Z/Web

I wasn’t too excited about this. The casting seemed uninspired and I didn’t really care much about the film’s plot (incomprehensible in the trailers), though I liked the TV series. Unfortunately, this turned out to be nothing like the TV series. I kept waiting of the great Miami Vice theme song to get me addrenalized and in the mood and it never happened — not even during the closing credits! Basically, other than the names of the two lead characters and the Miami setting, this film is nothing like the TV series. Gone are the distinctive visuals, replaced by gritty, out-of-focus hand-held camerawork that’s just nausiating. The plot’s a convoluted dark mess of confusion — Crocket and Tubbs go undercover to sting a drug lord — and the ending shootout is strangely cold and uninspiring. I read later the film cost $140 million to make, which shocked me: I would have guessed maybe $50 million tops, most of that going to the leads. There just isn’t much action or stuff happening. On it’s own the film would rate an average. It’s not terrible but there’s nothing special about it. But comparing it to the TV series, there’s just not enough flair and 80s over-the-top drama, and it rates lower than an episode of the TV show.