Movie Info
Movie Name: Reno 911! Miami
Studio: 20th Century Fox/Paramount Pictures/Comedy Central Films
Genre(s): Comedy
Release Date(s): February 23, 2007
MPAA Rating: R
Visit Miami…and masturbate
The Reno police department has been “invited” to attend a national conference in Miami…and the crew is hitting the road! When a mix-up occurs combined with a bio-attack, Lieutenant Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon), Deputy James Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui), Deputy Cherisha Kimball (Mary Birdsong), Deputy Travis Junior (Robert Ben Garant), Deputy S. Jones (Cedric Yarbrough), Deputy Trudy Wiegel (Kerri Kenney-Silver), Deputy Raineesha Williams (Niecy Nash), and Deputy Clementine Johnson (Wendi McLendon-Covey) discover they are the only people standing between Miami and total anarchy…unless they cause it themselves.
Directed by Robert Ben Garant (who wrote the script with Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver), Reno 911! Miami is a comedy COPS spoof movie. The film is a spin-off of the Comedy Central TV series of the same name and was released during the fourth season of the series.
I got on the Reno 911! boat a lot later. I saw an episode or two here or there, but never got to sit down and watch it…and therefor Reno 911! Miami had no interest to me when it was released. I’m glad I didn’t see it until I had seen almost all of Reno 911! because it really is more of a fan service than a stand-alone movie.
The Rock says…you people are tiny
Like every episode of the series, there is a mini-plot, but it is largely based around the skits of the police interacting with their “regulars” and various crimes that pop-up around the city. Most fans of the show have favorite characters and the movie tries to provide even time to all the characters as a result. The overarching plot (a terrorist attack) is something that is perfect for the bumbling officers to take on…and of course accidentally solve.
The cast carries on their great performances from the series, but once again, unless you know the characters, it isn’t easily perceived here. They have all their normal quirks and fallacies so it is good to see any more outings of the cast. Like the series, the show utilizes a lot of recurring characters and actors in their roles. This entry has an appearance by Dwayne Johnson, Danny DeVito, Paul Reubens, Paul Rudd, Patton Oswalt, David Koechner, Nick Swardson, Ken Marino, Mindy Sterling, and Michael Ian Black (some of which appeared with Reno 911! cast members on The State. In addition, future Reno 911! cast members Joe Lo Truglio and Ian Roberts also appear in the movie (in different roles).
Tattoos can sometimes be a mistake
The movie is bigger than Reno 911! simply because of the location and utilizes bigger set-pieces than the show, but even with what was probably a shoestring budget when compared to other big screen films, I felt they could have utilized the location a bit better. It was nice to have some bigger guest stars, but Miami has a lot to offer that wasn’t seen.
Reno 911! Miami is a fun movie, but as made clear, it is for fans of the show. If you happen to see the movie before the show, don’t let it ruin a possibly good experience. The cast and writing is a collective experience and much like some earlier seasons of big shows like The Office or Seinfeld, it is an acquired taste and takes a bit to get a handle on the jokes…Visit Reno then go to Miami.
Related Links:
Reno 911!—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
Reno 911!—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
