A review by John Beachem
* * * 1/2
CAST Martin Lawrence - Miles Logan Luke Wilson - Carlson Peter Greene - Deacon Dave Chappelle - Tulley Nicole Parker - Melissa Green
`Blue Streak', Martin Lawrence's newest outing and first appearance without a big name star by his side (Life, Bad Boys), may be cliched and formulaic, but it entertains, none the less. However, be warned that if you're not a Martin Lawrence fan you should stay far away from this film, as it is carried almost entirely by his comic antics.
The story opens with a gang of high-tech thieves led by Miles Logan breaking into what appears to be a jewelry store. The robbery has just been completed, when one of the gang pulls a double cross and accidentally alerts the police. Miles manages to secure the stolen gem in an air duct of an uncompleted building before the police catch him. Two years later, released from prison, Miles goes back to recover his prize only to discover that the building is now a police station. What is the most obvious solution? Why, to disguise himself as a cop and join the ranks of course.
As a by-the-numbers piece of film making, it is fairly easy to guess the outcome of this movie from the start, though I won't reveal it here. In fact, the only things that truly make this worth seeing are the performances by Martin Lawrence and Luke Wilson as his likable, yet incredibly naive partner. Lawrence's talent stems mainly from his exaggerated speech and facial expressions, and he puts this talent to good use here. Just watch his expressions in a scene in which a dozen or so cops have cornered him and are asking what his opinion is about some new piece of police equipment.
Unfortunately, there are some rather large problems with this movie in addition to the predictable script. First, there are several utterly pointless characters such as Melissa Green, a defense attorney who appears in only three or four scenes, and is apparently present only so the audience can dislike her. The film's largest annoyance comes from Tulley, who is a friend of Logan's from the jewel heist. Chappelle has such a whiny, obnoxious voice that I saw several people in the audience cringing whenever he spoke.
Despite these problems, the movie is a lot of fun, and Lawrence is clearly having the time of his life making it. I simply hope that next time he finds a more original script to house his rather considerable comic talent. For delivering a lot of chuckles and a few belly laughs, I give `Blue Streak' three and a half stars and a recommendation to try and catch a matinee.
* * * * * - One of the greatest movies ever made, see it now. * * * * - Great flick. Try and catch this one. * * * - Okay movie, hits and misses. * * - Pretty bad. See it if you've got nothing better to do. * - One of the worst movies ever. See it only if you enjoy pain.
E-mail with comments at: JABII@aol.com
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