Michael Mann’s Miami Vice movie has something of a complicated relationship with audiences. When it was released in 2006, it was hit with negative reviews and underperformed financially.
It grossed $164.2 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, and while critics praised Mann’s stylish direction, just about everything else about the movie was considered a miss. Over the years since release, it has been reappraised in some quarters, with many declaring it a “cult classic”.
It is a challenging movie to watch. It features almost no extra exposition whatsoever, so it demands your complete attention, or the whole thing unravels due to a missed moment. It is definitely not a movie to multi-screen with, or to have on in the background. If you are going to watch it, you have to really watch it.
The director himself also seems to have a similarly complicated relationship with the movie. He once declared the theatrical cut as his directorial vision. However, it was common knowledge the movie was reworked, and the finale was not what he originally wanted it to be. Then an eight-minute longer Unrated Director’s Cut was released on home rental, which Mann seemed to stop short of fully endorsing as his ultimate vision.
Now we may know why. Mann is due to present a new version of the movie at Beyond Fest. The festival announced its line-up and included the world premiere of a 4K restoration of Miami Vice, an “all-new” version referred to as Miami Vice: Director’s Final Cut. They announced this via their X account.
The runtime is currently unknown, but for years there have been rumors of a three-hour version of the movie that aligns with Mann’s vision for the film.
