Miami Tail, A

This film is based on a Greek comedy, but I feel like I just watched a Greek tragedy. A Miami Tail is based on the Greek play “Lysistrata”, which tells the story of how a group of women ended war by abstaining from sex with their husbands. It’s not an entirely bad idea for a film, but unfortunately the plot has fallen victim to bad acting and a horrid script, and is helmed by a director with no vision.

I’m not kidding, the acting really is bad. Appalling, in fact. Rapper Trina stars in her first (and…hopefully last) role as the woman who started the “no-sexual” revolution. Her awkward, wooden delivery makes me wonder how she could ever make her living as a wordsmith. Her deplorable skills are matched with those of just about every other actor in the film, resulting in what feels like a High School Drama Department’s presentation of a ghetto revolution film.

If you are in the mood for a great urban comedy, save your time and rent Friday for the 30th time.

Audio

The stereo track that comes with this film is decent, but not great. The highs are tight, but the bass is not. With a hip-hop soundtrack supporting the film, I was expecting to hear some serious bass. The bass is there, but it is not tight. The power behind it is weak, resulting in a low end that is both muddy and undefined. The whole project could have been made much better with an investment in a Dolby Digital 5.1 track.

Video

Overall, the video actually isn’t half bad on this disc. The picture is sharp, and the colors are vibrant. Unfortunately, some scenes are quite blurry and pixilated. Especially bad are the slow motion segments, which look simply horrible. Generally speaking, however, the images are clear and look great (even if most of the camera angles don’t).

Special Features

There’s just at trailer here, I’m afraid. Not only that, but it’s a full screen trailer. I am shocked that there is not a single Trina music video on this disc, or at least some Cast and Crew bios. I am sure her record label would have been more than happy to provide a music video for the disc, since the whole film basically amounts to free promotion for their artist. Nevertheless, the decision to go solely with the trailer makes this a bare bones release.

Closing Thoughts

Without the benefit of a keen director’s eye, this film totally misses its own point. The characters preach respect for women, but the director fills the film with as much skin as possible. The women purport to be intelligent and bold, but half of them are driven solely by sex. This could have been a very funny film with the right people behind it, but as it is, it just can’t be taken seriously.

Special Features List

• Theatrical Trailer