---
title: "Miami Vice"
year: 2006
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/miami-vice-2006"
fi1m_id: "miami-vice-2006"
imdb_id: "tt0430357"
tmdb_id: 82
wikidata_id: "Q840495"
fi1m_score: 67
critics_score: 55
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-26T15:15:16.317673+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-26T15:15:17.372734+00:00"
region: "GB"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Miami Vice (2006)

Directed by Michael Mann · 2h 12m · BBFC 15 · Action, Crime, Thriller

## Identity

Miami Vice

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/miami-vice-2006
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** miami-vice-2006
- **IMDb ID:** tt0430357
- **TMDB ID:** 82
- **Wikidata ID:** Q840495
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430357/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/82, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q840495

**Fi1m score: 67** · Critics 55 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Nobody smiles, everyone murmurs, and the night sky over the Florida Straits ends up with the best part

> Michael Mann takes the television series he produced in the 1980s, strips out the pastels and the jokes, and shoots what is left on video in the dark. The pictures are remarkable; the story underneath them is told so quietly that we lost hold of it twice.

## Synopsis

Miami, the present day. Detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) are working a nightclub sting when their informant Alonzo Stevens (John Hawkes) rings from the motorway: a federal operation he was feeding has been blown, and the traffickers he sold out know where he lives. The leak must have come from inside the agencies, so FBI agent John Fujima (Ciarán Hinds) asks for two men nobody in Washington has heard of. Lieutenant Martin Castillo (Barry Shabaka Henley) signs off, Trudy Joplin (Naomie Harris) and Gina Calabrese (Elizabeth Rodriguez) run support, and Crockett and Tubbs pose as freelance smugglers with fast boats. Their way in is José Yero (John Ortiz), who guards the door for the cartel boss Arcángel de Jesús Montoya (Luis Tosar). Beside Yero at the first meeting sits Isabella (Gong Li), who moves Montoya’s money.

## Review

Michael Mann was one of the producers of the [*Miami Vice*](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice) television series in the 1980s, and twenty years later he has gone back and removed nearly everything anyone remembers about it. No pastel jackets, no daylight to speak of, no jokes. What remains are two names and a method: undercover men who stay under so long they stop coming up. Mann wrote the script himself, and the film he has made from it is one we admired steadily and understood in patches.

Dion Beebe shoots on digital video, as he did for Mann on [*Collateral*](https://film.one/film/collateral) (2004), and the cameras are used for the one thing film stock could not do, which is see at night. The skies over Miami and the sea have cloud in them, banked up and lit from below by the city, and lightning goes off on the horizon behind conversations that never mention it. Skin comes out grey and faintly grainy, headlights bloom, and water at speed looks like beaten metal. The film’s best passage has almost no dialogue: two fast boats crossing to Cuba for a drink. It moved us more than a scene of two people not talking had any right to, and we think it was the sky, and the fact that Mann simply let it run.

Colin Farrell wears a moustache and a mullet and talks in a low mutter that does not always reach the microphone. It is a choice, a man who has stopped performing for anyone, and it costs the film a number of lines we wanted. Jamie Foxx is the stiller of the two and the better for it; his Tubbs has a patience that reads as command. Their scenes together are short and businesslike, and anyone waiting for the old banter will wait through the whole film. Naomie Harris gives Trudy a warmth the film otherwise rations, and her scenes with Foxx at home are the only ones in which anybody looks comfortable. Gong Li’s English is stiff, and Mann plainly knows it; he shoots her face and lets the lines go, and that works about half the time.

John Ortiz plays Yero as a man who dislikes everyone at his table and has to keep smiling at them, and he is the most alive thing in the film. The gunfights are short and loud and the bullets sound as if they hurt; the late one had us properly frightened for people we were not sure we liked.

The trouble is the story the pictures are carrying. Mann tells it the way his characters talk, in the shorthand of people who already know, and Paul Rubell and William Goldenberg have cut it so that we arrive in each scene after it has started. That is a fair way to make a film about professionals, and [*Heat*](https://film.one/film/heat) (1995) did it while still making sure we knew who wanted what. Here we twice lost hold of who was cheating whom and why a second set of criminals mattered at all, and the film did not slow down to help. Somewhere past the ninety-minute mark we noticed we were waiting for the next boat rather than the next development, which is the wrong thing to be waiting for in a thriller.

Michael Kaplan and Janty Yates put Farrell in pale linen that never quite sits right and Foxx in black that does. John Murphy’s score is washes of synthesiser under the surveillance scenes, and it is fine there; when it swells for the romance it is telling us to feel something the two faces on screen have not yet agreed to.

Against Mann’s own record this sits below *Heat* and beside *Collateral*, which had the same cameras and a far simpler story to tell. Mann cares more about how these men stand around waiting for a phone to ring than about what happens once it does, and if you can share that, there are stretches here you will not find in many other crime films. Watch it at night. The plot will not become clearer, but you will mind less, and that is roughly the deal on offer. It runs 132 minutes and carries a 15.

*Fi1m score 67, published 26 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean mixed, and nearly everyone agrees on the same point: this is a film to look at rather than to follow. Michael Mann’s nighttime photography of Miami draws the warmest words, with Empire going so far as to call the city itself the film’s true star. Most critics also credit the brooding atmosphere and the bursts of action with holding the crime drama together when the plot will not.

Where they part is over what lies beneath the surface. The larger group finds the story thin, sometimes opaque, and stretched across too long a runtime. The spread is wide. The New York Times admires the moody reinvention of the series, while The Guardian calls it a major disappointment despite the cinematography. Total Film enjoys the urgency between Farrell and Foxx; The Guardian finds their chemistry weak. Radio Times singles out Gong Li’s trouble with her lines, and The Skinny objects to the score and the unresolved ending.

## Straight answers

**Is Miami Vice worth watching?**

*Miami Vice* is worth watching for anyone who cares more about how Michael Mann's undercover men wait around at night than about following who is cheating whom, and we scored it 67. Dion Beebe's digital night photography is remarkable and the boat crossing to Cuba is the best thing in it, but we lost hold of the plot twice and the film did not slow down to help.

**How long is Miami Vice, and what is it rated?**

*Miami Vice* runs 2h 12m and is rated 15 by the BBFC in the UK. It is an action and crime film.

**Where can I watch Miami Vice in the UK?**

*Miami Vice* is streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the UK, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from £3.49. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Miami Vice, and is it suitable for children?**

*Miami Vice* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children. The gunfights are short and loud, the bullets sound as if they hurt, and the late one had us properly frightened for people we were not sure we liked. Teenagers of fifteen and over who can sit through a long, murmured crime thriller will manage it; the squeamish should expect the violence to land hard when it comes.

**How does Miami Vice compare to Heat?**

*Miami Vice* is the quieter and more confusing of the two Michael Mann crime films, and [*Heat*](https://film.one/film/heat) is the better one. Both follow professionals who already know what they want, but *Heat* leaves room for its people to talk and makes sure we know who wants what, while *Miami Vice* tells its story in shorthand and lets the night sky carry the weight. Choose *Heat* for the story and *Miami Vice* for the pictures.

**What should I watch after Miami Vice?**

After *Miami Vice*, try [*Heat*](https://film.one/film/heat) (1995, Fi1m 91): Mann’s fullest version of the same idea, with room left for the people to talk. Then [*Infernal Affairs*](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs) (2002, Fi1m 87): Two undercover men who have been under too long, told fast and cleanly from Hong Kong; and [*Le Samouraï*](https://film.one/film/le-samourai) (1967, Fi1m 88): Alain Delon says almost nothing for ninety minutes and the film loses nothing by it.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (75/100, inferred): Dargis gives the film a positive verdict, appreciating its moody, modern reinvention of the television series. She particularly praises Michael Mann’s atmospheric visual style. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/28/movies/28vice.html)
- **Time Out**, Geoff Andrew (65/100, inferred): The available page metadata identifies this as a review, but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. The visible description provides context about Michael Mann’s career without singling out a specific strength or weakness in the film. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/miami-vice-1)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jeremiah Kipp (2.5/4): Kipp finds the film stylish but superficial, with a thin story and underdeveloped characters that make its long runtime drag. He praises Farrell and Foxx’s charismatic screen presence, especially when they are in action. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/miami-vice/)
- **Empire**, Simon Braund (3/5): Braund finds the film flawed and overlong, but stylish and vastly superior entertainment. He especially praises Mann’s breathtaking nighttime images of Miami, which become the film’s true star. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/miami-vice-review/)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The review finds the film a stylish, grown-up spectacle, though its drama can feel limp and over-styled. It praises the visual grit and the urgent chemistry between Farrell and Foxx, while criticizing Farrell’s swaggering performance. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/miami-vice-review/)
- **Variety**, Brian Lowry (50/100, inferred): Lowry finds the film stylish and atmospheric but overblown, with little substance and a sometimes opaque story. He praises Mann’s mastery of brooding atmosphere and the bursts of action that bolster the crime drama. [Read](https://variety.com/2006/film/reviews/miami-vice-1200514626/)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (2/5): The critic finds the film overblown and confusing. They single out Gong Li’s struggle with her lines as a weakness. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-bp4ya8/miami-vice/)
- **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (30/100, inferred): Mackie finds the film a major disappointment despite its visual polish. He praises its glorious cinematography but faults the weak chemistry and mundane plot. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/dec/01/dvdreviews.actionandadventure1)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty (65/100, inferred): Carty finds the film stylish and better than routine action fare, but ultimately flawed by its confusing plot and restrained performances. He particularly praises Mann’s cinematography and urban visuals, while faulting the camerawork and lack of character interaction. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/miami-vice-film-review-by-stephen-carty)
- **The Skinny**, Robbie Thomson (★★): The review finds the remake formulaic and frustrating even as entertainment. It criticises the superficial romance, cheesy score, and unresolved ending. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/miami-vice?amp=)

## Details

- **Director:** Michael Mann
- **Director:** Michael Mann
- **Writer:** Michael Mann
- **Cinematography:** Dion Beebe
- **Editor:** William Goldenberg, Paul Rubell
- **Music:** John Murphy
- **Production design:** Victor Kempster
- **Costume design:** Janty Yates, Michael Kaplan
- **Producer:** Michael Mann, Pieter Jan Brugge
- **Cast:** Colin Farrell as Det. James 'Sonny' Crockett; Jamie Foxx as Det. Ricardo 'Rico' Tubbs; Naomie Harris as Det. Trudy Joplin; Gong Li as Isabella; John Ortiz as José Yero; Ciarán Hinds as FBI Agent John Fujima; Justin Theroux as Det. Larry Zito; Barry Shabaka Henley as Lt. Martin Castillo
- **Runtime:** 2h 12m
- **Certificate (BBFC):** 15
- **Release (the UK):** 4 August 2006
- **Genres:** Action, Crime, Thriller
- **Budget:** $135 million
- **Box office:** $164 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxv9ck8Xrio

## Where to watch in the UK

- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: streaming
- Apple TV: rent £3.49, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent £3.49, hd
- Apple TV: buy £5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy £5.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-26.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Heat* (1995), Fi1m 91: Mann’s fullest version of the same idea, with room left for the people to talk. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/heat.md)
- *Thief* (1981): Mann’s first feature: one professional, one job, and Chicago at night in the rain.
- *Infernal Affairs* (2002), Fi1m 87: Two undercover men who have been under too long, told fast and cleanly from Hong Kong. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs.md)
- *Le Samouraï* (1967), Fi1m 88: Alain Delon says almost nothing for ninety minutes and the film loses nothing by it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/le-samourai.md)
- *Sicario* (2015), Fi1m 80: Cartel work seen from the outside, with a border crossing shot as pure dread. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sicario.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/miami-vice-2006