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"'Blue'
Weak"
by Scott Mantz
"Blue Streak"
Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson
Directed by Les Mayfield
Growing up in
Philly, I was always the kind of person who would do anything for
a good laugh. Whether people were laughing with me or laughing at
me, I didn't mind playing the fool. Martin Lawrence goes to the
same extremes in his first effort to carry a film, but the results
are decidedly mixed. While the silly and uninspiring "Blue Streak"
has a few laughs, this is not the star vehicle that will make Lawrence
a household name.
Actually, I
don't know who to feel sorrier for--Lawrence or the LAPD. Lawrence
collapsed outside his LA home while jogging in 100 degree heat to
lose weight for an upcoming film. Not to kick a guy while he's down,
but the reaction I got from watching this film was one of pity,
not humor.
A high-tech
heist to steal a diamond the size of Texas is foiled by the cops.
Rather than give it up, Miles Logan (Martin Lawrence) hides it in
a building that's still under construction. He gets out of jail
to find the finished building is now a police station. Since the
only people who get past the front desk are cops, he decides to
impersonate one of the boys in blue. He is mistaken for the real
thing and gets partnered up with rookie Carlson (Luke Wilson). While
trying to find his stashed diamond, he works the street beat and
(surprise, surprise) shows the LAPD a thing or two.
Why is it that
filmmakers take such pride in making the LAPD look like a bunch
of idiots? Actually, that's the biggest problem with "Blue Streak".
I can understand why rookie Wilson may not catch on, but when a
whole police department cannot see the obvious writing on the wall,
that's my signal to move. Lawrence's access comes too easy, and
no sooner does he infiltrate the precinct that he solves two crimes
in one day. Suspicion arises when internal affairs cannot find Lawrence's
name in the police log, but it doesn't matter--he's doing a great
job!
"Blue Streak"
has a funny premise and endeavors to be like a 90's version of "Beverly
Hills Cop". Like "Cop", the uptight and protocol-restricted cops
learn the ropes from a street-smart and savvy protagonist. Luke
Wilson is basically playing the same well-meaning, but ignorant,
nice guy that Judge Reinhold played , and he is a nice presence
with his dull, unassuming charm. William Forsythe is also amusing
as the sadistic detective Hardcastle.
Martin's best
moments are when he plays it straight. He shows some hint of dramatic
talent, but then he flies into an embarrassing tirade that's supposed
to pass as humor. There are some amusing moments, such as when he
takes to watching the guilty-pleasure TV show "Cops" to learn the
ropes. When he tries to prevent a convenience store robbery, Martin
recognizes the culprit as his driver from the jewel heist. As he
tries to help his former accomplice without giving away his true
identity, the results are the best laughs in the film. Otherwise,
the rest of the jokes are dull and fall flat.
After playing
side man to Eddie Murphy in "Life" and Tim Robbins in "Nothing to
Lose", it's a shame Lawrence couldn't find the right vehicle as
his first solo project. While "Cop" was a huge success and made
Eddie Murphy a star, the same fate does not look to befall Martin
Lawrence, at least not with this movie. It just goes to show you
that in the end, no matter how hard you try to be funny, you'll
fall flat on your face without the right script to support your
talents.
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