MovieChat Forums > Miami Vice (2006) Discussion > Just watched it again for the first time...

Just watched it again for the first time in years - fantastic movie

posted 10 years ago by !!!deleted!!! (40461903)
39 replies | jump to latest

In my books this is up there with Heat and "The Dark Knight" (almost). Granted, maybe there was no need to call it "Miami Vice" as you could have given our leads different names and it would have worked just as well. However, in terms of a crime drama/action movie, this film does absolutely NOTHING wrong.

It's realistic, without using annoying shakey-cam or "documentary-style" filming. It's cinematic, without having your usual cliches like the angry chief, the hero/es hanging from a helicopter landing skid with one arm, or the villain falling off a building at the end. The characters are reasonably well fleshed out. The storyline is not overly ambitious (the love-story is not a huge part of the film, and the supreme villain and his empire live to fight another day). Finally, the setting (Miami) is almost one the the stars of the film. You can almost taste the sea salt in the air, and the tropical breezes :-)

So, in this instance, forget the reviews from the critics and treat yourself to a fine couple of hours.

[–] boi727 10 years ago

Wached it in the cinema in 2006. Rewatched just yesterday. Indeed some quaility movie.

[–] bnkholen 10 years ago

One of the most criminally underrated movies on imdb

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] vCorleone2 10 years ago

Re watching it a again now for the first time in a few years. It's on HBO OnDemand. I always thought this got undeserved hate. Calling it Miami Vice probably did hurt it, but if it wasn't called Miami Vice it might not have gotten made.

This is a great cop/crime movie.

[–] Husnan 10 years ago

Just saw it and it was a waste of time. Very underwhelming.

Doesn't come anywhere near The Dark Knight nor Heat. Those who are on an entire level of film.

Those are 10s.
This is a 5.

[–] goldpink23 10 years ago

@Husnan.I never watched the tv show and I didn't like this movie.Like you I really enjoyed Heat and The Dark Knight.However I rated them both an 8 and Miami Vice a 5.

[–] Joel_S 9 years ago

It's a very good movie, but unfortunately with the title being Miami Vice, I think a lot of people, including those of us that were around in the 80s just didn't want to give the movie a chance. Like someone else mentioned, most old cop shows that were originaly serious police dramas and then got turned into movies in the last 10 years or so have been comedy spoofs (i.e., 21 Jump Street).

People were probably expecting something ridiculous and funny and they get this dark, super serious gritty crime drama. The film probably would have made more money if they did it as a stupid parody, it would have been a bigger hit with teenagers and anyone not old enough in the 80s, but it would also have been quickly forgotten too, like that Starsky and Hutch movie which was another parody movie. I think Miami Vice 2006 will have a cult following. A real shame this movie never got a sequel. That opening club sequence was amazing.

[–] ccott 9 years ago

I just watched it last night and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't care for it at all when it came out due to Farrell's whispering and heavy use of police/ drug slang. I believe I actually fell asleep on it the first time I saw it. It really is a great movie now that I understand what is actually going on. I may have to give Public Enemies another chance too.

[–] cfamick 9 years ago

Michael Mann makes action films for adults. You have to have some experience under your belt to see that while the shootouts are wildly dramatic and intense, the real action is the chess match between hardened professionals who make decisions they can't undo.

[–] Joel_S 9 years ago

Yeah his films are not meant for kids. I think you gotta be like over 21 to really appreciate his films, maybey even older. There's so much heavy duty police jargon going on that you can get lost in all the seriousness of it. When I was a kid I used to wonder how all the drug lords knew the legal system and police mumbo jumbo so well, seems like you need be pretty smart or have a law degree just to understand all the inside dialogue used on these type of cop films/shows. The original TV show bored me to death b/c of all the police legal speak that went well beyond simply "pleading the 5th" or "read him his rights".

[–] cfamick 9 years ago

See, I don't think you have to understand the jargon and the "inside baseball;" you only have to know that the characters understand.

The part that you have to be a little older to understand is how people operate in shades of moral gray, or how they make hard decisions and live (or die) with the consequences.

[–] snakeye808 9 years ago

Yeah his films are not meant for kids. I think you gotta be like over 21 to really appreciate his films, maybey even older.

Yet those aged under 18 gave this an average score of 6.3 (highest of all age groups) and those over 45 gave it a 5.8 (lowest of the age groups). Doesn't support your hypothesis.

[–] franzkabuki 9 years ago

Kubrick's 2001, Tarkovsky's Stalker and Bergman's Persona are also rated highest by the youngest age group and yet, most assuredly, these films aren't for kids, either.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

[–] snakeye808 9 years ago

If the films are being rated highly among those under 18, you're looking at direct evidence that one does not have to be "over 21 to really appreciate his films, maybey even older." As much as you may want to believe that kids can't enjoy these films, there's really no way to dispute the fact that they are clearly enjoying them based on the positive ratings.

[–] franzkabuki 8 years ago

"There's really no way to dispute the fact that they are clearly enjoying them based on the positive ratings".

No there isn't - which is why I never did dispute that. What I said, or meant, was that kids are not the target audience for these pictures nor do these pictures make any concessions in order to appeal to this demographic. If there is - as there is - a good number of persons under 18 who in fact do enjoy these movies regardless, well, that's pretty cool then.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

[–] LutherMahoney 9 years ago

It's an unapologetically masculine film. And there's nothing wrong with that.

The homages to the original series were there with the go-fast boats, locations, etc, but you are correct, the movie succeeds in part because it doesn't contain any of the cop show cliches. No Lethal Weapon type bromance between Crocket and Tubbs, no over-the-top evil enemy, and no lovers reunited at the end.

For all of the disasters that occurred with the making of this movie (well documented), it's amazing how well the finished product turned out. Truly some genius film editing was involved.

Next time someone asks what you are drinking, say "I'm a fiend for mojitos." That's a worthy tribute to this outstanding film.