonder if the "English as a Second Language" factor affected her performance(I'm a fan of hers in most of her Chinese-language films).
Jamie Foxx gave a pretty good performance, and I suppose Colin Farrell delivered his lines and performed his stunts pretty well, but his Irish accent could be heard lurking near the surface a couple of times. Frankly, by the end of the film Farrell's face started to remind me of a cartoon lion more than anything else. ("Snagglepuss the Mullet-Wearing Narc," anyone?)
On balance, Heat and Collateral were quite a bit better than Miami Vice.
The gunfights were definitely excellent, although not of the same surpassing beautimousness as the bank-robbery scene in Heat.
The romance between Colin Farrell and Gong Li seemed contrived, more for the convenience of the plot than anything else, and lacking in chemistry. Gong Li's performance nearly crossed the line between understated and wooden several times, I wonder if the "English as a Second Language" factor affected her performance(I'm a fan of hers in most of her Chinese-language films).
Jamie Foxx gave a pretty good performance, and I suppose Colin Farrell delivered his lines and performed his stunts pretty well, but his Irish accent could be heard lurking near the surface a couple of times. Frankly, by the end of the film Farrell's face started to remind me of a cartoon lion more than anything else. ("Snagglepuss the Mullet-Wearing Narc," anyone?)
On balance, Heat and Collateral were quite a bit better than Miami Vice.
CleverName
Member
Miami Vice was pretty good. Not as good as Collateral, but heads and shoulders above most action flicks and summer movies. The cinematography was brilliant, as always, and the gunfights are well-done. The plot, though, should have either been cut or had its length blown out to three hours to give it time to fully develop.
Also, Colin Farrell needs to fire whoever told him to grow a mullet out AND get a moustache with stubble.
Also, Colin Farrell needs to fire whoever told him to grow a mullet out AND get a moustache with stubble.
Buddy, that's funny, because a lot of the mainstream media seems to think there's too little character development in the movie. I think they're wrong, but what can I do?
Hopefully there will be a special edition DVD with many of the cut scenes put back in. There's probably be more character development. There'd be footage of boat racing. The sex scenes would be more spread out.
Hopefully there will be a special edition DVD with many of the cut scenes put back in. There's probably be more character development. There'd be footage of boat racing. The sex scenes would be more spread out.
Bill St. Clair
Member
What was that cannon that Jamie Foxx shot the bad guy with in the final shootout? A grenade launcher?
after some time to reflect, i'm not going to drastically change my opinions. Sure it wasn't perfect, but I feel it is head and shoulders above 90% of the drivel that comes out of Hollywood nowadays.
Bill, I think it was some sort of grenade launcher, I dont know what its called, but its sort of a modern M79 or standalone M203 type deal AFAIK...
Bill, I think it was some sort of grenade launcher, I dont know what its called, but its sort of a modern M79 or standalone M203 type deal AFAIK...
Nightcrawler
Member
It was a Benelli M4 shotgun. From the wound demonstrated, I'm guessing it was a slug round.
I really like the HK69 40mm grenade launcher with the humongous buckshot round being used to blow the lock off of the warehouse door. That was cool.
I really like the HK69 40mm grenade launcher with the humongous buckshot round being used to blow the lock off of the warehouse door. That was cool.
Nightcrawler
Member
Oh, really?
Maybe it had another big buckshot round in it. Heh. Use enough gun...
Maybe it had another big buckshot round in it. Heh. Use enough gun...
Bill St. Clair
Member
Nightcrawler:
I saw him with a 12 gauge during most of the scene, but that last round was from something shorter with a bigger diameter. How he was carrying it before then, I don't know. Maybe he wasn't.
you're right bill. It was a HK69 or something very similar, and 'Crawler is right, they used some sort of fancy round to blow off the lock in the beginning. Since its M. Mann, I presume its a real round, and would hurt pretty bad if used on a person
Nightcrawler
Member
You guys are right. It must've been the HK 69 40mm Grenade Launcher, probably with another huge buckshot round.
Check it out.
Check it out.
Bill St. Clair
Member
Yep. That looks like it. Movieweb has this photo of him with it.
- Status
