Miami Vice (2006) -vs- Collateral (2004)

Review by Bryce Zabel 

The Smackdown. We've put two highly anticipated hyper-violent films, both brilliantly directed by Michael Mann, into the ring against each other. Each one pairs two of the most bankable film stars at the top of their game at the time of their release. Both share one star, Jamie Foxx, who cements his position as a top actor even more with each performance.

"Tubbs, I'm tellin' ya, the drug cartels have the best women."

The Challenger. "Miami Vice" is just another police film to my kids so the fact that it had history as a TV series seems almost irrelevant. This latest version is proof positive (as if we needed it) that Michael Mann is one of the best directors working today. Aside from its excellent visual style, though, the truth is it's another cop team -- a humorless "Lethal Weapon." And, my kids aside, I couldn't help recalling how truly special "Miami Vice" was as a TV series in its day, specifically how much I liked the characters and the look of the whole thing. Well, these new character incarnations are grim undercover cops, they don't seem like friends particularly, and the pastels of the 80s have been replaced by a grittier tone and look. There are two "kill shots" in this film that are as real as it gets without getting a blood spatter on yourself.

"Mister, if I get out of this alive, I'm gettin' me a new partner."

The Defending Champion. "Collateral" is a wonderful film -- a maniacal ride with the devil. It shows off Mann's directing talent as much as anything he's done and it's a compelling story. Hit man Vincent forces cab driver Max to take him on his appointed rounds. Tom Cruise was a revelation in this film and Jamie Foxx grabbed our attention as an actor here even before he solidified his new hotness with "Ray." This film, "Collateral", was beautifully crafted from top to bottom. I'll still never forget that awesome shot of three coyotes crossing in front of Max's cab silently underscoring the thin hold that civilization has on the city of LA. Plus, there's a nightclub shoot-out staged to perfection.

The Scorecard. You can probably tell I liked both of these films. If I had to guess, though, I'd say that "Collateral" will remain the crowd pleaser to most people because it is a real story which reveals real character. You really do get hooked into Jamie Foxx's problem and Tom Cruise's lethal killer is one of the most original creations in that genre. In contrast, there's precious little to know about this new Crockett and Tubbs in "Miami Vice" except that they don't take shit from anybody and they don't particularly like their work.

The Decision. I have to go with the film that most surprised me when I saw it, that stuck with me for a long time after, and that made me tell friends they just had to see it. That film would be Collateral. It was a real pleasure seeing it again in order to write this review.