From Deseret News archives:
Be Cool
Film review
But this long-in-development sequel to "Get Shorty" commits more offenses against coolness than its obsession with those dinosaur rockers.
John Travolta reprises his "Get Shorty" role as former mobster Chili Palmer, who's had more than his fill of the movie business. So he's looking to get into the music industry. Unfortunately, Chili's "connected" friend Tommy Athens (James Woods) has just been murdered.
Still, that doesn't stop Chili from making big promises to Lisa Moon (Christina Milian), a talented singer who is stuck fronting a go-nowhere girl group — even though her tough-talking manager, Raji (Vince Vaughn), isn't about to let Lisa break her contract to go solo.
Chili is also romancing his friend's widow (Uma Thurman), contending with Russian mobsters and trying to deal with a Suge Knight-style impresario (Cedric the Entertainer).
"Be Cool" has its tongue lodged so firmly in its cheek that it practically chokes on it. Rather than trying to develop characters, it's filled with shallow stereotypes and caricatures. And in place of a story is a nonstop barrage of music- and entertainment-business jokes that simply aren't funny.
The film is also so crammed with subplots and supporting characters that it's practically bursting at the seams. Little of it works, however, though the non-actors in the cast do provide a few bright spots. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson steals his scenes and breaks out of his tough-guy image as Raji's gay bodyguard. And musicians Milian and Andre Benjamin (a k a Andre 3000, from Grammy-winning hip-hop act Outkast) have some big-screen presence.
All three are considerably more appealing than Travolta, who appears to be wearing Count Dracula's hairpiece. His relationship with Thurman's character fizzles rather than sizzles. (The film also seems to think that having Travolta and Thurman reprise their dance-floor routine from "Pulp Fiction" is a pretty nifty idea, too.)
Even the usually dependable Vaughn irritates more than he entertains.
"Be Cool" is rated PG-13 for use of strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), violence (shootings and beatings), use of racial epithets and ethnic slurs, and some crude humor and vulgar sexual references. Running time: 114 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com
