Ten years after the terrific first film adventure of Chili Palmer, "Get Shorty", John Travolta returns in a terrific, hilarious sequel, BE COOL.
In the decade since we last saw the former gangster enforcer become a Hollywood producer, Chili has grown tired of the movie business.
When good friend & music producer Tommy Athens (James Woods) is the victim of a hit while Chili is in "the men's", Palmer is dragged into the music business.
The entire cast in his new adventure is fantastic.
Uma Thurman is Edie, Athens window and now the President of his failing label. Cedric the Entertainer is HILARIOUS as music producer Sin LaSalle, Preppy rich neighbor by day and gangsta by night. Andre Benjamin all but steals the movie as Sin's nephew Dabu, the most hapless right hand man in history.
Everyone wants the music contract for up and coming star (and current waitress) Linda Moon, played with real stage presence and singing talent by Christina Milian.
Harvey Keitel is another producer/mob member that has her contract, with the Russian Mob circling he and Chili at every turn.
Danny DeVito pops up as a famous actor that still owes Chili and Dwayne Johnson (still THE ROCK at this stage) turns in a star making performance as bodyguard to Raji (Vince Vaughn).
Johnson is laugh-out-loud funny as a gay Samoan wanna-be-actor whose audition consists of both sides of a cheerleader argument from "Bring It On".
Vaughn has never been funnier. Adopting every bad black stereotype like some time traveler from an early seventies "Superfly" flick, Vaughn is out of control funny AND dangerous at the same time. Even Steven Tyler shows up as himself to give Chili and Edie some support in launching Ms. Moon.
At the film's center, Travolta is all cool charm, generating plenty of laughs in one of his best roles.
Packed with laughs from start to finish, BE COOL is a terrific sequel to a great original film and gets a pitch perfect A.
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