Self-mocking jokes prevail in F. Gary Gray's feisty cinematic version of Elmore Leonard's irreverent Los Angeles based novel.
Be Cool (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:165
Fresh:48
Rotten:117
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Be Cool is tepid, square, and lukewarm; as a parody of the music business, it has two left feet.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence, sensuality, and language including sexual references
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Mar 4, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $55,590,667
Synopsis: In this sequel to the 1995 mobster comedy GET SHORTY, John Travolta returns as Chili Palmer, a smooth-talking loanshark turned successful movie producer. But he's tired of the film industry, and so... In this sequel to the 1995 mobster comedy GET SHORTY, John Travolta returns as Chili Palmer, a smooth-talking loanshark turned successful movie producer. But he's tired of the film industry, and so he sets his sights on the music business, teaming up with music producer Edie (Uma Thurman)--the widow of a recently murdered colleague. Seeing great potential in an up-and-coming singer named Linda Moon (Christina Milian), Chili makes it his goal to rescue the young talent from her sleazy manager Raji (Vince Vaughn), and make her a star. But it doesn't take long for Chili to realize that in the music industry, not everybody plays by the rules. Combining organized crime and record label know-how as they infiltrate the music industry, Chili and Edie (Thurman) must free Moon from her contract with Raji and record label exec Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel), while fending off the Russian mafia and a whole slew of enemies, played by Cedric the Entertainer, and Andre Benjamin (of OutKast), among others. Director F. Gary Gray casts The Rock against type as Raji's flamboyant, aspiring-actor bodyguard, Elliot. In fact, the film's most humorous scene might be when Elliot breaks into Edie's home in order to show Chili a monologue from the film BRING IT ON. Overall, the film's tone is a self-referential one, established in the first five minutes by Chili's complaints over the nature of sequels and the PG-13 rating system itself. From here on out, the film's humor becomes more and more dependent on the audiences knowledge of all things pop culture, with a dance scene between Travolta and Thurman recalling their memorable pairing in PULP FICTION. [More]
Starring: Vince Vaughn, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Cedric the Entertainer
Starring: Vince Vaughn, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Cedric the Entertainer, Steven Tyler, Christina Milian, Harvey Keitel, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Danny DeVito, Robert Pastorelli, Paul Adelstein, James Woods, André Benjamin
Director: F. Gary Gray
Director: F. Gary Gray
Screenwriter: Peter Steinfeld
Producer: Danny DeVito, Stacey Sher, Michael Shamberg, David A. Nicksay
Composer: John Powell
Studio: MGM/UA
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Reviews for Be Cool
The characters are still engaging, but the story is a mess this time around.
Nothing here feels authentic--not the occasionally funny thugs or the supposed ‘street cred’ vibe that hits like a thud.
Less like a story than an assemblage of moments and top-notch character acting, but as far as cinematic trifles go, it's guilt-free.
There's some fun to be had here, but measured against Get Shorty, the movie doesn't fare so well.
The whole film is a great piece of eye candy with many LA sites and a lot of music and action.
...attempts to look effortless in seeming hip, but the wink-wink, nudge-nudge jokes about sequels, Hollywood, and the music world come off as familiar and self-congratulatory.
A half-hearted, loosey-goosey sequel so floppy and laid-back that it just sort of lounges on a sun chair and soaks up the audience's good intentions.
Funny and smart, nicely crafted without being overly artsy, and quirky but approachable. If only every sequel were this much fun.
Entretenida, obligada a quienes gustaron de las primeras aventuras de Chili Palmer, y con un soundtrack que sacará a más de uno a la pista de baile.
Latest News for Be Cool
June 26, 2007:
Travolta On the Fence About "Wild Hogs 2"
Everyone was shocked when "Wild Hogs" became one of the biggest hits of all four stars' careers. It made so much money that it seems like they'd have to make... More...
March 05, 2007:
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Moviegoers rallied behind the star-driven comedy "Wild Hogs," which raced to number one at the North American box office, zooming past all expectations from Disney.... More...
March 01, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Wild Hogs" Aims to Run Over "Ghost Rider"
One super hero on a motorcycle looks to get replaced by four middle-aged bikers at the number one spot at the North American box office this weekend. More...
September 18, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Gridiron Gang #1, but Box Office Still Fumbles
Wrestler-turned-actor The Rock suffered the worst opening of his career with the football drama Gridiron Gang, but thanks to weak competition, it was still enough to capture the... More...
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