Be Cool

Play trailer

Be Cool

PG-13

2005

1h 59m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

29%

Tomatometer

167 Reviews

42%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

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.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

09/30/2010

3/5

Watered-down sequel isn't meant for kids.

Go to Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

04/06/2010

I was really glad when it was over.

Go to Full Review

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

03/07/2005

One of the cuddliest, cutest movies you'll ever see about mobsters and murderers.

Go to Full Review

Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

11/18/2019

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

Go to Full Review

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

02/11/2012

7/10

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

Go to Full Review

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

01/07/2011

5/10

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Ryan C

@RT52403592 Jul 25

The movie is an exercise in cinematic vanity. It’s preoccupied with projecting coolness, style, celebrity, and confidence. Everything is polished, choreographed, and self-aware, yet very little feels discovered in the moment. It wants to satirize Hollywood’s obsession with image, but becomes so enamored with image itself that it ends up embodying the very culture it’s trying to critique.

See more

Evan T

@RT47486021 Nov 27

Turned it off when dude was chewing with his mouth open and wads of food clearly visible. I liked get shorty alright, maybe a 3.5 star movie outta 5 for me, nothing crazy but watchable. Be cool was annoying from the start. But that scene was all it took for me, gross

See more

Chris K

@RT22179269 Sep 28

If you take this movie for what it's meant to be it's a 10/10. Epically cast and the right balance of humour and thuggery.

See more

Brian G

@RT18323792 Sep 23

Excellent! It achieves just the right balance of sharp-edged comedy with thuggish violence. Every one of the actors is perfectly well cast, particularly Vince Vaughan, Harvey Keitel, The Rock, and Uma Thurman.

See more

Corey J

@FilmGuyCorey Sep 18

Despite a lot of critiques I love this movie. It's hilarious with over-the-top performances from Vince Vaughn, the Rock, Andre 3000 along with quality performances out of John Travolta, Cedric the Entertainer, Uma Thurman, and Harvey Keitel. It's just a lot of fun with constant laughs.

See more

Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 08/11/2025

Be Cool (2005) It's a film that has its ups and downs, the story has several elements that make it very confusing to follow. The cast is a great asset to this adventure.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

F. Gary Gray

Director

John Travolta

Chili Palmer

Uma Thurman

Edie Athens

Vince Vaughn

Raji

Cedric the Entertainer

Sinclair "Sin" Russell

André Benjamin

Dabu

Be Cool: Official Clip - Plus the Vig

3:26

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - The Raised Eyebrow Look

3:19

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - Twinkle, Twinkle, Baby

1:35

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - Raji At Bat

2:13

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - Pawnshop Punch-Out

1:47

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - Raji on Fire

1:41

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - Racial Epithets

2:20

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - That's Not Gangsta

2:13

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - Bring It On Monologue

3:17

Now Playing

Be Cool: Official Clip - Sin's Spatula

1:33

Now Playing

View more videos

What's the Worst That Could Happen?

10%

35%

What's the Worst That Could Happen?

Watchlist

The Ringer

40%

68%

The Ringer

Watchlist

The Wendell Baker Story

40%

40%

The Wendell Baker Story

Watchlist

Barbershop 2: Back in Business

69%

48%

Barbershop 2: Back in Business

Watchlist

King's Ransom

2%

32%

King's Ransom

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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
Producer: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, David Nicksay
Screenwriter: Peter Steinfeld, Elmore Leonard
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Jersey Films, Double Feature Films, 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
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings