Today’s quick review: Be Cool. After witnessing the murder of a record executive by Russian gangsters, movie producer Chili Palmer (John Travolta) goes into business with the man’s widow, Edie Athens (Uma Thurman). As Edie scrounges up the $300,000 her husband owed to Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer), Chili tries to poach a promising young singer (Christina Milian) from her abusive manager (Vince Vaughn) and his boss (Harvey Keitel).
Be Cool is a crime comedy and the sequel to Get Shorty. The movie follows an ex-loan shark’s further adventures in Los Angeles, this time as he tries to break into the music industry. Be Cool keeps the same lead and overall tone as the first movie but swaps out most of the supporting cast. It scores some points thanks to Travolta’s performance, but recycled jokes and an unfocused plot make it a step down from the original.
Be Cool tries to hit the same beats as Get Shorty, but it has less skill. Many of the gags are lifted verbatim and end up being too predictable. The less direct references take the form of characters and situations that echo the first film but have a new twist. Unfortunately, the new additions are mediocre at best. The characters are not as fresh, the conflicts are not as compelling, and the writing trends towards self-indulgence.
Be Cool can still be a fun watch, largely due to Chili’s unique personality and a slew of jokes that halfway hit the mark. Anyone looking for a light crime movie with a chaotic plot may want to check it out. But anyone hoping for a polished and original movie in the tradition of Get Shorty will be disappointed; Be Cool apes the superficial aspects of its predecessor without carving out enough of an identity of its own.
For another crime movie starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman, check out Pulp Fiction. For a crime comedy in the same vein, try The Whole Nine Yards. For a Hollywood mystery with a comedic bent, try Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Finally, for a chaotic crime movie with more even storytelling, try Jackie Brown.
[5.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377471/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for modest entertainment value that’s missing the spark of the original.