Has anyone else been wondering what old Chili Palmer’s been up to? Ten years ago, it was “Get Shorty.” Now, he’s living up to his philosophy: “Be Cool.”
In this hilariously scattered movie, John Travolta returns to the screen to portray the relaxed, level-headed, well-known (now ex-) movie producer Palmer.
When Palmer decides to quit the movie business for good, he is propositioned by record executive Tommy Athens to make one last movie. Within about three minutes of the movie (PG-13 by the way), Athens gets “hit” by the Russian mob, so beginning the hilariously off-beat chain of events. Palmer teams up with Athens’ wife and business partner (played by Uma Thurman), only to find himself in a lot of awkward predicaments having to do with money. But not to worry-Palmer does what he’s best at: remaining cool.
Palmer recognizes new talent Linda Moon (Christina Milian), under contract with Raji (Vince Vaughn), a music manager from the hood. Raji and his sidekick Elliot (The Rock) get into a few altercations of their own, including the Russian mafia, record mixer Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer), a not-so-sharp hit man, and a greedy business partner, all connected to each other one way or another throughout the entire movie. Eventually, everyone wants to manage and produce Moon, but laid-back Palmer’s got everything under control.
With an all-star cast and a number of musical guest appearances (Aerosmith, Black Eyed Peas), and a reunion of Thurman and Travolta (there’s even a cool dance scene between them!), this movie is worth the ten bucks as charged. Of all the twists and turns the story offers (aside from the fact that Chili is no longer in hiding), Vince Vaughn, The Rock, and their shiny red baseball bat are just a bonus to this cleverly written flick.