Be Cool

Tonight on March 10 2005, I picked a movie at random to see and the crap shoot tossed up one called Be Cool, which was playing at Coral Ride Mall for the 9:15 evening showtime. Arrive at the theatre too late, your choices become very limited in what is left to watch.

I had no idea about the plot, so I only knew from the small movie sign I saw as I walked into it that John Travolta and Uma Thurman would be the main stars. As I began watching the film, I realized this is a sequel to the Get Shorty movie from 1995 starring John Travolta and Danny DeVito. I only vaguely remember watching parts of that movie, so I don't really recall the prior film sufficiently to see how this one stacked up. I can say that, sequel aside, this is a pretty decent movie. It starts out paying lip service to let us know that the film is a sequel by having John Travolta's Chili Palmer character discussing with James Woods (as Tommy Athens) about how he was forced into making a sequel. Chili is a movie producer, a prior shylock (the word they use throughout the movie to describe his former life as a loan shark), and the ultimate cool dude. He doesn't let anything phase him, and the movie is mainly a vehicle to show how Chili is cool.

John Travolta is not an actor I particulary enjoy in films, but he does a good job playing this role. Uma Thurman is cute as the widow that he either helps or seduces, whichever way you want to look at it, in his foray into the music business. The comedy is ok, and the music includes Aerosmith in concert. Everything fits together nicely if too conveniently, and this is just a light comedy without any really serious themes or involvements. People do die, but it seems to not really matter too much along the way, and you feel a little cooler yourself at the end for not letting it get to you either.

The movie does well overall, so the ranking for this one is a decent for getting some light-hearted laughs and being enjoyable.

Please feel free to comment on this review or on the movie itself at the forum thread devoted to it at this location.