Miami Vice is aesthetically typical Mann fare - passionate love scenes, great music, with a fantastic (recently developed) visual style (e.g. hand-held hi-def cameras). Some great action scenes are involved too, but are too far and few between for those hoping for an action flick.
There are some major issues with it though. Mann seems to have trouble making his high concept of the story watchable and followable. His idea is sound, but he's operating on a level that's somewhat alien to the audience, so it can be a little hard to follow at times. Keep your wits about you.
Also, there is a lack of character present, where people come in to say lines directly related to the story, but few develop the personae of the characters themselves. Some things are said quite quickly, generating a "wha?" reaction from viewers. There were one or two really bad edits that I noticed as well - Mann can't seem to decide whether to make his movies documentary-esquire or straight up, as there are both kinds of work here.
All in all the patience pays off spectacularly at the end, but was it really worth it? You decide. I think it's a little underrated on IMDb, but not as good as some of Mann's previous efforts, namely Collateral and Heat. I'd give it 6.5/10, but that rating ain't available so I'm rounding it up to 7.
There are some major issues with it though. Mann seems to have trouble making his high concept of the story watchable and followable. His idea is sound, but he's operating on a level that's somewhat alien to the audience, so it can be a little hard to follow at times. Keep your wits about you.
Also, there is a lack of character present, where people come in to say lines directly related to the story, but few develop the personae of the characters themselves. Some things are said quite quickly, generating a "wha?" reaction from viewers. There were one or two really bad edits that I noticed as well - Mann can't seem to decide whether to make his movies documentary-esquire or straight up, as there are both kinds of work here.
All in all the patience pays off spectacularly at the end, but was it really worth it? You decide. I think it's a little underrated on IMDb, but not as good as some of Mann's previous efforts, namely Collateral and Heat. I'd give it 6.5/10, but that rating ain't available so I'm rounding it up to 7.