Review: Miami Vice
Bringing the TV series, which earned Michael Mann name recognition, to the big screen in the midst of a failed hype (*YaWN* Serenity *snore* Starsky & Hutch *head thud on table* Dukes of Hazzard), is certainly risky, but ultimately proves, if you have the front man executing the job, everything will turn out just fine.
Miami Vice probably takes it to another level, more gritty and dark than your average sunshine TV episode. While not Mann’s usual deeply psychologically rooted character pieces (Collateral, The Insider, Heat), he takes a more observational stance instead. But there’s still enough drama to go around with these simply defined characters, as the acting is top notch.
Believe it or not, but this all together meshes into a heap of fun. The plain bad ass attitude of an MDPD task force, which has the combined skills of the Navy SEALS, Delta Force, Green Berets and Rangers and is in total better organised than the FBI, CIA and the DEA put together is certainly something to chuckle at (and I didn’t even mention the phenomenal budget for cool and violent hardware).
With only one point to comment negatively on (too much use of lightweight HD camera’s during finale action scenes doesn’t really create a theatrical experience), I can confidently conclude this is the best serious TV to film conversion yet (at least, that’s until we see characters from Dallas on an armed mission to Iraque to claim oil wells, or KITT serves Michael Knight fresh coke and dope).8-.