Reno 911!: Miami (2007) User Reviews

Bizarre, crazy ... and entertaining.

[Vic_max · 7/10 · 11 August 2008]

Having not seen the TV series, this was my first exposure to the characters of the "Reno 911!" world. As such, the movie was really amusing to watch. There are some really funny bits (mostly coming from the dialog) along with the insane wackiness of the characters. As a first-time viewer, it was just plain fun to watch.

The movie is basically about a group of Reno police officers who travel to Miami for a police convention. When a quarantine restricts the Miami police force (and all the other officers in the city), the Reno crew must defend the city.

The dumb innocence of the characters coupled with the serious tone that goes along with being police officers is well done. Each character is also well-defined with particular quirks, hangups and issues with the other characters. As a result, the things they say are often nutty and hilarious.

If you've never seen the series, everything in the movie will be fresh and amusing. There are some good laughs here and there and the bizarre, kooky characters will keep you fascinated. For new viewers, it's worth checking out.

Funny and Satisfying, Even for Non-Fans of the TV Series

[MITCH! · 7/10 · 22 February 2007]

I'd only seen part of one episode of the TV show before seeing the film, so my knowledge of the characters and the premise of the show was limited. No matter: the film does an excellent job of establishing its tone and the specifics of the characters right off the bat. No roadmap required.

My biggest fear with seeing a theatrical version of a TV series is that the film tries to overinflate the stakes of the plot to justify the increased length and budget and fails. Reno 911!: Miami took that necessity to its logical next step by moving the small town incompetence to a much larger scale in Miami, but due to some clever (and minimalist) writing, the relocation works. And, since nearly all of the humor in the film is derived from the characters and their reactions to their situations -- all of which speed by at a brisk pace, so as to not overmilk a joke -- the relocation never felt forced or unwelcome.

Impressively, the film veers into cliché territory on numerous occasions but never delivers the expected punchline. The actors know their characters so well that their improvisations keep the audience and their costars on their toes at all times. Even the traditional "caper" plot, which is really just an excuse to tie all the vignettes together, is handled with more originality than I would have expected.

Perhaps I should start expecting more from this creative team, since they're capable of sustaining my interest (and my amusement) over the course of a full-length feature. In fact, perhaps I should start watching the series...

Funnier than I expected

[imyourcanary · 7/10 · 24 February 2007]

I actually enjoy the show and was very unsure about how it could be translated into a movie, so my expectations were not terribly high initially. Then I read one of the reviews on here that said that the movie was much less funny than the show, and overall rather disappointing. After that, my expectations were even lower, so I was pretty much expecting a dud when I went in.

I see what people were saying about it being strange that they tried to shove a plot into what should essentially be series of skits, but contrary to the reviews I've read, I thought it worked just fine. If anything, the cliché terror-attack plot paired with the cliché drug-lord plot were just meant to be a throwaway satire of the kinds of awful plots some franchises have to create in order to be translated into a feature film format ("over-the-top" action "worthy" of the big screen). If anything it just provided for some completely ridiculous scenarios that this viewer found quite entertaining.

As far as the cameos, yeah, they remove you from what shred of "reality" was left in this reality TV parody, but I felt like they worked. For one thing, minus the Rock and Danny DeVito, most of the cameos were not necessarily people everyone is going to recognize. Half the theater was asking "who's that?" when members of Stella showed up, or when someone from Upright Citizen's Brigade was on the screen. But for people who've loved the work of these semi-famous comedians over the years, their presence was a bonus. Not to mention it made the film into an effort by the whole Comedy Central family, which was kind of endearing.

Anyway, going in with low expectations and trying not to take it seriously (it is a comedy, after all), you should have a good time viewing this.

Hilarious

[no_spm_brazil · 24 February 2007]

I haven't laughed this hard in a theater since I saw Something About Mary. That said, I'm a fan of the TV series, and I thought the movie lived up to its expectations. My only complaint is it could have been longer. Nevertheless, I think the writers and actors were on their game. Take in mind this is dumb slapstick humor, with flatulence and vomit jokes, but its still very clever, unique, and definitely funny! There really wasn't much of a storyline, or I should say it had very simple plot. However, that's not what makes Reno 911 funny (a complex plot might even be distracting). What makes Reno 911 funny is the string of endless "skits" and scenarios these incompetent cops put themselves in. This is a great cast of actor/comedians.

Raunchy,Fun and Politically Incorrect treat for fans of this show

[DJJOEINC · 6/10 · 14 June 2007]

Reno 911!:Miami-The Movie -Fun and uneven extended episode of the Comedy Central improv show about the Reno,Nevada police squad.I like the movie- because I like the show and the characters- but I will be the first to admit- the movie feels flat- it has some chuckles and giggles- but is not the gut-busting guffaw fest I was hoping for.The DVD is saved by 3 fun commentaries- 2 by the cast in character and one by the creative team.The DVD also has extended scenes and some fun PSA's by the cast in character.This movie will probably not convert new fans to the show- but is a decent extension of a fun comedy show.Look for cameos by The Rock,Paul Rudd and Paul Rubuens. C

Crap Compared to the Show

[Scars_Remain · 5/10 · 28 July 2008]

I was pretty excited to see this movie after being a fairly big fan of the show and I am very let down. I can't put my finger on just what it is that made it so different from the show. Perhaps it's the fact that the show has the homemade "Cops" feel to it and you could tell the movie was Hollywood produced. Maybe it was that the show seems to be funnier and more creative. Whatever the reason, I was sad to see such a good show reduced to such an average and boring movie.

The characters and actors are all the same but they almost seemed to be holding back from the performances they give on the show. The story was boring and not as creative as usual but there were definitely a few good funny moments that kept me from rating movie lower. I just thought it was average Hollywood comedy fare that really doesn't deserve a theatrical release. Maybe I would have liked it if it weren't for all the hype surrounding it.

I guess you should see this if you like the show but don't expect something as funny. It's like a half as funny version of the show that was less thought out.

I loved the show and I love this

[trafficbabe2000 · 7/10 · 21 February 2019]

Worth a rent. I plan on buying it to add with seasons 1,2,3 that I already own. Ensemble is Golden.

Not As Funny as the TV Show

[SonOfKyuss · 4/10 · 22 February 2007]

I just went to a sneak preview of this movie, I thought I would enjoy it since I find the TV show to be funny. Although the movie kind of plays out as an hour-long episode of the show, it is not nearly as funny.

I think it's because they take the characters out of Reno, and they practically eliminate the fake-reality-show element. Rather than give us a big helping of the TV show (which would have been great) they try and make it a big-budget extravaganza and it just doesn't play out well.

Borat was hilarious because they kept it low budget and followed the format of the original show; Reno 911 on the other hand had it's funny moments, but was not properly adapted to the big screen.

Not Perfect, But Funny

[vashstampede117 · 8/10 · 24 February 2007]

I know that many people are complaining about the short length of the movie, a sparse 84 min, but what's there is funny. I know that when I left the theater, my face, as well as the faces of my 9 friends who came with me were hurting from laughing so hard. If you a fan of the show, you will love the inside jokes and cameo of one of the shows most beloved characters (I won't spoil that for you, just look at the cast for yourself). There are also plenty of notable celebrity cameos such as Danny DeVito, and The Rock to name a few. I will admit that it isn't exactly up for any awards, nor will it go down in history as one of the funniest movies of history, but it has its moments. If you liked the show, you will like the movie.

Missing the speed and subtleties of the TV series

[lzldmb · 6/10 · 21 June 2007]

I recently stumbled into Reno 911! on Comedy Central and fell in love with the delivery found in every scene of that show. From the Hummer to Rick, the writers and actors involved in the show were capable of constructing hilarious little nuggets every couple minutes. Unfortunately, random, but frequent, spells of hilarity do not translate well to an 83-minute big-screen rendition.

One funny moment that shimmered with the chemistry formed on TV came during the on-boat interrogation by Paul Rudd. After a minute of intimidation with a weed wacker, the hostage poked, "You're insane. Who has a weed wacker on a boat?"

All in all, I'm still an avid fan and advocate for the TV series, but would caution most people who are drawn to the subtleties found in the show to be prepared for an average comedy most of the time.

Works better on TV

[keiichi73 · 5/10 · 23 February 2007]

It's easy to tell that Reno 911: Miami is based on a TV series just by watching it. How can you tell? There's maybe 25 minutes or so of solid material, and an additional 60 worth of filler. In bringing the Comedy Central half hour "reality" cop show to the big screen, you get the sense that the filmmakers had a hard time trying to stretch the thing out. The show itself is often quite funny, and the movie works when it's remaining close in spirit to the TV series. But then they have to go and throw in a silly plot and a series of celebrity cameos that take us out of the movie.

The film takes the incompetent cops from the TV series out of Nevada and into Florida, where they have been invited to attend a police convention in Miami. (They only got invited because every police force got in.) They arrive for some fun in the sun, only to discover a bioterrorist act unfolding at the convention center itself, which has trapped every single police officer inside. Since the cops of Reno are the only available officers not inside the building when the situation kicks in, these eight dim-witted enforcers of the law must literally become the entire Miami Police Force, keeping peace in the city while trying to find out who is behind the chemical attack at the convention center. Other subplots include the Reno officers trying to deal with an evil Scarface-like drug lord (Paul Rudd) who keeps on threatening them, and discovering the truth behind a mysterious tattoo of a man's face that has appeared on the breast of one of the female officer's after a night of sex and binge drinking.

When Reno 911: Miami is following the Cops-style reality show format, the movie can be a lot of good fun. The opening scenes where the eight individual officers are introduced, and the scenes where we get to see them on the job and dealing with situations such as a chicken that got loose made me smile and laugh quite a bit. The actors are at ease during these moments, and they're obviously having a lot of fun. Then the whole plot has to kick in, and the movie just doesn't seem as much fun as it did before. Reno 911 has never exactly been about plot, it's always been a series of mostly improvised skits skewering reality cop shows. While the movie does try to hold onto this format, giving us some various misadventures around Florida that have nothing to do with the biochemical plot, they don't seem as fresh or as funny as the Reno scenes early on. A lot of this has to do with the fact that a lot of the gags are either anti-climactic or have no real pay off. That's not to say that there are not some gags that work. A scene where the cops have to remove a beached whale from a topless beach had me laughing quite a bit, and the pay off involving an explosive device is one of the few that actually lives up to its set up and earns its laugh. More often than not, we either find ourselves smiling politely at the effort the actors are making, or simply staring at the screen with casual indifference to what we are seeing.

The movie seems to suffer from an identity crisis, as it doesn't know if it wants to be a series of skits and gross out gags, or if it wants to attempt to try to tell an actual story and parody action movies. It never finds a central tone or target for satire, and seems to change its mind every five minutes. This gives the film an annoyingly disjointed tone from which it never recovers. The celebrity cameos sprinkled throughout also don't work the way that they should, as they take us out of the movie. We're no longer watching a comic "mockumentary" making fun of cop shows, but we're watching a highly paid actor taking a cut on his paycheck for the sake of getting a quick laugh from the audience. I liked the scenes where the Reno cops took center stage, and were being their usual incompetent selves the best. It's fun watching these improvisational comics (many of whom have worked together for years on other TV shows) play off of each other and just be goofy. But Reno 911 wants to keep on reminding us that we're watching a movie, and the good stuff keeps on getting drowned out by uninspired gags or unnecessary plot.

I certainly don't regret seeing Reno 911, and I think fans of the show probably won't either. However, the inconsistent tone and the uneven ratio of hit and miss gags don't leave a positive impression overall. Maybe this would have worked better as a regular half hour episode with all the filler, celebrity cameos and silly plot removed. The cast certainly seems more comfortable with a shorter amount of time to work in. That way, they don't have to compete with a bunch of stuff that shouldn't even be there in the first place.

A Fun Romp, Pointless, Yet Delivers The Chuckles

[ChocolateJesusExperience · 8/10 · 24 February 2007]

I hear all these people saying that this flick is a disappointment. That it should have stayed on TV. They complain about the lack of plot. What this movie constitutes is basically a bunch of scenes that appear to have been mostly ad-libbed, stuck together with a very, very loose plot involving a disease which is really just an excuse for them to be where they are. I found the extreme lack of a story amusing, especially in a few scenes where its obvious how aware they all were of it, and they were able to make fun of it. The R rating allows for some great gags that wouldn't have been able to show on TV. Overall this flick isn't an amazing comedy. It isn't thought provoking or anything else to that extent. It's a bunch of good jokes strung together and pasted up on a screen. If you like the show, don't expect it to be much more then an extended episode of the show, with some more boundary pushing gags and celebrity cameos.

TV show still better,but this was definitely worth a look

[KUAlum26 · 7/10 · 22 August 2007]

As a fan of the Comedy Central Series,the temptation was definitely there to go see this movie in the theater,but I ultimately passed,opting instead to catch this movie on DVD. I feel like I made the right decision,but I imagine that even if I HAD caught this on big screen,it wouldn't have been kicking myself. Still,this seemed a lot better as a rent.

The same gang of deputies from Nevada are back,and they've managed to end up attending a law enforcement convention in Miami. At first shunned by their fellow comrades in police-work,they are later brought in when the hotel where the conventioneers is staying at is infected with a dangerous virus as part of a biochemical terrorist attack. They are deputized by the deputy mayor(Patton Oswalt,a recurring appearance on the TV show) and have only a handful of time to find the antidote. Also,they find themselves menaced by a thick-headed and ill-tempered Miami drug-lord(but of course!)(Paul Rudd,nearly unrecognizable).

Of course,they're being called to action is basically a chance for the gang--Dangle(Thomas Lennon),JOnes(Cedric Yarborough),Weigel(Kerri Silver-Kinney),Williams(Niecy Nash),Junior(Robert Ben Garant,who also directs),GArcia(Carlos Alozrqui),Johnson(Wendi McClendon-Covey)and Kimball(Mary Birdsong)--to find ways to bungle each incidental call to investigate in South Beach,just like back home. The improvisational style of the show,a blessing and treat on t.v.,seems to be not quite large enough to fill the big screen,but still funny. Some great sequences involve an attempt to move a beached whale,a early action-movie-like sequence involving the gang to root out a hostage situation and a call to a swimming pool where an alligator has been found,

Plenty of foul language and nudity--stuff famously pixilated and blurred on the TV.v series--is set free in this effort(and I'm not complaining,BTW),so people comfortable with the usual buffer on the t.v. show may be in for a shock. Otherwise,fans of the show should feel good with this. As per the series,a spate of cameos--most notably Rudd,Oswalt,Danny DeVito,David Wain,Michael Showalter,Michael Ian Black,Nick Swardson,Joe Lo Trulio,Oscar Nunez,David Koechner,Jack Plotnick,Marisa Petroro and Paul Reubens,many of whom also appear on the series--are spread out through the film,and are maximized for the most part. As said before,this movie is,like the series,a better fit for the small screen,but that's not a crime in the least.

Am I Missing Something?

[nathan-taurus · 2/10 · 17 December 2007]

I have never seen the show, but unfortunately I watched the movie. The funniest part of the whole thing was that it was rated a comedy. How can something this bad be called a comedy...I will admit that I laughed once during the 80+ minutes, but thats it. Apart from maybe missing some in jokes from the show version, there is just nothing to keep non fans of the series watching. I would have to say that this movie is equally as annoying as 'Are We There Yet' and for the cameos they should have had Will Ferrell as he seems to love being in unfunny movies. If your a fan then maybe give it a chance, but if your not don't even bother.

Definitely worth seeing

[j-morin07 · 7/10 · 1 March 2007]

I don't normally watch the show Reno 911 but when i saw that a movie was coming out i knew i had to see it. I went to see the movie last night and it was better than i thought it would be. The plot isn't very deep but it is very funny. You can connect with the characters even if you arnt familiar with them. There is a lot of crude humor but it plays into the movie very well. There are twists and turns everywhere in this movie. You have to like stupid humor to understand the movie and to think its funny. I thought one of the funniest parts was the end when one of the officers shot the missile into the cop car that the criminal was in. and how they tried to bring him ice cream cake and ended up having him confess everything.

Terrible Embarrassment

[sturmpnr · 1/10 · 1 March 2007]

I went to see this with a group of friends who are all Reno 911 viewers and fans to different degrees. ATTENTION All Reno 911 Fans; Avoid this movie!. What makes the show so funny is that it is based on realistic situations that police encounter on a daily basis and the casts response to them, etc. This show is based purely on fictional, unrealistic situations and it goes down from there. It is filled with unnecessary sexual content which will ruin the image of your favorite characters forever! I am not against sexual humor or am I conservative, however the content in this show did nothing but show the writers had a lack of originality. I have read recent reviews lauding this movie but I suspect they are written by industry people connected to the movie for promotion.

All of us who attended left the movie after it was over, and left the theater in embarrassment...

Not bad!

[The_Defiant1 · 6/10 · 27 February 2007]

Although I'm not rating this movie very high, it is funny and it's not bad. It has a few laugh out loud scenes mixed in with a lot of grins. The cast does an excellent job, but you probably need to be a fan of mock reality shows to appreciate this. Expect nudity and foul language. You don't need to see the TV show to appreciate the movie. The story has been stepped up for the big screen. There is nothing so special about the movie that you should see it in the theater. It is probably a movie you'd be happy to see on cable or DVD. The funniest scene for me featured 'The Rock'. It has a few cameos from bigger name stars, but most of them aren't that interesting.

Why?

[jon-sullberg · 2/10 · 25 February 2007]

I love the TV series, but hated this movie. The set up started as a funny road trip. The International Hotel scene was sophomoric, but lauphable if you like self pleasure, lesbian, whore and slut jokes.

Some of the skit inserts had merit but had nothing to do with the pathetic story line. What were they thinking? Why ruin a funny TV show?

This was an obvious low budget T and A, potty joke and F@#$ fest to bring in students and trailer trash. In fact, some of the trash sat behind me and thought the movie and thought is was hilarious. They kept comparing it to how funny Police Academy 6: City Under Siege is - that tells you something.

Go back to Reno and stay there. If the producers are reading this, and you take this mess Scottland Yard - count me out as a loyal Reno fan.

For the fans of the show.

[deloudelouvain · 8/10 · 18 November 2019]

If you never watched the show before maybe the movie won't have the same effect on your laughing muscles but if you like me loved the show then you will love this movie as well. Reno 911!: Miami is basically a longer version of an episode of the show. You have to know the characters to fully appreciate this movie. Lieutenant Jim Dangle being my favorite character will always make me laugh out loud. Thomas Lennon Is just phenomenal as this character, but so are all the other characters (deputees Travis Junior, Raineesha Williams, Trudy Wiegel, Clementine Johnson, James Garcia, S. Jones and Cherisha Kimball). The humor is a bit kinky and sometimes absurd but it works for me and for alot of other people too. Too bad this show is not on anymore.

short on subtlety but high on farce

[RogerB-P3RV3 · 7/10 · 12 September 2012]

send-up of popular TV-reality show COPS - Reno 911 is a cult hit series on cable and now adapted into full motion picture.

Set in (where else but) Reno, Nevada, the bumbling law enforcers are 'invited' to national police convention in Miami Beach; inadvertently becomes the only cops available to patrol the city after a bio-terrorism attack results in local police quarantined in the convention hotel.

The Miami town will never be the same again with these incompetents running the show.

Entertaining mockumentary is short on subtlety but high on farce.

Wonderful comic montage in the seedy motel parodies Hitchcock's' Rear Window. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in a funny cameo and Paul Rudd takes a leaf from Al Pacino's Scarface as Ethan the Drug Lord.

Making a great TV show into a horrible movie.

[hobbs5 · 1/10 · 24 February 2007]

The movie has its funny parts, but they took what could of been squeezed into a 2 part TV episode and strung it out into an hour and a half of boredom.

Personally I believe the TV show is so much funnier then this movie was.

The movie was dis-jointed and didn't flow well, its almost as if they didn't have enough footage for a movie so they just started sticking random scenes in here and there.

This movie is definitely a wait till someone else rents it on DVD so you can watch it.

Man, i really love this movie...

[krweg · 10/10 · 16 July 2019]

My Taste of movies might not be great but this movie is a top shot in my opinion. If seen it over a 100 times (probably 200+) and it still makes me laugh when i watch it from time to time. Its the perfect american try of black humour because they stick to the rule -every caracter has to be totally nuts-.

This silly comedy based on a TV Show has a game cast but there's only a few laughs here.

[hu675 · 7/10 · 7 October 2007]

Lieutenant Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon) is been invited to a national police convention in Miami Beach, Florida. Dangle brings his seven deputies with him. Deputy Travis Junior (Robert Ben Garant), Deputy Trudy Wiegel (Kerri Kenney-Silver), Deputy Raineesha Williams (Niecy Nash), Deputy S. Jones (Cedric Yarbrough), Deputy Clementine Johnson (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Deputy James Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui) and Deputy Cherisha Kimball (Mary Birdsong) are thrilled with the news. But once they arrived in Miami, Florida. Their invitation is been misplaced and these inept cops are forced to stay to in a sleazy hotel for a couple of days. Now the city is in mortal danger, when all the cops in the police convention are affected by a virus. Which they have a couple of days to find the cure before they all die. Lieutenant Dangle and his deputies are the only law left in the city. They have no choice to do their job for this city. While the team are trying to find, who's responsible for the sick crime.

Directed by Robert Ben Garant (Balls of Fury) made an lively comedy that is based on a Cult TV Series from Comedy Central. The cast, who play these inept characters are fun to watch but the script, written by director:Garant, Lennon and Kenney-Silver is thinly plotted and there's no story here but a series of vignettes. These extremely dumber than dumb police officers are worse than the "Police Academy" cast of characters. Which some scenes are amusing and it has some gross-out gags as well. The eight characters from the movie did so much better in the TV Show.

DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has three commentaries tracks! One by actors/filmmaker:Garant, Lennon and Kenney-Silver. The two other commentaries track are done by the eight cast members, being in character from the picture. DVD also has Deleted/Extended Scenes with optional commentary by actors/filmmaker, Public Announce Services by the cast members, a short featurette of the premiere of the movie and trailers. This picture will certainly get an cult following. Fans of the TV Series will love it and others will probably find this movie joyless. It is certainly a true mixed bag of a movie. Paul Rudd has some funny bits in his bit part as "Ethan the Drug-lord". Which Rudd does an funny parody of Oscar-Winner:Al Pacino's performance in "Scarface". Amusing cameos by Danny DeVito (Who's also one of the producers of this film), David Koechner, Nick Swardson, Mindy Sterling, Paul Reubens and a uncredited one by The Rock. (***/*****).

Not worth the $8 for a 75 minute movie

[kovalchukyou · 4/10 · 23 February 2007]

Everyone knows going into the theater that this is not going to be cinematic gold, but you would think that it would be hilarious throughout the 82 min. approximated time. The movie does not follow the TV show and is only funny due to how stupid the acts are such as masturbation, nudity, and plain stupidity. The movie is not entertaining due to "stupid funny," contrary to such hit films as Borat, Jackass, or even Anchorman. The movie came on, after previews, at 10:16pm, and I was in the parking lot before 11:30pm. If that isn't a rip off then I don't know what is. The entire time you were waiting for the movie to be a long, cinematic TV show, but you were granted a sub par movie looking to fill seats based on the TV show's popularity. I don't know about theaters across the country, but the theater I was in wasn't even half full. Take my advice and don't waste your money.

Fun, mindless and entertaining! A perfect Sunday relaxer!

[kwestian · 6/10 · 10 June 2007]

To the poster named Mike, who obviously needs to relax a bit and take things for what they are: This is a fun, mindless and entertaining movie! I found it perfect for a Sunday relaxer, where having a kneeslapping laugh in the name of stupidity makes you realize why Buster Keaton, Jim Carrey and Saturday Night Live will always echo further into the future than a pessimistic, deeply self-centered and most like sad-ending movie like the one you sound like you prefer would end.

Try smiling. This movie is for people with a heartbeat and the ability to push around a bit of self irony in this cold, egocentric world.

Lighten Up! :) You will live longer/stronger