Miami Vice (TV Series) Definitely Miami (1986) User Reviews

Rob Cohen delivers one of the series' finest episodes

[DVD_Connoisseur · 10/10 · 12 August 2007]

"Miami Vice" was, and is, fantastic escapist entertainment. This stylish episode remains one of the series' finest tales and watching it again last night made me more than a little nostalgic for the '80s.

Beginning with the death of a drug dealer at the hands of mad, bad and dangerous-to-know Charlie Basset (Ted Nugent), "Definitely Miami" is gripping television from start to finish. Rob Cohen's direction is as excellent as always and the beginning sequence oozes style, with an accompanying soundtrack from Ted Nugent himself with "Angry Young Man".

Kamala Lopez-Dawson makes her acting debut as the frightened sister of a wanted drugs warlord and the delectable Arielle Dombasle plays the wife of Nugent's psychotic Basset character. Dombasle is probably the most memorable femme fatale to appear in the series. The scene at the pool with Crockett gazing upon her perfect figure is unforgettable.

This is one of the best episodes of "Vice" as it has it all - a gripping script, beautiful visuals and a big budget, fast cars, a great looking cast, a superb soundtrack, and so on. "Definitely Miami" gels perfectly.

10 out of 10. The ending, accompanied by Godley & Creme's "Cry", is glorious stuff. I simply love this episode.

The Title Says It All!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 15 August 2007]

Ted Nugent guest stars in here and shoots a guy right in the intro, then buries he and his car under a ton of sand as the music blasts 'Angry Young Man." Ah, some of the openings on these Miami Vice shows were great....real eye openers.

Speaking of eye-openers, French actress Arielle Dombasle makes one of the best entrances to any TV show I've ever seen. She's just lying there getting a sun tan and....well, you have to see this woman and this scene to believe it. I had to laugh when I read the other reviewers comments here. Easy, guys!! Hey, I don't blame you. That was an incredible minute as the camera - and Don Johnson with a stupid smile on his face - went up and down this woman's body, admiring it. This actress has done a lot of work but almost all of it in France, so she's a new face to us here in America.

Anyway (it's hard to concentrate on the story after those opening shots of her), Crockett and Tubbs are waiting for a guy named Clemente to turn state's evidence. He wants to see his sister first but she says that's only because he wants to kill her.

What happens when Clemente and his sister do meet is surprising. What happens with the hot French babe and her boyfriend is predictable.

Overall, the story wasn't all that great - a bit convoluted in the first half - but the bad and the beautiful and the wild colors in this episode, all made this "definitely Miami," as the title says.

Callie is one of the sexiest babes in the series!

[nvp_p950 · 10/10 · 25 August 2006]

Callie, the babe in the revealing swimsuit by the pool left an indelible impression on me when I recorded the episode on VHS ten years ago off of the FX channel so you can imagine my delight to see her on DVD on season two. She and Don Johnson smoldered with sexuality when they shared ice cubes in the hot Miami sun. Ted Nugent plays a believable baddie and has a thuggish demeanor about him without his shirt and long hair just-out-of-joint look. Now if we can get Season 3 out there for consumption I'd be in heaven, especially since I'm not too enthused about seeing the movie, which I heard is dark (I understand Michael Mann didn't want any red colors in this movie?) and not as cheery as the pastel-flavored television series.

Best Vice Episode Ever!!!

[mfiskey55 · 25 July 2007]

The episode starts out with a drug deal in a gravel pit. One of the dealers is Ted Nugent & he was a very convincing baddie. Callie (Arielle Dombasle) plays his girlfriend/seductress/partner/prostitute & is a total hottie. Arielle Dombasle plays this Machevellian part perfectly. The scene at the pool with the bottles of water, bowl and her shirt was so ahead of its time & so unexpected that it still leaves an impression 20 years later. The cat & mouse game between the vice team & Nugent's character interwoven with Crocket's obligatory "falling in love" with the stunning Callie is masterfully done. The final gravel pit scene left me shocked, anxious & wanting more. The final scene also shows just how disturbed, clever & calculating the Callie character truly is. Great Episode.

Two good stories in one episode

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 19 November 2009]

This is another great episode, the epitome of what Miami Vice is about. The episode opens with a drug dealer being lured a quarry where he is murdered by somebody we later learn is called Charlie Basset. After the credits we see Crockett and Tubbs sitting by a pool waiting for a major criminal to arrive to turn state's evidence. Crockett, and the camera, seems more interested in eyeing a beautiful woman. When the man they were waiting for fails to appear it isn't a wasted time as the woman Crockett was eyeing approaches him and one thing leads to another.

The story then splits with Tubbs dealing with a federal agent after the criminal demands to see his sister, who is in witness protection before he will give evidence and Crockett getting more and more involved with the beautiful Callie. Callie does not realise that Crockett is a vice cop, she thinks he is drug dealer "Sonny Burnett" and unbeknownst to him she is setting him up to meet Charlie in the quarry. Both plot threads have good if not necessarily happy endings.

As with most episodes the acting is good and the story well told, it is definitely of its time though; I can't see a TV show from a US network featuring lingering views of a woman's body being made in these PC times, yet the violence which was a problem when this series first aired on the BBC seems very tame now.

Definitely awesome

[Mr-Fusion · 10/10 · 8 April 2016]

"You attract some of the weirdest women in the Western hemisphere." - Ricardo Tubbs "Miami Vice"'s second season is full of episodes with dubious women for Crockett to fall for, but 'Definitely Miami' is the sharpest example. Ted Nugent (in a surprisingly effective performance) might be the credited guest star, but the real one is the sweltering heat. After a while, you can almost feel your TV start to sweat. And the heat's put to great use with the mirage theme; we see what we want to see. And the Godley & Creme music video makes for a perfect blend of music and imagery.

Our favorite Vice cops might be idling in the sun, but this one packs the tension, not to mention the show's classic distrust of federal law enforcement. Fantastic episode.

10/10

Trekkie in the house

[CourtneyBrees · 10/10 · 11 February 2011]

Yo-yo-yo-yo!!!!!!! I just this episode of Miami Vice on cable and I was totally shocked to see one of my favorite actors playing a Ted Nugent crone.

Actor Jim Fitzpatrick (IV) was in the beginning of the episode supposedly dropping some money or drugs or both and Ted Nugent shot him and then covered Jim with sand.

I don't know if you've ever watched Star Trek Enterprise, but Jim Fitzpatrick whom played the characters of Commander Williams would've been such a great Captain.

But it seems that Paramount felt the show needed a pseudo star to prop-up the dying genre'.

You go Jim Fitzpatrick! Love seeing my heroes in anything.

CC

10/10

[Yiannis-T · 10/10 · 22 August 2019]

One of the top3 episodes of Miami Vice!it's a must watch!

Bleak. spare, stunning

[siegerrob76 · 8/10 · 10 March 2018]

A sparsely populated episode, set in a hellishly hot Miami (you actually see Tubbs sweat) with Crockett and Tubbs in a Samuel Beckett-like existential wait for someone who never shows. To fill the void, the luscious Arielle Dombasle appears as the endlessly sunbathing femme fatale, Callie Basset, oblivious to the heat, whose husband Charlie (played surprisingly well by non-actor musician Ted Nugent, in incredibly handsome form here) robs and kills her marks. One such killing (in a landscape as bleak as the one occupied by Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner in another universe) opens the episode.

Pretty Actors All In A Row

[francesfarmersrevengeonseattle · 10/10 · 21 April 2017]

Who else but sun tanned, blonde highlighted, tortie Ray Ban-wearing Don Johnson could pull off PINK or LILAC pants and made them look HOT? "Definitely Miami" made me yearn for the time when a bed with huge palm tree four posters was considered to be stylish and cutting edge bedroom décor. Miami style.

"They're running a game on me, Rico, setting me up. I mean they're setting Burnette up. I gotta see this thing through to the end." How profound. The line was nearly as goofy and difficult to handle as Sonny's facial expressions while ogling sunbathing at the hotel pool in the opening scenes. Instead of 'pulling his badge and taking them down' all Crockett/Burnett has to do is reveal that he earns a whopping $30K a year with Miami Dade PD. Easy peasy with no gunfire or bloodshed!

'They' are psychotic dangerous drug dealer Charlie Basset (a young Ted Nugent looking exceptionally wild, with hot beachy waved long dark hair and all baby oiled shirtless chest), and his stunning wife Callie (French super hottie Arielle Dombasle). Here's the setup: She lures in rich men who are willing to meet her at a sand pit with satchels full of cash (nothing suspicious about THAT, right?) and he does them in with a gunshot and sand. The sand part was was a marvel in itself: no heavy equipment anywhere, yet an entire Porsche Carrera disappeared under a falling sand dune.

Awesome soundtrack opening with Nugent's huge 80s rock hit "Angry Young Man" and ending with Godley & Creme's "Cry". This episode is fabulous escapist entertainment. Arielle Dombasle was, hands down, the hottest babe ever to guest on Miami Vice. She's timeless. Her entire look, including the swimwear, could be plopped seamlessly right into any resort in 2017.

I vote this the best episode of "Vice", period. It has it all - a good script, beautiful visuals, a big budget, fast cars, a great looking cast, a superb soundtrack. "Definitely Miami" was just that.

And hey, I'm going to use Callie's tee shirt in a bowl of ice cold Perrier when sunning in Cabo real soon. Timeless!

Top Notch Vice

[Jpk10065 · 10/10 · 21 October 2021]

One of my Top 3 Vice episodes ("out where the buses don't run" and "give a little take a little" are the others. Just a crackling, potboiler of a series appropriately set in a heat wave that is, to my recollection, the only time that the weather of sultry Miami is it's own character. And the hot, humid weather ushers in two forces of nature - grafting wife and husband Callie and Charlie Bassett. Callie is my favorite Vice femme fatale. Her intro Perrier bath is as hot as the city itself. Charlie (played by Ted Nugent) is a gleeful psychopath to whom no crime even registers as remarkable. Strong character work gets us closer to Sonny as he tries to bring some light into the overwhelming darkness of this episode and helps us share Rico's frustration as he is worried that Sonny is losing his ability to judge things correctly. Crackerjack episode. 10/10.

Maybe the best episode in the series

[AlabamaWins · 10/10 · 26 February 2021]

Crockett realizes he is being set up and turns the tables on con man using drug deals as a cover for robbery. In the other story the feds blow deal on witness which leads to a double murder. Fantastic opening.

I liked this episode.

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 7 July 2013]

Sony is lured by an attractive lady into a drug deal. The old pretty girl distracting a mans better judgement play. Ted Nuget plays into the set up. Sony the vice cop deals with the two. Tub's split from Sony and tries to help a witness relocation victim. Both episode unravel nicely. Both have a sensual, but hard edge to them. Great stories, acting, and visualization. A lost art in today's television. Except for high budget shows like The Walking Dead. I give Definitely Miami a seven out of ten. Johnson is a underrated and typecast-ed actor. Never did much after the series. Except for Nash Bridges. Nuget acts not to bad either. A very 1980's show.

Weird episode

[xbatgirl-30029 · 4/10 · 17 June 2021]

After a surprisingly fun Phil Colins episode, this one is just weird. I guess they were trying to arty at the time with the direction and writing? All the talk of the heat, all the sweaty shirts, and "definitely Miami". The criminal of the week plot is just not interesting. I didn't care about it. Although a character name Sergio Clemente has to be a play on Sergio Valente jeans, which had me singing that jingle non-stop. The guy playing the Fed is doing a truely awful, over the top Sidney Poitier impression for some reason? But then almost everyone is doing some bad acting here.

I'm realizing the episodes where Crockett or Tubbs has a romance are pretty much the worst. The women usually can't act and the plot is always extremely melodramatic. The Nuge looks very out of place and goofy with all the hair (and again terrible acting). The scene where he beats up Crockett while wearing the hat then dramatically whips it off had me rolling my eyes. The same later where he has his entire bare torso is oiled up and his hair swishing around while slapping Callie. He and Arielle D. Are violently kinky serial killers who would only exist on tv in a very random, totally unconnected B story. At least there is a whole lot of very good/bad 80s decor. And the crazy, palm tree bed is back! The same one Tubbs made love to one of his forgettable women in.

Nah, don't start with this one

[El Cine · 13 December 2017]

An excellent show like Miami Vice has plenty of ways for newcomers to discover its unique blend of entertainment, smart drama, high production values, and the best side of 80s style. So I'm surprised that this of all episodes currently holds such a top rating on IMDb. I'd advise newcomers to start with a different one, lest you get the wrong impression.

"Definitely Miami" jams two plots into the same hour. Either one had the potential to be excellent in its own episode, but since they're compressed into less time here, they both get short shrift.

The sluggish direction falls short of Vice's high standards, and features a rough opening scene for the heroes. While sitting poolside at some sort of country club, waiting for a contact from the underworld, an undercover Sonny ogles a stranger. Yeah, Sonny has an eye for the ladies, but his blatant lechery here is out of character, over-the-top; and the direction matches it, capped off by what may be the goofiest shot of Don Johnson in the entire series. The seconds drag on as the camera pans over the woman's body, and a grinning Sonny stares and stares.

The woman he's ogling, Callie Basset, is another weak link. The character is supposed to be Sonny's vulnerable, yet mysterious and perhaps untrustworthy object of affection. Vice is known for its star-studded guest casts and their strong acting, but the model playing Callie doesn't impress, and she fails to bring depth to the role.

The episode's 2nd main guest actor does better. Best known for playing Phillips, chief of the boat in Apocalypse Now, Albert Hall cuts a dash as a pushy federal agent trying to convince a mobster to testify. His final scene with Castillo is very well-directed, unlike most of the episode.

I would direct newcomers towards a different episode instead. There are so many to choose from, and I haven't even finished the series yet, but perhaps "Knock, Knock... Who's There?", "Fruit of the Poison Tree", or "Child's Play". I haven't seen "Brother's Keeper," the double-length pilot, for a while, but that one might be a good general introduction.

Not even in my top 10

[kitteninbritches · 6/10 · 19 March 2021]

I believe Rob Cohen was "disappointed with the script" when he was first sent this. I found it so-so as an episode, even with the car-burying scene at the beginning. Watching our two heroes virtually slavering over an underdressed female sunbathing is more of a turn off for me rather than the reverse. People also enthuse about the last scene where said woman is arrested on the beach and Crockett walks away stoney-faced.....sorry but it didn't twang my heartstrings, even with Godley and Creme's "Cry" playing as he did it.