Blue Streak

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson, Peter Greene, Dave Chappelle, Nicole Ari Parker, John Hawkes
Directed by: Les Mayfield
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Comedy
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A diamond thief (Martin Lawrence) poses as a cop to retrieve a diamond he hid before his arrest, which is now in a police station.

Review:

Tim: Blue Streak is a thoroughly lackluster, lowest common denominator action comedy. It is a wholly forgettable film. There's almost nothing to like here.

The basic premise feels like it could have been created by a random crappy comedy premise generator- a thief poses as a cop to steal diamond. There is obviously some comedic potential here (mostly unrealized in this film), but it immediately pushes the boundaries of believability. Nevermind faking the credentials- the guy knows nothing about being a cop. Any real police officer would sniff that out in the first five minutes. The exact opposite happens here- people love him for his unconventional methods. Now, there is some merit to this idea and I like the thought of a criminal succeeding as a cop because he can think like a criminal and doesn't have to adhere to police protocols. This could have worked, but it's presented in such ridiculous fashion here that any realism completely evaporates early in the film.

Luke Wilson's character is completely underdeveloped. I think Wilson has some talent, so it's frustrating to see him play this complete imbecile of a police officer (until the very end, when he magically gets smart). Comedies should be funny, but they shouldn't present any character as a completely one-dimensional cardboard cutout of an actual human being. This is prevalent in the film and most noticeable in Wilson's character.

Lawrence does his thing in the lead role. I'm sure some people find him funny, and I suppose I do in very small doses. It's just obvious that he does not have the ability to carry a movie by himself (but man, does he keep trying). He's best as a #2 or part of the supporting cast. His stupid, over-the-top antics and loud yelling get very, very annoying. I didn't care much for him in this role. Dave Chappelle is a funny guy and has a few decent moments, but really has minimal impact on the overall film. The whole cast felt like they were pulled from the C-list bargain bin. I'm not sure anyone involved in this production actually cared about making a legitimately good movie. Just let Lawrence do his weird laugh and the bucks will roll in!

I'm probably hard on this movie because I really do think there was some potential here. The writers and director completely missed numerous opportunities to actually be funny. It felt like the jokes were completely mishandled- either with the wrong tone, the wrong timing, or just pushing it to absurd limits. It gives the whole film this sense that no one was trying too hard. It is pretty frustrating to watch that on screen. Blue Streak is only 93 minutes, but even still, it felt about 10-12 minutes too long. There was nothing compelling about the characters or the story. Far too many jokes fell flat. This is a film that manages to bungle both the action and comedy aspects. We're left with a completely disappointing film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Bad Boys, Big Momma's House