Based on the 1980s TV action/drama, this update focuses on vice detectives Crockett and Tubbs as their respective personal and professional lives become dangerously intertwined.
Ricardo Tubbs is urbane and dead smart. He lives with Bronx-born Intel analyst Trudy, as they work undercover transporting drug loads into South Florida to identify a group responsible for three murders. Sonny Crockett [to the untrained eye, his presentation may seem unorthodox, but procedurally, he is sound] is charismatic and flirtatious until - while undercover working with the supplier of the South Florida group - he gets romantically entangled with Isabella, the Chinese-Cuban wife of an arms and drugs trafficker. The best undercover identity is oneself with the volume turned up and restraint unplugged. The intensity of the case pushes Crockett and Tubbs out onto the edge where identity and fabrication become blurred, where cop and player become one - especially for Crockett in his romance with Isabella and for Tubbs in the provocation of an assault on those he loves.Written by
achinn
When Crockett and Isabella go to Cuba, they have mojitos at La Bodeguita del Medio. The Bodeguita is in a closed-in neighborhood in Havana Vieja on a small street, about 6 blocks from the nearest docks, and with no ocean or highway view. Yet the ocean and highways are visible in one scene. See more »
Although there were no opening credits in the theatrical release, the Unrated Director's Cut contains credits over a new sequence that opens the film. Once the credits are done, the film begins in the nightclub scene that opened the theatrical version. See more »
Alternate Versions
The unrated director's cut adds 7 minutes of unseen footage:
A 3 minute long boat race with opening credits
After the boat race there is a 1 minute scene where Crockett and Tubbs watch Detective Switek negotiate a deal with Neptune.
A line of dialogue from Alonzo (when hes driving) where he says "pick up some sh*t" has been removed
A line of dialogue where Crockett says "those are some skill sets" when looking at the satellite images of the speed boats has been removed
A brief, 30 second, scene where Nicholas calls Yero to set up the deal with Crockett and Tubbs
A scene from the theatrical cut when Crockett and Tubbs walk around an outside balcony at their hotel and walk in on Isabella and her men has been deleted. In the unrated cut, they go into their hotel room, they get a phone call, and they go to meet Montoya.
4 minutes of new footage over two scenes: After meeting Montoya, Tubbs calls Trudy to ask if everything is alright. She thanks him for some flowers that were sent to her. Tubbs tells her he didn't send them. After this phone call Tubbs and Trudy are in a diner talking about the flowers and how its part of being undercover.
A new shot in the airplane sequence where Tubbs identifies himself as flight zero-zero-zero and Zito in the other plane acknowledges him.
A 1 minute scene of Crockett and Isabella on a balcony when they are in Cuba. Isabella tells Crockett that she grew up in this house and how her mother was a surgeon.
The song "In the air tonight" performed by Nonpoint now plays leading up to the final shootout
When Isabella is coming over for the exchange before the shootout, someone saying "where you going bitch?" has been removed
A 1 minute scene after Crockett and Isabella leave the shootout, she hits and punches Crockett while he's driving. The car skids out and he ties her hands up.
A brief shot at the safe house when Crockett cut Isabella's hands free
The end credits have been shortened (because of the new opening credits) and Nonpoint's "In the air tonight" no longer plays. Now the credits play "One of these mornings" performed by Moby. (The Moby song is the second song during the theatrical credits)
Strict Machine (We Are Glitter Goldfrapp Mix)
Written by Alison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory (as William Owen Gregory), Nick Batt
Performed by Goldfrapp / Sasha Edit
Courtesy of Mute Records
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music See more »
User Reviews
A difficult but ultimately exhilarating piece of cinema
There is almost a documentary quality to this movie. Aside from one short sequence the film almost exclusively focuses on the characters at work. In essence the film is about two groups of exceptionally competent professionals- one set cops, one drug dealers - at work. And their work is a cat and mouse conflict between the two. There are almost no exposition or explanatory scenes. Similarly the film makes no concessions to the viewers in terms of the use professional jargon and language. The viewer is thrown in at the deep end, as in many documentaries, and has to work out for themselves what is going on.
In other words the film treats its viewers as intelligent people and challenges them to understand. If you are prepared to accept the film on these terms then it is quite a stunning experience - beautifully shot, well acted, with some exceptional and realistic action sequences - by one of the finest directors alive.
This film is several leagues ahead of the brainless pulp that often passes for thrillers or action movies. Outstanding.
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There is almost a documentary quality to this movie. Aside from one short sequence the film almost exclusively focuses on the characters at work. In essence the film is about two groups of exceptionally competent professionals- one set cops, one drug dealers - at work. And their work is a cat and mouse conflict between the two. There are almost no exposition or explanatory scenes. Similarly the film makes no concessions to the viewers in terms of the use professional jargon and language. The viewer is thrown in at the deep end, as in many documentaries, and has to work out for themselves what is going on.
In other words the film treats its viewers as intelligent people and challenges them to understand. If you are prepared to accept the film on these terms then it is quite a stunning experience - beautifully shot, well acted, with some exceptional and realistic action sequences - by one of the finest directors alive.
This film is several leagues ahead of the brainless pulp that often passes for thrillers or action movies. Outstanding.