Miami Vice

Twenty years ago the slick pastel suits, swish Ferrari and rolled up sleeves of undercover Miami drug enforcement agents Crockett and Tubbs defined the epitome of cool as they undermined the burgeoning cocaine barons of the '80s. Michael Mann is certainly resting on his laurels for the remake: the modern day 'Miami Vice' is about as formulaic as they come, taking Crockett and Tubbs (Farrell and Foxx) deep undercover to thwart (you guessed it) the ubiquitous evil kingpin. Obligatory love interests do little to alleviate the staid plot and add little emotional ballast. The extra focus on Farrell and Li's onscreen relationship is examined superficially and makes the film seem somewhat one sided as we lose all sight of Jamie Foxx for a good twenty minutes. A cheesy score (except Mogwai, obv.) some debatable camera techniques straight out of 'Cops', and a completely unresolved ending make the film frustrating to watch even from a purely entertainment perspective. Thanks, but I think I'll stick with 'Starsky and Hutch'. [Robbie Thomson]