Universal Movie   •••½ Picture   •••• Sound   •••• Extras   ••••

All of Michael Mann's movies exude style, but this may be his most visually arresting work yet. Fortunately, the transfer keeps up with him, delivering all the subtle changes in contrast and color saturation that signal an imminent shift in location as the undercover-cop-and-drug-lords tale plays out. You can almost feel the golden light and humid air of the exotic settings.

Miami Vice has the kind of moody electronic score that accompanies most Mann films, with well-chosen hard rock used to add a sense of dread, and it all sounds dense and powerful in this 5.1-channel mix. And just like the best of his films, the writer/director's commentary is packed full of information and insight. The 45 minutes of documentary segments — examining topics like real-life undercover cops and the incredibly fast racing boats that appear in the movie — are equally effective. [R] English and French, Dolby Digital 5.1; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.

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