This is one I saw back in theaters and don't remember caring much for perhaps due to the stark shift in direction with the digital format and over-saturation (compare that to Heat) but seems like the 16 years since, not only with Mann's Collateral, but other films have adopted something similar, that this time around it didn't look or feel off. As for the movie itself, solid storyline and the performances from Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell were really good, now I wish there was a sequel but that time has passed unless Universal goes the streaming route. **4.0/5**

* Unrated directors cut *

Better than the theatrical release I saw at the cinema and disliked immensely.

I recall disliking it because it had none of the immense charm and style of the original show. The directors cut fixes some of the style issues but there's no saving the charm.

This isn't without its positives. It has a lot of the Mann style and that's fantastic. It's a no nonsense approach to direction and it has a crazy amount of location shooting that mean it must have been an absolutely huge budget.

But there are significant problems.

The casting isn't great. A lot of dodgy acting and overly-earnest characters don't give the film much heart. The best character was the Lieutenant and he wasn't a barrel of laughs. I think Farrell was miscast and the mullet was a distractingly poor decision.

Moreover we have the Collateral issue again - digital cameras with no filter that make everything look like a home video. It comes and goes depending on shots and it really pulls you in and out. My only saving grace is that this tech wasn't viable when Mann made Heat so I am incredibly grateful he never ruined one of the finest films ever made!

In conclusion, the unrated cut is better. It lifts a poor movie into a decent watch but nothing to rave about.


7/10

Holy shit, this is literally a perfect movie just as the series was a perfect TV show. Miami Vice (2006) is the film we always deserved, even if we got it so many years later that we couldn't have the original cast. Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell do a perfect job of stepping into two iconic roles, and I don't even particularly care for Farrell, but he is absolutely magnificent here. True to Miami Vice we get an extremely dark and gritty film filled with gorgeous sets, fast cars and boats, big guns, and great music. The entire film is perfection in every single aspect, but the scenes from the moment they invade the trailer park until the end of the climactic gun fight is some of the best filmmaking ever put on screen. The film is packed full of tension and aesthetic. You can tell this film is set in modern times (mid 2000s), however it manages to maintain a strong 80s vibe without feeling too nostalgia gimmicky. It just feels right. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and probably always will be. 10 stars on a scale of 5. It's just too bad we never got a second film, but at this point it's most certainly too late. Too bad...