Wednesday, August 2, 2006

And I Ra-a-an: Miami Vice Review, and Other Random 80's Nostalgia

Well, after missing not a one, but two free screenings of Miami Vice, I was frustrated to say the least and itching to just see the freaking movie already. So yesterday, after bolting from work, running to Subway, eating in the car and then heading down to Universal, I get there only to find out the screening is once again completely full. But I would not be deterred. I called up some friends and was off to the AMC Burbank, where I did have to plonk down $9, but at least I was treated to a huge screen and a preview of Borat to boot. Man, that movie looks hilarious. Borat rules. On the other hand, Rocky Balboa has the stupidest premise ever. I wouldn't even mind another Rocky movie if it had some kind of inventive plotline that didn't necessarily involve rocky in a boxing ring. But a fight between a 60 year old Rocky and some young guy, set up because of a virtual battle in a videogame? WHAT? That's like if the new version of NBA Live or whatever determined that Bill Russell would beat Shaq one on one if they bothe went at it in their primes. I don't think you'd see Bill Russell come out of retirement to put that theory to the test - that's why videogames exist - fantasy fullfillment. So yeah, the new Rocky looks very underwhelming. Children of Men though, that one looks really cool, even if it is really similar to Y: The Last Man in premise.

Anyways ...

MIAMI VICE Review:

Here's a movie that I can see many people pretty much dismissing without giving it a shot. Because although I can't say I'm very familiar with the Miami Vice TV show, it is pretty obvious that aside from the names of the characters, this movie is nothing at all like the pastel-tinged, pop-music showcase that was the TV hit. But the movie still has a legitimacy factor, since it is done by the show's original creator, Michael Mann. And here you get the sense that Mann wanted to demolish the campiness of the original show in one fell swoop. This certainly isn't anything like Starsky and Hutch ...

What it is is a plain and simple Michael Mann movie. If you saw Collateral, you know what to expect, to a degree. This movie is all about the look, the style, the ambiance - the glow of neon in the nighttime cityscape, the gleam of water smashed by a speeding boat, the feeling of motion. This is one BADASS looking movie. Every shot is silky smooth, every cut effortless. Every single frame seems to have some visual element that pops. Like Collateral, the digital cinematography gives everything a hyper-real, cold and distant look - perfect for telling stories of guys who are equally cold and distant, immersed in an unforgiving life that allows for little other than the constant need to focus on the task at hand.

And the focus, here, is not on the plot. It's simple enough - an undercover drug bust that twists out of control. But unlike your standard action flick, Miami Vice, like many of Mann's other works, has that added edge to it, that existential aspect that really makes you study these guys and wonder what makes them tick. I really appreciate that about this movie - you're never given any extraneous information, never bogged down with plot overload - we are just put right there in the moment. Sure, it's a little jarring at first, but it makes for a different and more immediate movie experience than we are usually given. The movie really works at presenting an overriding theme without ever really putting it right there on the table. Kind of like the best episodes of 24 - we are led to ponder what the sacrifices are that these characters make for their jobs, to wonder how they can live with themselves in a world of such moral ambiguity and personal tragedy, how they can keep on going even though they really have nothing to gain. Mann throws in little snippets of dialogue, little moments that accentuate the tragedy of the film (okay, so some of the extended love scenes are a not exactly the most what you'd call little moments ...) - but the plot's focus is always on the Mission, even though a dark cloud of lingering doubt and hopelessness is there the whole time.

Colin Farell and Jamie Foxx are basically just required to look badass and brood a lot, and they do that pretty well. They turn up the intensity when needed, and they get the job done. Really though, despite the star power here, this is the director's movie, and the actors do a good job of blending in and never overshadowing that fact. I also, mostly, enjoyed the dialogue in the movie, which could be pretty heavily stylized at times but I found to be entertaining and fun to follow along with.

I also thought the music was pretty damn cool. I've heard some complaints about the soundtrack, and I'm sure it was disappointing for some who were expecting some 80's throwbacks and whatnot (though that end-credits cover of Genesis was pretty awesome). But you could tell that a ton of care went into the music of this movie, and a lot of times I found myslef tapping my foot to the pulsating beats that helped accentuate the action.

But the music, like most of the movie, is hard-driving. The action here is brutal, the dialogue laced with slick and sleazy characters trying to out-badass each other. The women here are powerful yet mystrious - Gong Li, I thought, was great in her part. Her broken English kind of accented her character - a bruised woman who has always had to try her hardest to assert herself and stake her claim in a world of tough guys with big guns.

Sure, this isn't a movie that needs to be revisited again and again. It's not one that blows you away with the intricacies of its plot or the nuances of its character. But for two hours it immerses you in a world of crime and violence, of neon-lit hotels and swaying palm trees, of speedboats and nightclubs, of men who exist for their dark missions and the women who at a moment's notice step into the shower with them (happens not once, but twice here ...). It's all over the top and crazy if you really think about it, but Michael Mann is dead serious, and if you let yourself get caught up in the world he creates, his sincerity is contagious.

Go, see this movie on a big screen with good sound, sit back, relax, enjoy. It's gritty, dark, violent, beautifully-shot, and one hell of a badass film.

My Grade: A-

What else is going on?

- Well, not too much. My big problem right now is that I CAN'T FIND MY NBC BADGE. Yes, this seriously sucks. I assumed this morning that I left it at the theater last night, but I called and they can't find it. Damn. Where could it be? This blows.

- And one final thought: Yesterday I blissfully wasted a lot of time watching old 80's cartoon intros on YouTube, and I came to a few conclusions:

1.) Buck O'Hare had one of the best themesongs ever.

2.) Turbo Teen had a legitamately freakish premise.

4.) Seemingly every other cartoon from my childhood involved two warring factions who somehow find themselves displaced in space/time, or else find the landscape of their eternal war changed by someone lost in space/time. See: Transformers, Dinosaucers, Dino Riders, He-Man, Captain N, et al.

5.) The Silverhawks had amazing character design and BADASS costumes. Themesong kicked ass as well.

6.) There sure were a lot of dinosaur-themed cartoons back then, many involving dinosaurs who could either a.) use military-grade weaponry, b.) were outfitted with military-grade weaponry, c.) could talk, or d.) knew how to rock and/or roll.

Oh man, 80's cartoons were amazing. I seriously feel bad for kids these days for missing out.

And on that note:

I. HAVE. THE POWEEEEEEER!

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