Be Cool | Rotten Tomatoes

Be Cool

PG-13

Released Mar 4, 2005

1 hr. 59 min.

Comedy

List

30%

170 Reviews

Tomatometer

42%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Having made the transition from gangster to movie producer, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is ready for the next big move. Setting his sights on the music industry, Palmer enters a precarious business that has more than just temperamental musicians: Russian mobsters, rival producers and hit men are out to bring him down. From witnessing the murder of his friend (James Woods) to romancing a music executive's widow (Uma Thurman), it seems as though it might all fall apart, but Palmer has his ways.

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Critics Consensus

Be Cool is tepid, square, and lukewarm; as a parody of the music business, it has two left feet.

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alan g

Faux gangstas, John Travolta trying to be cool. Cedric the non entertainer trying to be a music mogul. Nothing works. Stick to the first film, "Get Shorty".

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/24

Full Review

Kevin M

Read Elmore Leonard's book. This is a poor adaptation

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/19/24

Full Review

Bojank R

Classic cast, problematic at times, but Travolta is playing a hip-hop connoisseur named ‘Chili'. Phile

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/16/23

Full Review

Tony S

Great cast, but this sequel to Get Shorty is not Godfather II or Rocky II.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/24

Full Review

Brent C

The plot of this movie is secondary to watching and enjoying it. If you've had a wild night out, this movie is an ideal choice to watch the following day while all floppy and recovering. There is plenty of gratuitous violence, etc. but it's really a kind of sweet, good-hearted film at its core. It also reunites John Travolta and Uma Thurman on the dance floor, to the music of Sergio Mendes and the Black Eyed Peas. It's as 2005 as it gets and in this case, that is a good thing. Practically every scene features a prominent film star or musician, akin to the original Casino Royale - but actually fun and entertaining to watch throughout.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

L G

lighthearted, fun, and easy to watch (Very easy) B Movie. if the makers intended anything more, it didn't fly.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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F. Gary Gray

Director

John Travolta

Chili Palmer

Uma Thurman

Edie Athens

Vince Vaughn

Raji

Cedric the Entertainer

Sinclair "Sin" Russell

André Benjamin

Dabu

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Be Cool: Official Clip - Plus the Vig

3:26

Be Cool: Official Clip - The Raised Eyebrow Look

3:19

Be Cool: Official Clip - Twinkle, Twinkle, Baby

1:35

Be Cool: Official Clip - Raji At Bat

2:13

Be Cool: Official Clip - Pawnshop Punch-Out

1:47

Be Cool: Official Clip - Raji on Fire

1:41

Be Cool: Official Clip - Racial Epithets

2:20

Be Cool: Official Clip - That's Not Gangsta

2:13

Be Cool: Official Clip - Bring It On Monologue

3:17

Be Cool: Official Clip - Sin's Spatula

1:33

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Watered-down sequel isn't meant for kids.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 30, 2010

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

I was really glad when it was over.

Apr 6, 2010

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

Boasting a smorgasbord of Hollywood talent, Be Cool is a rather tepid comedy with just enough charm to be passable.

Nov 18, 2019

Full Review

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

Be Cool isn't the biting satire that Get Shorty was. It's lighter, hipper, and, yes, more fun.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 11, 2012

Full Review

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

Be Cool sounds like it should be good, or at least entertaining, but it's neither. It does have some genuinely fun moments, but lacks a strong narrative to hang them off of. The result is empty, full of contrivances, and ultimately unsatisfying.

Rated: 5/10

Jan 7, 2011

Full Review

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Synopsis

Having made the transition from gangster to movie producer, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is ready for the next big move. Setting his sights on the music industry, Palmer enters a precarious business that has more than just temperamental musicians: Russian mobsters, rival producers and hit men are out to bring him down. From witnessing the murder of his friend (James Woods) to romancing a music executive's widow (Uma Thurman), it seems as though it might all fall apart, but Palmer has his ways.

Director: F. Gary Gray
Executive Producer: F. Gary Gray, Elmore Leonard
Screenwriter: Peter Steinfeld, Elmore Leonard
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: PG-13 (Sensuality|Language|Sexual References|Violence)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 4, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 20, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.8M
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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