Two is not the loneliest number since the number one, regardless of what Three Dog Night may claim. Sequels have become standard fare in theaters, keeping each other in good company these days. John Travolta, reprising his role as everyone's favorite shylock-turned movie producer, Chili Palmer, voices his own opinion on the matter in Be Cool, claiming "I don't do sequels."
The irony of this is not lost on viewers, as Palmer first appeared on screen in 1995's satire of Hollywood, Get Shorty. Rather than treading the same ground as the first film, Chili turns his attention in Be Cool toward the music industry.
He gets his opportunity after stealing up-and-coming singer Linda Moon (Christina Milian) from her oppressive manager, played with great comedic gusto by Vince Vaughn. In addition to her vocal skills, Milian brings a youthful energy to the film, perfectly complimenting the unflappable Travolta.
Yet in his second turn as Palmer, Travolta's stoic portrayal fails to replicate the debonair schemer in Get Shorty. Although Uma Thurman plays a record exec befriended by Chili, this attempt to recreate their Pulp Fiction chemistry (including a random dance sequence) cannot breathe life into the vapid protagonist.
The uninspired interplay between Travolta and Thurman's character, Edie, can be traced back to a weak script. Screenwriter Peter Steinfeld simply could not master the convoluted machinations pitting Chili, Vaughn's Raji, Russian mobsters and a group of gangsta rappers known as the Dub MDs (think Iraq) against each other as adroitly as Elmore Leonard did in his novel on which the film is based. However, these shortcomings are to be expected from the screenwriter of the critically drubbed Analyze That and Drowning Mona.
Fortunately, some of Leonard's wry humor is retained, as exemplified by Edie's grieving for her recently deceased husband via a wardrobe of T-shirts emblazoned with "mourning" and "widow." On the other hand, the Dub MDs, especially through their producer (Cedric the Entertainer), parody the gangsta lifestyle by contrasting their thuggish ways with white-collar family life. Outkast's André 3000 also demonstrates his comedic chops as a goofily inept and prematurely trigger-happy member of the MDs.
The other major antagonists prove equally amusing, in part because of Vince Vaughn's attempt to mimic the speech of Snoop Dogg -- right down to calling his bodyguard, Elliot, "E-lizzle." The Rock, as Vaughn's flamboyantly-homosexual protector is also one of the film's brighter spots. The former wrestler plays against type with aplomb, fearlessly donning powder blue leisure suits and quoting the cinematic epic that was Bring It On.
Unfortunately, Director F. Gary Gray does not capitalize upon the cast's individual performances. Gray also falls short visually, putting his experience directing music videos to use in only two sequences in the last half hour of the film. While these sections add visual flair, they stand out in the otherwise flat composition.
Though flawed, Be Cool does have its bright spots and succeeds in gently satirizing the music industry. Whether or not this sequel will be lonely depends on how willing audiences are to cozy up to some murderous mobsters, gangstas and conniving ex-criminals.
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