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Despite a nose dive at the box office , the 2006 theatrical release of Miami Vice didn't get it completely wrong. At least not if you consider the intent which was to bring the iconic tv series to the big screen and pull viewers into a modern Miami . Though the main characters were horribly miscast and the actors who played them ( Collin Farrell & Jamie Fox ) had zero chemestry , unlike Don & Phillip who were electric , there were some positives within the way they were written . For instance , Tubbs is a skilled pilot and seems to be more of a polished negotiator than Crockett and the latter is actually fond of dancing , something Don's Sonny avoided like a deadly disease . Farrell's Crockett also has no sense of humor and is as serious about taking a shower or ordering a Mojito as he is about shooting drug dealers . Tubbs is nearly as serious which , given the intensity of the work they do is understandable . If Fox and Farrell had actually gotten along , the Crockett & Tubbs might have survived the on screen imbalance in personalities . What also stands out is that the violent world Sonny & Rico navigate calls for violence of an equal hand . Here is where Mann delivers . The gun play and fighting are plenty realistic and delivers what the show could not due to censorship . Other successful elements are camera work , location shots and staging .You get a look at a dirty and dank side of Miami which mirrors the people they are matched against . If only Mann had made more use of it . Music is appropriate and matches the mood of the film . Wardrobe , car and boat choices were also a plus when selling the " new Miami " to an audience used to bright scenery and sprawling ocean shots . Gone are the pastel tees and white suits from the 80's . Though color is once again back in men's fashion in 2018 , it hadn't started its climb back into mainstream men's fashion in 2006 so what Sonny & Rico wore was more indicative of what the " hip guys " were wearing then . Where I feel the film fell short was story , as it was typical and thin . It felt rushed and like the climactic gun battle was meant to be the centerpiece . Casting was a mistake across the board . Not one single character was a fit , even for a " fresh " perspective on an old classic . I have to admit seeing Gina ( played by Elizabeth Rodriguez ) being a badass with an assault rifle was quite a thrill though . Even so , character development was poorly achieved . Audiences were unable to connect with any of the characters because none of them were frankly worth caring about with the possible exception of Alonzo who died in the first 20 minutes or so . The few likable things in this film were just not enough to save it . The idea of a " modern Miami " was , in theory , a good one but the film was crushed under the weight of carrying the title of an iconic tv series and the names of two of the most iconic characters in American television history . If Miami Vice ever makes it back to the big screen , maybe a blast from the past , from white Linen suits and sockless espadrilles to Elvis the alligator taking up residence aboard the St Vitus Dance wouldn't be a bad idea .