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Be Cool [2005]
![Be Cool [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MN6S9YXXL._SL160_.jpg)
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Be Cool takes its own advice: It's slick, Hollywood entertainment that kills two amusing hours with relative ease and comfort. Better than leftovers but not as tasty as a full-course meal, this sequel to 1995's hit comedy Get Shorty (and based on Elmore Leonard's 1999 sequel novel) finds former loan shark Chili Palmer (John Travolta) itching to get out of the movie business, so he hooks up with a newly widowed music executive (Uma Thurman) to launch the career of an up-'n-coming Beyoncé-like singer (newcomer Christina Milian). A mock-black manager (Vince Vaughn), his sleazy boss (Harvey Keitel), and an upscale gangsta-rap executive (Cedric the Entertainer) all have a competing stake in the fast-rising pop diva's future, and this sets the plot rolling in a fun but rather hand-me-down fashion that lacks the savvy panache of Get Shorty but still provides plenty of lightweight humor. The Rock and Outkast's André Benjamin provide the best laughs in supporting roles that effortlessly relieve the movie from the symptoms of sequelitis. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Lots of actors no substance
Review date: 2008-09-01 Rating: 6 out of 10
I new this movie was made for TV but I figured that with so many well know actors that it would rival real movies. I was wrong. It was quite formula and many of the actors just walked through their parts.
Chili Palmer (John Travolta "Grease" (1978)) ex-shylock goes from movie producer to record producer with the discovery of a suppressed singer Linda Moon (Christina Milian.) Naturally she is under contract to a bad guy. Well so it does not look too simple or like some second rate musical, we through in a black want-to-be, a black gangster singing group, and even the Russian mafia.
One of the main catalysts and the reason to watch this is Uma Thurman who played Irene Cassini in "GATTACA" (1997), and has done the impossible by just keeps looking cuter with age.
Danny DeVito must think he is Alfred Hitchcock as he makes his cameo in the movie.
All in all it is watchable. Buy Blu-ray when you can but do not expect the acting to get any better.
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Reviews
Has some errors but is still very good
Review date: 2008-08-31 Rating: 8 out of 10
Crime comedy sequel to 1995's Get Shorty. This time John Travolta's loan shark turned film producer has quit the film industry to get into the music business, and with NTL Records boss Uma Thurman he's managing up and coming young starlet Christina Milian, who may be about to make it big. But her former manager, wannabe gangster Vince Vaughn, isn't happy that Travolta has become her new manager and neither is Vaughn's boss Harvey Keitel of Carosell Entertainment, as she was still under contract and they sniff that she may be about to become big news. Their proposed solution? Bump Travolta off. But they're not the only ones after Travolta's head: Thurman's late husband and former co-owner of NTL records James Woods (of TV's Shark fame) was involved in shady business with the Russian Mafia and ended up being murdered by them, and Travolta was a witness to this murder, so the Russian Mafia now want him dead too, to prevent him from potentially IDing them. And gangster and wealthy music producer Cedric The Entertainer is owed $300,000 dollars by the late Woods, and is demanding payment from NTL Records or there will be bloodshed. But when Travolta takes charge and promises Cedric The Entertainer his money by the end of the week the heat is now all on Travolta. Can he deal with all the gangsters after either money or his blood and at the same time steer Milian on the path to stardom?
Comments: I actually enjoyed this movie even more than Get Shorty, as it was more obviously comedic, with lots of good characters. John Travolta once again reprises his role as effortlessly cool former `shylock' Chilli Palmer, this time teaming up with his Pulp Fiction co-star Uma Thurman, Cedric The Entertainer is eloquent as the ruthless yet strangely unscary Ivy League educated gangster who is owed money by NTL Records, Vince Vaughn is hilarious and a complete clown as Milian's former manager who thinks he's black and Christina Milian is cute as the up and coming songstress. There is also a good turn from Harvey Keitel as Vaughn's boss and comedic performances from Dwayne `The Rock' Johnson as Vaughn's gay bodyguard and André Benjamin (aka André 3000 of the band Outkast) as one of Cedric The Entertainer's cronies. As a bonus we also get to see Uma Thurman and John Travolta dancing together in a night club in an obvious nod to that iconic dancing scene from Pulp Fiction. There is also a nice cameo from Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. However, there were some things that were not so good, such as the `someone waiting for you in your living room with the TV on and the lights turned off' device taken from Get Shorty which is used several times in this film, and so becomes clichéd (they should have left it behind in Get Shorty), and Travolta's nonchalance in the face of seeming death near the beginning of the film, which is just unbelievable and quite frankly cringeworthy. But despite this and a few other minor criticisms this film's enjoyment factor - mainly due to the comedy - means that it still warrants four stars. A worthwhile effort.
for people who like mafia/gangster movies with less violence and swearing than films like Goodfellas and Casino
Review date: 2008-08-16 Rating: 6 out of 10
Elmore Leonard's novels are bestsellers but this film based on one of them certainly was not.Like its predecessor - Get Shorty - there were lots of jokes that didn't quite come off but the characters were interesting and likeable enough.A good film to watch if, like me, you don't like the really violent mafia/gangster films like Goodfellas or Casino.In Be Cool there is always the threat of something very nasty happening but it rarely does.Beautifully filmed with some good music and singing and plenty of interesting locations to see.The story goes like this:John Travolta and Uma Thurman steal an upcoming singer from Vince Vaughan with whom the singer already has a contract.Trouble follows.
Not as good as Get Shorty
Review date: 2008-08-15 Rating: 6 out of 10
Be Cool's not a bad film. I've definitely seen worse. However, I think it's way inferior to Get Shorty, for the following reasons:
1.
Get Shorty has a proper story. Chili Palmer wants to get out of being a shylock and into the film industry, and this is believeable. He's clearly really into films and he has good reason to want to get out of being a shylock, given the troubles he's having with "Ray Bones". He also cleverly uses pursuing the dry cleaner as an opportunity to get into the movie business. In Be Cool, there's no real reason why he should want to go from movies to music. They're pretty similar, and the only reason given is that he's "tired" of the movies, which is pretty contrived. He doesn't show any great interest in music in the way that he was interested in movies in Get Shorty.
2.
Get Shorty has proper characters. Bear the bodyguard is very likeable and you really want him to get away from Catlett and find something better. You also have Harry Zimm, who is a bit of a fool but who you don't really want to get beaten up. In Be Cool you have The Rock who's only amusing because it's The Rock playing a gay character. Get Shorty has characters who you can actually care about. When Catlett finally gets pushed over the railings, and when Ray Bones opens the locker, you're really glad to see them get their just deserts. In Be Cool, you don't really care about Vince Vaughn or Harvey Keitel getting what's coming to them. You just wish they would shut up.
3.
There's nothing original or creative about Be Cool. Most of the lines, characters and plot devices are just alternative versions of those from from Get Shorty. In fact, it's incredible how much they borrow from Get Shorty. They have taken absolutely no risks with Be Cool.
4.
This may be a bit bloody minded, but what happened to Karen Flores, Rene Russo's character? We see them developing a close relationship in Get Shorty, and then she's just gone in Be Cool, replaced instead by Uma Thurman, again a very safe bet, given that they worked so well together in Pulp Fiction. They took the trouble to continue the plot from Get Shorty by showing that he'd produced the movies he was going to produce, but Karen Flores has just mysteriously disappeared, allowing Chili to form a "deep" relationship with another woman.
5.
Cedric the Entertainer's kind of cool, but what was that speech he made to the Russian all about? Why is he lecturing him about how the black man has enriched his culture, when this Russian guy looks like he's never even heard of culture?
6.
Personally, I wasn't really amused by seeing Cedric and his gangster friends being all friendly to his daughter while all holding guns behind their backs. Seems in pretty poor taste to me.
I'd say there are a couple of good points to Be Cool, admittedly. The main one would be Steven Tyler, who really knows how to hold your attention. I defy anyone else to use the line "look how those legs go all the way up and make an ass out of themselves" and actually make it work. The other character I liked was the hitman, Joe Loop, who treats Vince Vaughn's character with the contempt he deserves. I love the line "next time, try and find something red to wear". This film has a couple of decent characters, but not nearly enough. Even Uma Thurman's not that great compared to what we know she's capable of. Actually, this film commits one unforgiveable sin, which is having John Travolta and Uma Thurman dancing to the horrible Black Eyed Peas. I'm sure we all loved seeing them dance to "C'est la vie" in Pulp Fiction, and yet that memory is ruined by seeing them dance to this atrocious nonsense. "You take me to ecstacy, without taking ecstacy, it's exactly like ecstacy, when you're laying right next to me". Just awful. Perhaps my hatred of the Black Eyed Peas is a topic I should save for another time though.
Overall, this film is amusing in places, but not a classic like Get Shorty. Get Shorty is a proper film. This is a novelty film that was made for a bit of a laugh. Actually, I'm surprised to learn that they were both based on novels. Perhaps the author was sticking to his formula with "Be Cool" as well.
Pretty good
Review date: 2007-12-03 Rating: 8 out of 10
Be Cool has a similar feel to Get Shorty, but the plot is not quite so clever. None the less it makes for enjoyable viewing and I didn't feel I had wasted my time by renting it. John Travolta is right at home in his role - oozing confidence through out the film. There are lots of other top actors and singers in here as well and they all look as if they are really enjoying themselves. I would recommend this even if if is not quite as good as Get Shorty.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Vince Vaughn
John Travolta
Andre 3000
Uma Thurman
Cedric The Entertainer
Creators:
John Travolta (Primary Contributor)
Uma Thurman (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: MGM Entertainment
Manufacturer: MGM Entertainment
EAN: 5050070028652
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Collector's Edition, Dubbed, PAL,
Release date: 2005-09-12
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 119 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: German (Subtitled)
Language: Italian (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Dubbed)
Language: German (Dubbed)
Language: Italian (Dubbed)
Language: Spanish (Dubbed)