SUMMER MOVIE

REVIEW

By Daniel Newsome

Miami Vice

Directed by Michael Mann, of such movies as Heat and Collateral, Miami Vice is a dark remake of the 1980s TV show starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas. Although based on the earlier series, the movie is far from a true remake. The premise is retained along with character names, but this film is a dark, intense and humorless journey through the lives of Detectives Crockett and Tubbs, played by Colin Ferrell and Jamie Foxx respectively. Foxx's performance as detective Tubbs was far superior to Ferrell's portrayal of Crockett. The characters seemed far from real. Although it is understood that they are best friends we get no indication of their past and how they became friends. They do not seem to like their work, but they don't do anything but work. They never smile and have every aspect of "Hollywood cool" that we in the real world get impatient with. The dynamic between the two characters lacks all of what Will Smith and Martin Lawrence had in the Bad Boys movies. Obviously, this is not a comedy, but no one behaves the way these two do. I found myself not caring at all about any of the characters in the movie, good or bad.

I gave Miami Vice 3 Georges. The plot consists of Crockett and Tubbs going undercover to bust an international druglord who is responsible for the murder of a fellow undercover cop. They pose as drug transport men to get close to the druglord. Crockett gets too close as he immediately falls for the druglords financier girlfriend played by Gong Li. Complications in the plan and apprehension of the cartel make up the rest of the plot over 135 minutes of unrelenting gunfire and shower scenes. Although Michael Mann directed the film well, the plot and character development were far from being on par with his other movies.

MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, language and some sexual content.

My Super

Ex-Girlfriend

This superhero romantic comedy is far from being a supermovie. The cast would suggest otherwise, but the plot and premise are so weak the film falls short. Uma Thurman plays G-Girl, a superhero who has all of the powers of Superman, except she is a superwoman. Luke Wilson plays a successful architect who impresses G-Girl's alter ego, Jenny Johnson, by apprehending a purse snatcher. The two go on a few dates before Saunders (Wilson) finds out that he is dating G-Girl. As the relationship continues, Saunders realizes that his girlfriend is increasingly neurotic and jealous. After realizing that he has feelings for a co-worker, Saunders breaks it off with G-Girl. G-Girl swears revenge. She tortures him in ways that only a superhero could, tossing his car into outer space, throwing a live shark into the bedroom, among other things.

I gave My Super Ex-Girlfriend 2 out of 5 Georges. Eddie Izzard plays Bedlam, GGirl's arch nemesis. He teams up with Saunders to try and drain GGirl's powers from her in an attempt to relieve them both from her wrath.

The movie seems to have been thrown together in a matter of days. Although a comedy, the special effects are still atrocious, as is the screenwriting. Wilson and Thurman do a good job playing the parts, they just are poorly written. Overall, the movie fails as both a superhero movie and a comedy. Don't waste your time seeing this when there are better movies to be seen this Summer.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, crude humor, language and brief nudity. (The Georges ranking system was taken from the George Washington silhouette on the old News-Reporter front page flag)