"GET SHORTY" is one of those rare comedies, this reviewer believes will stand the test of time. It's also Director Barry Sonnenfeld's best work.  So, while cautiously optimistic it's sequel, "BE COOL," would still have some of the original's magic, even though it was being helmed by F. Gary Gray. Gray is by no means a "bad" director. It's just that his work hasn't been marked by an individual stamp, as is distinguishable of the best directors.

Still, had the script for "BE COOL," been as wonderfully engaging as its predecessor, F. Gary Gray's consistent, managerial style of direction would've been fine. Unfortunately, while Travolta does his best to maintain dignity in a script no better than the worst of the "Look Who's Talking" series of yesteryear, even Chili Palmer's "coolness" can't make up for the crap served here!

Having been working within the film industry for over a decade, Chili Palmer knows the art of the deal, and one night, while enjoying the atmosphere of The Viper Club, he observes Linda Moon(Christina Milian). Taken with her inner talent and annoyed by the heavy-handed manager style of Raji(Vince Vaughn) and the scummy producer, Nick Carr(Harvey Keitel)fighting over her, Chili decides to take Linda as his own project and begin his first dalliance into the music business. How different or more cut-throat could it be than the movie business? Well, had the script been a fraction as intelligent as the one for "GET SHORTY," the audience and Chili might have experienced some enlightenment to that question. Unfortunately, there's nothing close to anything revelatory within "BE COOL," or even that feels like it "might possibly be" eye-opening.  In fact, everything about "BE COOL" feels like rehashed and re-treaded cliches from horrible film ideas. Uma Thurman, while manageable under the talent of Quentin Tarantino, is a complete mess here! She's horribly miscast and plain awful in every scene she's in!  BLECH!  Vince Vaughn is actually the one actor who rises above the material, a considerable feat! And one has to believe he's improvised a lot of the lines, because only his are semi-funny and notably better than anything else in the film.  Christina Milian is,..well, she's pretty! But, even when she sings the one song that's supposed to prove to anyone listening or walking within earshot, just how talented she is, the result is only so-so. It's hard to imagine it getting a single "yes," on this year's "American Idol," and that was the year some horrid, minimally talented, country yuckster won!!! 

In fact, any real talent making an appearance in "BE COOL," feels like they're having to repay some bad debt. When "THE BLACK EYED PEAS" perform, for an extended sequence, it seems completely out of place, and like they deserve much better. What's next for them, "THE LOVE BOAT SERIES: 2012?"  Steven Tyler, arguably a great performer and singer, manages to hold his own and even help out Milian by his presence in a number from Aerosmith near the end, but again, his presence here feels more like a gigantic favor to Gray or a bad gambling debt.

MGM/FOX has provided the correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio for this AVC MPEG-4 encoded 1080p blu-ray. Colors are vibrant and pushed to extremes, making fleshtones a bit too artificial in some instances. However, detail is excellent throughout and the image is seldom flat. Blacks are inky, offering terrific contrast in even the darkest scenes.

MGM/FOX has provided a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix.  Music, a central part of the entire film fares pretty well with the lossy mix, complimented in all speakers. However, surrounds rarely kick in for ambient effects, making non-music scenes feel weighted down when they should feel expansive. Dialogue is always intelligible and free from distortion.

A variety of short featurettes, deleted scenes(17 minutes worth-none worthwhile for inclusion)music videos, and more, are presented in standard resolution.

For those who appreciate "GET SHORTY," it's best to pretend this one never existed.