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The Rewatchables ·

Miami Vice

year 2006decade 00sdirector Michael Manngenre Crimegenre Action
host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryan
All 14 categories

Most Rewatchable Scene · 28:24

Split: the Cuba speedboat trip

Bill Simmons: The opening can be treated as the nightclub alone or the longer opening through the highway death; the nightclub is praised despite unexplained violence.

Bill Simmons: The opening mojito flirtation makes the drink appealing.

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie · 1:00:58

Life is short, time is luck.

Bill Simmons: The selected quote is Life is short, time is luck, spoken by Isabella to Crockett.

The film

Miami Vice (2006)

Directed by Michael Mann · Crime

133 minutes

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Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Colin Farrell Det. James "Sonny" Crockett
Jamie Foxx Det. Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs
Gong Li Isabella
Naomie Harris Det. Trudy Joplin
Ciarán Hinds FBI Agent John Fujima
Elizabeth Rodriguez Det. Gina Calabrese
Domenick Lombardozzi Det. Stan Switek
Justin Theroux Det. Larry Zito
Barry Shabaka Henley Lt. Martín Castillo
Luis Tosar Arcángel de Jesús Montoya
John Ortiz José Yero
Isaach De Bankolé 'Neptune'
John Hawkes Alonzo Stevens
Tom Towles Coleman
Eddie Marsan Nicholas
Oleg Taktarov Russian Security
Tony Curran Aryan Brothers
Don Frye Aryan Brothers

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

28:24

Most Rewatchable Scene

Split: the Cuba speedboat trip; the Haiti negotiation with the grenade

Split: the Cuba speedboat trip; the Haiti negotiation with the grenade

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:24Read transcript
  • The opening can be treated as the nightclub alone or the longer opening through the highway death; the nightclub is praised despite unexplained violence. — Bill Simmons
  • The opening mojito flirtation makes the drink appealing. — Bill Simmons
  • The meet-and-greet gone wrong and John Hawks suicide are candidates; the spoken surname is corrected from Harks to Hawks. — Bill Simmons
  • Other candidates are the Haiti negotiation, Cuba trip, trailer rescue/explosion, final shootout and actual ending. — Bill Simmons
  • A personal vote favors the breathtaking Cuba speedboat trip despite its illogical details. — Bill Simmons
  • The trip prompts questions about silent travel, seasickness, clothes, time away and whose house they use. — Bill Simmons
  • The boat scene recalls the television Calderon revenge Bahamas montage accompanied by Voices, and is praised as the best movie speedboat scene. — Bill Simmons
  • The Havana dancing is compared to the Anchorman flute sequence as an odd inclusion; the extended sex scene also seems long. — Chris Ryan
  • The intimacy nevertheless establishes why saving Trudy matters. — Bill Simmons
  • The other favorite is the negotiation with the grenade and Jackson Pollock threat. — Chris Ryan
  • The boat sequence is compelling enough to postpone dinner. — Bill Simmons
  • An estimated 250 miles suggests three or four hours at the discussed speeds, inviting objections about noise, nausea, cold and waves. — Bill Simmons
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36:12

What’s Aged the Best?

Music and cinematography lead, alongside mojitos, the hair and mustache, Cuba and silent driving.

Music and cinematography lead, alongside mojitos, the hair and mustache, Cuba and silent driving.

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:12Read transcript
  • Mojitos are a major beneficiary, although the mojito conversation has comically little chemistry. — Bill Simmons
  • The mid-2000s music and Farrell hair and mustache have come around; modern widescreen presentation serves the photography. — Bill Simmons
  • Cuba is an appealing movie destination, with the Fast and Furious franchise cited as another user. — Bill Simmons
  • Silent driving recalls the television partners and a pleasure difficult to find in Los Angeles traffic. — Bill Simmons
  • Taking cell calls in speeding convertibles strains plausibility, as does talking on the speedboat. — Chris Ryan
  • The instrumental ending with the waterfall is praised; its band name is transcribed inconsistently. — Chris Ryan
  • The same band is discussed in connection with a football documentary and the Kobe doing work comparison. — Chris Ryan
  • Michael Mann is contrasted with Scorsese for using contemporary music; the filmmaker transcribed as Jonathan Demi is also praised. — Bill Simmons
  • Numb/Encore went from seeming like a bad commercial mashup to an inspiring athletic hype song. — Chris Ryan
  • The song also earns a place on a soccer-trip playlist. — Bill Simmons
  • The rock-rap, Moby and Latin-influenced house music now seem appropriate to the film and Miami club culture. — Bill Simmons
  • Music and cinematography are the final responses; silent rescue cutaways and the contrast between nighttime and daylight are praised. — Chris Ryan
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43:40

What’s Aged the Worst?

Flip phones, mumbling and difficult dialogue, with a qualified defense of Gong Li.

Flip phones, mumbling and difficult dialogue, with a qualified defense of Gong Li.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:40Read transcript
  • Flip phones and mumbling are candidates. — Bill Simmons
  • A hypothetical marathon interview with Michael Mann is imagined to resolve their questions. — Bill Simmons
  • Research is said to indicate that Gongli memorized the English dialogue phonetically. — Bill Simmons
  • Her hands, eyes and intensity communicate beyond the words, although more improvisation and emotional presence are wished for. — Bill Simmons
  • The romance has unusual chemistry; the opening waitress interaction seems more sexually convincing. — Bill Simmons
  • The parking-garage dialogue makes the undercover premise hard to hear, compared with missing the setup in Die Hard. — Chris Ryan
  • Both speakers now favor Gongli, praising charisma and intensity while questioning the relationship with the remote bearded boss. — Bill Simmons
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48:06

Casting What-Ifs

Colin Farrell as Crockett

Colin Farrell as Crockett

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:06Read transcript
  • The reported chance for Edward James Almost to reprise Castillo was declined, disappointing the hosts; the transcribed spelling remains unresolved. — Bill Simmons
  • Jan Hammer reportedly declined a request for a different score. — Bill Simmons
  • The idea that the requested score was death metal is a joke and speculation. — Bill Simmons
  • Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Samuel Jackson are reported Tubbs alternatives; the list is doubted, with Smith considered more plausible. — Bill Simmons
  • Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey are reported Crockett alternatives; Cruise and McConaughey are strongly doubted. — Bill Simmons
  • Farrell remains preferable to Pitt and other stars; the performance is admired despite its perceived lack of conventional charisma. — Chris Ryan
  • The perceived strain in Farrell performance is compared to Martin Sheen in the Apocalypse Now making-of documentary. — Chris Ryan
  • The troubled, drinking television Crockett is seen as a fit for Farrell portrayal. — Chris Ryan
  • Farrell is described as looking worse and barely getting through the last third before the shootout; this is a subjective impression. — Bill Simmons
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51:42

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

John Hawks and Eddie Marzon are discussed as a split; the exchange contains a provisional concession before the split...

John Hawks and Eddie Marzon are discussed as a split; the exchange contains a provisional concession before the split is offered.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:42Read transcript
  • John Hawks is nominated, with another correction from John Harks; Dom from Entourage is also nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • The bald skinhead villain, Trudy and the other female officer Gina Calabrese are considered. — Bill Simmons
  • Gina police movement and shooting are praised, contrasting with the television women repeatedly assigned sex-worker cover. — Bill Simmons
  • Yarrow, the heavily bearded boss and Eddie Marzon are added; the apartment scene and vertical-integration line support Marzon. — Chris Ryan
  • An initial preference favors Marzon for going big in one scene. — Chris Ryan
  • A preference favors Hawks; the reply allows Hawks, followed by suggestions to split the award. No confident sole winner is imposed. — Chris Ryan
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53:41

Half-Assed Internet Research

Reported training, casting endorsement, billing and speedboat facts, plus the actors age gap.

Reported training, casting endorsement, billing and speedboat facts, plus the actors age gap.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:41Read transcript
  • A research anecdote says Michael Mann arranged fake drug busts that Farrell initially believed were real; the account is questioned before being read. — Bill Simmons
  • Don Johnson reportedly selected Farrell when asked who should play Crockett. — Bill Simmons
  • Farrell reportedly received European top billing, while Fox received American top billing and emphasis in advertising. — Bill Simmons
  • The Cuba boat is identified as an MTI powerboat named Mojo, reportedly on sale for $500,000, inspiring an imagined purchase. — Bill Simmons
  • A lookup reports a maximum speed of 120 mph, prompting a shorter travel estimate but continued objections to the ocean ride. — Chris Ryan
  • Farrell is reported to be eleven years younger than Gongli. — Bill Simmons
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55:31

Apex Mountain

Mojo, mojitos, Dom and the cameras are endorsed; Farrell draws Miami Vice versus In Bruges preferences.

Mojo, mojitos, Dom and the cameras are endorsed; Farrell draws Miami Vice versus In Bruges preferences.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:31Read transcript
  • Dom from Entourage and mojitos are introduced as positive cases. — Bill Simmons
  • Farrell is considered for a belated apex or Mount Rushmore; one preference is Miami Vice and the other is the title transcribed as in Bruch. — Bill Simmons
  • Jamie Fox, Michael Mann and Gongley are rejected as apex cases. — Bill Simmons
  • The Mojo speedboat is endorsed, with an imagined future purchase and Hawaii trip. — Bill Simmons
  • The Viper cameras receive an apex endorsement. — Bill Simmons
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56:16

Is This Movie Better With…?

Yes, especially Trejo as Alonzo

Yes, especially Trejo as Alonzo

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:16Read transcript
  • Trejo could improve many roles, with Crockett, Tubbs, Fujima, Yarrow, Montoya and the sergeant considered. — Bill Simmons
  • Alonzo is a strong fit by analogy to Trejo role in Heat; his exclusion is jokingly called insulting. — Chris Ryan
  • A Trejo appearance is imagined as enough to make the film a blockbuster. — Chris Ryan
  • A falling-out during Heat or a schedule conflict is speculated as an explanation for the absence. — Bill Simmons
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57:25

Picking Nits

Implausible undercover resources and cover, boat logistics, redundant drug names and limited friendship.

Implausible undercover resources and cover, boat logistics, redundant drug names and limited friendship.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:25Read transcript
  • Cell phone conversations in speedboats and convertibles are implausible. — Bill Simmons
  • The source of the money for cars, houses and clothes is unclear; repossessed assets are a guess. — Bill Simmons
  • Long-term undercover work in one city seems implausible, especially with a Ferrari and a first-name-preserving alias. — Bill Simmons
  • The Cuba trip leaves questions about clothes and disappearance from a major investigation for days. — Chris Ryan
  • The drug sellers list meth, ice and speed as though distinct products, prompting criticism of the research and joking alternatives. — Chris Ryan
  • Crockett and Tubbs do not seem especially close; tension around Trudy and Isabella is discussed. — Chris Ryan
  • A friendship-building drinking scene like the one in 48 Hours is wanted; the director cut adds some driving together. — Bill Simmons
  • An invented sports-bar scene imagines where Crockett vanished, including sports-radio personalities. — Bill Simmons
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1:00:58

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

Life is short, time is luck.

Life is short, time is luck.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:58Read transcript
  • The selected quote is Life is short, time is luck, spoken by Isabella to Crockett. — Bill Simmons
  • Versions are recalled in Manhunter and Heat, and time is interpreted as a central Michael Mann preoccupation. — Bill Simmons
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1:01:55

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

No clear winner

No clear winner

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:55Read transcript
  • The bearded boss is the only tentative initial overacting candidate, with uncertainty about whether the performance is simply his manner. — Bill Simmons
  • John Ortiz is praised but said to overdo Yarrow at times. — Bill Simmons
  • The overall view is too much underacting and under-enunciation, leading to a joking alternative award. — Bill Simmons
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1:02:29

Pete Berg Award for Underacting, a.k.a. the Ambien Award for the Sleepiest Actor

A joking proposal for a new underacting award, without a recipient.

A joking proposal for a new underacting award, without a recipient.

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:29Read transcript
  • A Miami Vice award for most underacting is proposed in response to the general underacting. — Bill Simmons
  • The proposal is rephrased as the Mark Ruffalo Foxcatcher Award for underacting, followed by dislike of Foxcatcher. — Bill Simmons
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1:02:46

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Possible reunion, failed task forces, shootout survival, Trudy consequences and a prestige-TV revival.

Possible reunion, failed task forces, shootout survival, Trudy consequences and a prestige-TV revival.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:46Read transcript
  • A future Sonny and Isabella reunion is imagined, with a return within a year or a birthday visit suggested. — Bill Simmons
  • Interagency task forces are viewed as predictably unsuccessful in movies. — Bill Simmons
  • The final shootout seems as though it should kill more good guys; none die, despite earlier destructive bullets. — Bill Simmons
  • Leaving Trudy in the safe house may have nearly killed her and could cause a later breakup. — Bill Simmons
  • A ten-episode, $200 million Netflix series by Michael Mann is proposed to bridge television and film, although Sicario and Narcos occupy similar ground. — Bill Simmons
  • A reportedly planned conventional NBC version disappoints the speakers. — Bill Simmons
  • Mann returning with a Blackhat series instead is a joke. — Bill Simmons
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1:05:45

Who Won the Movie?

Colin Farrell receives two explicit choices.

Colin Farrell receives two explicit choices.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:45Read transcript
  • The first choice is Colin Farrell. — Bill Simmons
  • Michael Mann is considered but rejected in comparison with earlier achievements in The Insider, Heat, Manhunter and The Last of the Mohicans. — Chris Ryan
  • A second explicit choice is Farrell, followed by the explanation that the rundown had only one candidate and a renewed apex claim. — Chris Ryan
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Colin Farrell
Speaker not identified
Colin Farrell
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More from the conversation

Dense narrative, mumbled dialogue, and newly understood subtitled details make repeat viewing rewarding.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:02Read transcript
The series is remembered for music-video style, humor, and Don Johnson chemistry, unlike the much more serious movie.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:41Read transcript
Initial rejection and disappointing Farrell reception gave way to online visual appreciation and renewed enthusiasm.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:57Read transcript
Mann film discussion includes Heat, Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Thief, The Insider, Collateral, Ali, and Blackhat; Collateral praised as Los Angeles movie, Blackhat criticized.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:52Read transcript
A proposed twenty-year nostalgia cycle compares the timing to The Brady Bunch Movie.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:04Read transcript
Reported production difficulties include hurricanes, script changes, dangerous locations and a shooting; location uncertain between Panama and Dominican Republic, Foxx behavior reports explicitly uncertain.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:44Read transcript
Foxx understatement praised as opposite of Dion Waiters, with more personality in girlfriend scenes; Harris praised; television Tubbs comparison.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:55Read transcript
Reported Mann dissatisfaction with changed ending; Foxx reportedly proposed adaptation at Ali party; Ali and Collateral performances praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:40Read transcript
Ali press-junket memory, HD home-viewing explanation, digital nighttime photography and abrupt opening/ending; individual images likened to greatest-hits singles.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:18Read transcript
Director cut opening explains undercover club scene; Kingdom of Heaven and Almost Famous extended cuts praised; differing reported runtimes and budget retained as reported.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:18Read transcript
Buddy-cop action marketing mismatch with art film; grenade-scene preview memory, experimental shooting, Hawkes highway shot and missing series music.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:30Read transcript
Timed 30-second plot challenge ends in deliberately abbreviated boat/mojito/shootout synopsis.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:08Read transcript
Prior Good Will Hunting podcast anecdote says Mann wanted car thieves.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:09Read transcript
Goodfellas is discussed as a possible future episode; the previous Good Will Hunting episode length motivates a runtime joke.
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:15Read transcript