Blue Streak
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Description
Martin Lawrence can certainly talk a blue streak (witness his concert film, You So Crazy), but he tones it down to PG-13 for this by-the-book action comedy. Lawrence stars as Logan, a bank robber and jewel thief (nice role model we're supposed to cheer for) who, just before he is arrested, manages to stash the $20 million diamond he has just heisted at a construction site. When he is released from prison two years later, he returns to the scene of the crime only to find that the completed building houses a police station. To get inside and retrieve the precious gem he secures a fake ID and passes himself off as LAPD's newest, and most unorthodox, detective. As he demonstrated on his TV series, Lawrence has a knack for characterization second to Eddie Murphy. But he's no Beverly Hills Cop. Indulgent sequences where Martin has seemingly been given free reign to ad-lib are the film's weakest. Early on, Logan cases the police station outlandishly disguised as a snaggle-toothed, Geri-curled pizza deliveryman. You'd think the last thing his character would want to do is call attention to himself. Lawrence is at his best in the scenes in which, thanks to all those years of breaking and entering, his formerly lawless character proves to be a natural at cracking burglary cases. Logan is paired with the requisite white partner, Carlson (Luke Wilson), a buttoned-up rookie. Departing from the Lethal Weapon, buddy-movie playbook, they are not antagonists; theirs is more a teacher-mentor relationship. "Don't we need a warrant to do that?" Carlson asks Logan at one point. "We don't even need a key," Logan responds, picking a lock. There is little in Blue that is remotely fresh, but Lawrence fans, who watched him play it straight opposite Murphy in Life, will relish the opportunity to see him get down with his bad self. --Donald Liebenson
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Favorite MovieTuesday, November 02, 2004
Martin Lawrence is definetely my favorite actor. He just makes everything funny, even if the script is weak. If you read his stand up material, for example, it isn't that funny at all. But if you watch it, you just can't help but laugh. This movie would be great even without Martin, but he just makes it as funny as can be.
3 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Mindless FunSaturday, June 19, 2004
In one of the few movies where Martin Lawrence's humor doesn't become seriously racist and xenophobic he plays Miles Logan, a jewel thief, after a $20 million diamond. But one of his team betrays him (Peter Greene, once again playing a bad guy) and they're plan is thrown all out of whack. After hastily stashing the diamond in a nearby construction site he is soon arrested sent away for 2 years.
Upon release he heads back to the construction site only to find it's turned into a police station. No luck getting back in unless you're a cop then. A series of disguises fail and Logan ends up impersonating a cop in order to get to the diamond. But he's so good at the impersonation that police duty gets in the way and he's partnered with Carlson (Luke Wilson).
Mild plot complications ensue and it becomes increasingly difficult for Logan to get to the diamond. Though the trouble really starts when Deacon (Peter Greene) comes back to get him.
It's all brainless stuff but it makes for enjoyably silly viewing. Lawrence's improv isn't all that funny but the rest of his performance is strangely tolerable. Wilson isn't his usual self in the wimpy cop role but it's weird watching him pronounce 'real OLD SCHOOL' 4 years before said movie was released. And Dave Chappelle is hilarious Tulley, the amateur liquor store robber.
There was supposed to be a sequel but plans for it fell through. It would have been a hundred times better than the awful Bad Boys sequel regardless of script quality.
The DVD is in bright, clean 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with a lively Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. There are some extras but nothing groundbreaking.
A man with a planSaturday, May 15, 2004
Martin Lawrence, (Miles Logan), plays a jewel theif who is arrested by police and returns to the place where he left his jewel only to find that it is a police station after his release from prision. He becomes a police while trying to find his jewel and actually solves crimes. Martin Lawerence has a good role and a good sense of humor in this film.
This movie has jokesMonday, May 03, 2004
funny, both cast and story. Loved it and sure you'll love it too, not just another comedy but this has something rare, comedy and action.
Not Martin Lawrence at his bestSaturday, November 29, 2003
Miles Logan, (Martin Lawrence) plays a captured master jewel thief who, realizing inevitable arrest makes a last ditch burying of his loot in a new development. Two years later, out of prison Miles returns to the building only to find a very large problem, the building is complete and now the LAPD headquarters. To retrieve the jewel Miles poses as a hot detective and manages to land a job. Using his criminal expertise to catch the bad guys Miles rises up the ranks. Partnered with Carlson (Luke Wilson) Miles is all the while trying to get at his jewel but seems just not to be able to. He finally does, and by the time he is found out, manages to escape barely across the border to mexico. This movie provides entertaining laughs but is rather dry for much of it.