Why I'm gonna go see "Miami Vice" this weekend

First off, look, I know Colin Farrell sucks. There's just really no way around that, and it's something I'm going to have to live with when I'm watching "Miami Vice" this weekend. But I also think it's entirely fair to say that the awesomeness of Michael Mann far outweighs the douchbagitute of Colin Farrell.

I was certainly skeptical when I heard that this movie was being made, with Farrell and Jamie Foxx. Despite his recent string of successes, I still have this creeping feeling that Jamie Foxx has a long string of hugely shitty movies in his future. I don't know. Anyway, then I heard that Mann was heading up this crapball, and I started to get a little less skeptical. I think "Collateral" was my favorite movie of 2004, straight up. And you just can't argue with "Heat" for awesomeness. So for me, Michael Mann's name carries a lot of weight.

I never really watched the TV series, although we were forced to watch this famous clip of an early episode in one of my college classes. Apparently, it was really the first time popular music had been used in such a manner, which, given how pervasive this kind of stuff is today, is really amazing to think about. Too bad it uses the music of legendary fucktard Phil Collins, but it is B'DASS nonetheless. And, looking at it again with "Collateral" and "Heat" in mind, it plays out as vintage Mann.

So, with at least the prospect of cool visuals and 'splosions, my now mild skepticism turned to mild anticipation. Then, I read this review in the NYT today. In particular:

"With “Miami Vice” he clearly had money to burn, and the flames are beautiful to behold. Mixing pop savvy with startling formal ambition, Mr. Mann transforms what is essentially a long, fairly predictable cop-show episode into a dazzling (and sometimes daft) Wagnerian spectacle. He fuses music, pulsating color and high drama into something that is occasionally nonsensical and frequently sublime. “Miami Vice” is an action picture for people who dig experimental art films, and vice versa."

It was shot on HD video, like "Collateral," too. And the stills in the article... man. I don't know, you can go watch Johnny Depp run around with a bunch of sweaty dudes wearing jewelry if you want. Me, I'm gonna go watch pretty things blow up.