“Be Cool”




 

 

"Be Cool"


Directed by: F. Gary Gray


Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, The Rock, Cedric the Entertainer and Harvey Keitel


Rated: PG-13 (for brief violence, adult language)


Running time: 111 minutes


Best suited for: Chili Palmer die-hards


Least suited for: those who understand that déjà vu is not a French term for "brilliant"


Acorn’s Rating Guide:


2 acorns

"Be Cool" follows the continuing escapades of ex-Miami shylock Chili Palmer (John Travolta), who came to L.A. on Mob business (in 1995’s "Get Shorty") and inadvertently wound up in the movie business. Chili’s a Brooklyn-born tough guy who rarely has to use more than a well-modulated threat to get his point across. Hollywood muscle—apparently as phony as the stars to whom the town caters—proved no match for Chili, who’s as charmingly naïve as he is tough. "Get Shorty" worked because of that naiveté (which also worked for Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop"). In "Be Cool" Chili’s still in town, still making films, but he’s no longer inexperienced in the ways of La La Land. In fact, he’s weary of the movie biz, looking to move in other directions.


When Chili’s friend, an indie record producer named Tommy, gets killed in a drive-by shooting, the incident provides Chili with the perfect career move. It seems that Tommy’s wife, Edie (Uma Thurman), can’t quite manage the struggling label on her own. Tommy was cooking the books, in debt to both the Russian Mafia and a gangsta rap mogul. So Edie needs Chili and Chili wants Edie’s connections. But when Chili stumbles across "The Next Big Thing," the sweet-voiced Linda Moon (Christina Milian), suddenly everyone wants a piece of him.


"Be Cool" becomes a parody of "Get Shorty" long before it realizes it (or hopes we do), and the film proceeds to poke fun at its predecessor’s success. Why? Because it doesn’t quite know what else to do. Almost every aspect of "Be Cool" was already done—and done much better—in "Get Shorty." Since Chili’s already a "made man" in Hollywood, he can’t even use his bewildered naiveté to our advantage. He’s simply another player. Where "Get Shorty" gleefully doled out coincidences—the steppingstones of Chili’s success in Hollywood—like manna from heaven, "Be Cool" spits them out like rapid gunfire, hoping we’ll duck instead of pay attention. Even the marvelous ending in "Get Shorty"—remember the infamous locker key?—is simply rehashed as a pawn ticket.


There’s the empathetic bodyguard ("The Rock" replaces James Gandolfini), the bumbling incompetent (Vince Vaughn replaces Gene Hackman) and the thug out for revenge (Harvey Keitel replaces Dennis Ferina). Even Thurman plays the same tough but tender love interest that Rene Russo so marvelously portrayed in "Get Shorty."


"Be Cool" throws in a couple of MTV-style musical numbers; we get snippets from Black Eyed Peas and from Aerosmith—with a mostly insipid cameo by Steven Tyler. It’s as if the filmmakers are trying to tell us, "Yes, yes, we know the music biz. Here’s proof!" And does anyone in rap not carry a big gun? Frankly, the effort falls flat.


Okay, so there are a few funny moments in the film. And Chili Palmer fits Travolta’s persona quite well, the few times that Chili’s given room to maneuver. It’s a good cast that stands around with too little to do—and when they do it, it’s already been done before. Travolta and Thurman even dance together. What a concept.


In a nutshell: The secret of the successful sequel is in covering new ground, not in rehashing the same old stuff. "Be Cool" is one sequel that didn’t need to be made, or else needed to be made much better. If you want to see Chili Palmer at his best, rent "Get Shorty." The best has already come and gone.


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