I gotta say after reading a few of these posts I really wasnt looking forward to seeing this movie but decided to watch it anyways and frankly I thought it was pretty good. It wasnt a masterpiece but it was pretty interesting. I thought the japanese gurl was hot, maybe because I got a thing for asians that can speak spanish. Maybe I also enjoyed it so much because I never watched the original tv series and it was just a movie to me.
I think I may have liked this if it were called anything but 'Miami Vice'... I thought it was supposed to be an action movie, and when it wasn't I just totally tuned out and didn't follow any of the plot.
Didn't like how it was filmed either... it looked really video-y. Like well-lit news footage. Probably another reason I couldn't take it seriously as a film... it just didn't feel like one.
I thought this movie was genuinely bad. The storytelling was messy and sloppy. The music choice seemed forced and tried too hard to be cool or trendy, and the cinematography, while stylish and pretty, seemed stuck in "Collateral Land", meaning that Mann remembered how successful Collateral was, and decided to use the same style just because of the prior movie's success and popularity, and not necessarily because it was the best choice for this particular movie. For evidence of this see the beginning of the film, in a night club scene, very similar to the one in Collateral, where Jamie Foxx, I kid you not, does the exact same pose-look-past-the-camera-thing after kicking some dudes ass, just like Tom Cruise in, you guessed it, Collateral.
Most importantly I just felt bored throughout, the movie just wasn't engaging, the characters were hollow and just devices to push the style and get to the next "cool scene" and the plot just didn't have the momentum to really catch my interest.
Originally posted by BackFire
I thought this movie was genuinely bad. The storytelling was messy and sloppy. The music choice seemed forced and tried too hard to be cool or trendy, and the cinematography, while stylish and pretty, seemed stuck in "Collateral Land", meaning that Mann remembered how successful Collateral was, and decided to use the same style just because of the prior movie's success and popularity, and not necessarily because it was the best choice for this particular movie. For evidence of this see the beginning of the film, in a night club scene, very similar to the one in Collateral, where Jamie Foxx, I kid you not, does the exact same pose-look-past-the-camera-thing after kicking some dudes ass, just like Tom Cruise in, you guessed it, Collateral.Most importantly I just felt bored throughout, the movie just wasn't engaging, the characters were hollow and just devices to push the style and get to the next "cool scene" and the plot just didn't have the momentum to really catch my interest.
Oh dear god, I completely disagree with every single aspect of your post! Take it back, or I will cut off thy penis.
It was a very original movie in the way it jumped straight into the plot. There was no back-story, no retarded explanations of the plot, and such minimal dialogue between the two leads that they managed to convey the intensity of the situation through their physical presence. Mann has a very dominant technique and 'look' that run through all his films, so it's not surprising that there are similarities in tone with Collateral, but it certainly isn't him pandering to gain popularity.
Again, take it back or the penis goes!
What you call original I call lazy storytelling. Lack of backstory is fine, but what I can't forgive is a lack character development and plot progression.
Yes, there was minimal dialogue at parts, unfortunately there was also an over abundance of it at parts, and it wasn't even important dialogue, it was boring filler speak. It's as if he didn't have dialogue when he should have, when it would have pushed the story forward and developed the characters and their relationship, but instead had dialogue when it wasn't really necessary, between characters that were secondary at best.
And I think it's very possible that the style of the movie was done to pander to the popularity of Collateral. There weren't just similarities in tone, the look and even sound of the film was almost directly lifted from Collateral. This wasn't really a problem, I guess. Like I said, the style was cool and it looked good, but I can't help but wonder if maybe the studio execs put some pressure on Mann to overemphasize the style.
My disappointment may have also stemmed from me thinking Collateral was so damn awesome, and expecting more greatness from this one.
Oh well, bye bye penis, it's been fun. Jokes on you though, to cut off my penis you have to touch it, and I'll like that, far more than you.
Originally posted by BackFire
What you call original I call lazy storytelling. Lack of backstory is fine, but what I can't forgive is a lack character development and plot progression.Yes, there was minimal dialogue at parts, unfortunately there was also an over abundance of it at parts, and it wasn't even important dialogue, it was boring filler speak. It's as if he didn't have dialogue when he should have, when it would have pushed the story forward and developed the characters and their relationship, but instead had dialogue when it wasn't really necessary, between characters that were secondary at best.
We really must have seen two different films - or, wait a second...yeah... - or we are two different people! The movie I saw, while intentionally distant in tone, didn't suffer from a lack of character development. Furthermore, because Crockett and Tubbs are undercover, don't you think it's appropriate that their true characters remain hidden? Also, the dialogue was again based in reality because it wasn't simply used as a device to propel the plot. It was merely people talking as things happened, and I liked it like that. As for the plot itself, it just got deeper and deeper and deeper as the movie went on!
Originally posted by BackFire
And I think it's very possible that the style of the movie was done to pander to the popularity of Collateral. There weren't just similarities in tone, the look and even sound of the film was almost directly lifted from Collateral. This wasn't really a problem, I guess. Like I said, the style was cool and it looked good, but I can't help but wonder if maybe the studio execs put some pressure on Mann to overemphasize the style.
Although I love Collateral, if any movie of Mann's shows pandering to the behest of the studio, it's that film! The beginning and middle of that movie were superb, but the finale degenerated to a typical thriller. As for the style of Miami Vice, again it's indicative of all of Mann's movies, and not a mere replication.
Originally posted by BackFire
My disappointment may have also stemmed from me thinking Collateral was so damn awesome, and expecting more greatness from this one.
Again, I prefer Miami Vice.
Originally posted by BackFire
Oh well, bye bye penis, it's been fun. Jokes on you though, to cut off my penis you have to touch it, and I'll like that, far more than you.
Oh, no, no, no, no, my friend. I have a pair of tweezers I borrowed from an ant to take care of that little job.
Rented it to give it a second chance.
I'm still not liking the story or the characters. Mind you I did my best to ignore the original TV series (which I think it happen the first time when I saw the film in theaters) this time I let go of it and try to watch it with a more open interest.
This time I enjoy the action sequences.....but still not enough to say it's a good film. It's like lying to myself and thinking I'm enjoying something I really don't like.