Be Cool **1/2
Cast: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer, André Benjamin, Christina Milian, Robert Pastorelli, Harvey Keitel, The Rock, Steven Tyler
Director: F. Gary Gray
Running Length: 1:58
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Chili Palmer (Travolta) is back in this sequel to 1995's "Get Shorty". Since making it big in the movie business, he has grown tired of the cinema, and is thinking of geeting into the music business. After spotting the talented Linda Moon (Milian), he relieves her of her current deal with Nick Carr (Keitel), and uses his friendship with the owner of a recording company, Edie Athens (Thurman) to get Moon going on the path to stardom. Chili faces two problems though, Carr really does not want to let Moon go and hires a hit man to clear up the situation, and Athens owes Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer) $300,000, which she does not have. What follows is a series of double-crosses that get to be just a bit too over the top.

I really wanted to like "Be Cool", and to some extent I did. "Get Shorty" was a great movie, and a sequel was inevitable, especially once Elmore Leonard wrote the sequel novel. The problem this time around is that the talent of the large cast is less than the sum of its parts. "Get Shorty" had four leads, and they were all on top of their game. "Be Cool" has arguably nine leads, and more does not mean better. Sure, Cedric the Entertainer and The Rock are the standouts of the group, but Travolta's Chili is just a bit too cool. We never really believe that he is in any danger. Thurman's casting is just a stunt to get her and Travolta dancing to recreate their famous "Pulp Fiction" scene. Vaughn is amusing as the white guy who thinks he is black, but that grows tiresome by the time the movie is half over.

All in all, "Be Cool" is not a bad movie, but it is not as good as it could be, and never lives up to the standard set by its predecessor. I would recommend it, but wait for DVD.