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Amazon.co.uk Review
Be Cool takes its own advice: It's slick, Hollywood entertainment that kills two amusing hours with relative ease and comfort. Better than leftovers but not as tasty as a full-course meal, this sequel to 1995's hit comedy Get Shorty (and based on Elmore Leonard's 1999 sequel novel) finds former loan shark Chili Palmer (John Travolta) itching to get out of the movie business, so he hooks up with a newly widowed music executive (Uma Thurman) to launch the career of an up-'n-coming Beyoncé-like singer (newcomer Christina Milian). A mock-black manager (Vince Vaughn), his sleazy boss (Harvey Keitel), and an upscale gangsta-rap executive (Cedric the Entertainer) all have a competing stake in the fast-rising pop diva's future, and this sets the plot rolling in a fun but rather hand-me-down fashion that lacks the savvy panache of Get Shorty but still provides plenty of lightweight humor. The Rock and Outkast's André Benjamin provide the best laughs in supporting roles that effortlessly relieve the movie from the symptoms of sequelitis. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
DVD Description
Disenchanted with the movie industry, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) tries the music industry, meeting and romancing a widow of a music exec (Uma Thurman) on the way.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Be Cool has a similar feel to Get Shorty, but the plot is not quite so clever. None the less it makes for enjoyable viewing and I didn't feel I had wasted my time by renting it. John Travolta is right at home in his role - oozing confidence through out the film. There are lots of other top actors and singers in here as well and they all look as if they are really enjoying themselves. I would recommend this even if if is not quite as good as Get Shorty.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Before I saw this sequel, I had heard and read that it was a terrible film. However, Be Cool is still an enjoyable comedy even if it's not as good as the original. It's full of so much self-deprecating humor that you can't help but cut it a break. I laughed quite a few times, and there are a lot of fun moments.
However, the film is a bit uneven. The movie tries hard to find the humor in hit men and quirky characters, but it often seems to be trying a bit too hard. John Travolta reprises his role as Chili Palmer, Hollywood gangster, who now turns his eye to the music business. Using his "negotiation skills," he tries to run an independent record label with the wife of a murdered friend, played by Uma Thurman, and try to get his young singer (Christina Milian) a hit record.
An impressive cast is what saves the movie from sinking. The best performance is given by The Rock and it's nice to see him in a different type of role. Vince Vaughn also gives a funny performance though he started to get annoying before the end. Surprisingly, Uma Thurman gives an average performance and I was expecting more from her. John Travolta done an average job in his role but his performance was kind of dull. Christina Milian gives a horrible performance and she's also not that good of a singer. Cedric the Entertainer gives a good performance though he isn't in the film for very long. Andre 3000 had some funny moments and done a decent job as well. There are also a bunch of cameos including Steven Tyler and James Wood.
F. Gary Gray directs and he does a poor job. He just doesn't handle the film very well and the movie is kind of a mess. There was also a ton of product placement and it got annoying after awhile. Also at 118 minutes, the film is too long and there are a lot of slow spots. The film needed to be edited badly and it clearly wasn't. Fortunately for the film, the actors are able to rise above the weak direction and script and they deliver some funny scenes. Sometimes, the film tried too hard while other times it was actually pretty funny. Compared to the original, the sequel doesn't measure up well. However, Be Cool is a fairly harmless and forgettable comedy. In the end, Be Cool is worth a rental and that's it.
However, the film is a bit uneven. The movie tries hard to find the humor in hit men and quirky characters, but it often seems to be trying a bit too hard. John Travolta reprises his role as Chili Palmer, Hollywood gangster, who now turns his eye to the music business. Using his "negotiation skills," he tries to run an independent record label with the wife of a murdered friend, played by Uma Thurman, and try to get his young singer (Christina Milian) a hit record.
An impressive cast is what saves the movie from sinking. The best performance is given by The Rock and it's nice to see him in a different type of role. Vince Vaughn also gives a funny performance though he started to get annoying before the end. Surprisingly, Uma Thurman gives an average performance and I was expecting more from her. John Travolta done an average job in his role but his performance was kind of dull. Christina Milian gives a horrible performance and she's also not that good of a singer. Cedric the Entertainer gives a good performance though he isn't in the film for very long. Andre 3000 had some funny moments and done a decent job as well. There are also a bunch of cameos including Steven Tyler and James Wood.
F. Gary Gray directs and he does a poor job. He just doesn't handle the film very well and the movie is kind of a mess. There was also a ton of product placement and it got annoying after awhile. Also at 118 minutes, the film is too long and there are a lot of slow spots. The film needed to be edited badly and it clearly wasn't. Fortunately for the film, the actors are able to rise above the weak direction and script and they deliver some funny scenes. Sometimes, the film tried too hard while other times it was actually pretty funny. Compared to the original, the sequel doesn't measure up well. However, Be Cool is a fairly harmless and forgettable comedy. In the end, Be Cool is worth a rental and that's it.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's a real shame. What could have been an amazing follow up to an outstanding adaptation of Elmore Leonard's work falls flat. Painfully so. The script feels like a rerun of Get Shorty but lacks the charm or humour. Perhaps the lengthy wait between this and the original is part of the problem. You get the sense that the actors are merely going through the motions. The jokes which were funny in the first instalment of Chili Palmer's life are now reused to ill effect. The plot revolves around Chili entering the music business following the death of his friend, former gangster Tommy Athens. In theory, it could have had the same satirical bite at the music industry as Get Shorty had for the movie business. Instead it goes for cheap, obvious laughs. The characters encountered come across as caricatures and despite the best efforts of Vince Vaughn, The Rock and Cedric the entertainer it is at times painful to watch. My personal favourite is the appalling cameo scene with Steven Tyler. The dialogue is so bad the embarrassment is almost tangible. Its noticeble that the successful adapters of Elmore Leonard's material, namely Scott Frank and Quentin Tarantino stayed as far away from the script as possible. The script lacks most of the razor sharp dialogue Elmore Leonard is famous for; instead, it relies on making repeated references Get Shorty as though this will, in part make the viewer remember why they liked Chili Palmer in the first place. Sadly, it isn't enough to carry the film. It is probably best for all concerned to forget Be Cool and instead revisit Get Shorty.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Time killer
Not as good and smart as "get shorty", slightly worn out, however this does help kill time, also for the fast-paced dialogue. Read more
Published 16 months ago by F. Panin
Be Cool
Arrived on time and was inexpensive to buy. Excellent movie, most enjoyable to watch. Don't hesitate at this price, why P to P for a rubbish copy.
Published 22 months ago by Mr. S. Ball Ball Property
Dull, listless sequel to a brilliant original
Good cast, good author to work from, good first film - what could go wrong..?
Well, to be honest, it seemed like none of the actors was given any direction or notes on... Read more
Well, to be honest, it seemed like none of the actors was given any direction or notes on... Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2009 by Mr. M. Poole
for people who like mafia/gangster movies with less violence and...
Elmore Leonard's novels are bestsellers but this film based on one of them certainly was not.Like its predecessor - Get Shorty - there were lots of jokes that didn't quite come off... Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2008 by dan the fan
Lots of actors no substance
I new this movie was made for TV but I figured that with so many well know actors that it would rival real movies. I was wrong. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2008 by bernie
A FUNNY INSIGHT INTO THE MUSIC BUSINESS
Hi and welcomer to my review of Be Cool.
John Travolta is back as Chili Palmer in Get Shorty's sequel, "Be Cool". Read more
John Travolta is back as Chili Palmer in Get Shorty's sequel, "Be Cool". Read more
Published on 18 April 2007 by PSN: Funeral-Bringer
Cool confused with quality and content
Did anyone connected with this film know whether it was supposed to be a comedy, musical or drama? For sure John Travolta and Uma Thurmann (rather a favourite of mine) didn't even... Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2007 by pointone
I kaughed out loud (quite often) which is unusual for me!
Ask anyone who knows me !
I love comedy and smile a hell of a lot but it's not often I watch something on my own and find myself laughing out loud. Read more
I love comedy and smile a hell of a lot but it's not often I watch something on my own and find myself laughing out loud. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2006 by fivestarfrankie
Utterly Dire, minus scores should be allowed!
Easily in the top ten of excruciatingly bad movies of all time. Not funny bad like Cat Woman, just plain embarrassingly, walk out of a cinema bad. Read more
Published on 26 July 2006 by Useless Article
.....what?!
I'm not sure about all these bad reviews I've been seeing... This has to be one of the best films I've seen in a while! Read more
Published on 8 July 2006 by Mr. A. L. Cooper
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