Honestly, looking back at the mid-2000s, it’s wild how much talent was packed into a single frame. When people talk about the actors in Be Cool, they usually start and end with John Travolta, but that’s barely scratching the surface of what was actually happening on screen. This 2005 sequel to Get Shorty might not have captured the same critical lightning in a bottle as its predecessor, but the cast list reads like a fever dream of Hollywood royalty, hip-hop legends, and character actors who were just about to blow up.
It was a weird time for movies.
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You've got Chili Palmer moving from the movie business to the music industry. It's meta. It's flashy. It’s got a soundtrack that tries way too hard. But the real reason anyone still clicks on a cable rerun of this flick is the sheer magnetism of the people in it. We’re talking about a lineup that includes Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and André 3000.
The Chili Palmer Evolution: Travolta and Thurman
John Travolta brought back the cool. In Get Shorty, Chili was fresh, a mobster with a cinephile’s soul. By the time we get to the actors in Be Cool, Travolta is leaning heavily into the "smooth" persona, almost to a fault. He’s effortlessly calm. Maybe too calm?
Then you have the Pulp Fiction reunion.
Seeing Travolta and Uma Thurman dance again was clearly the marketing hook. It felt like the studio was winkingly nudging the audience, saying, "Hey, remember 1994?" Thurman plays Edie Athens, the widow of a record executive, and she holds her own, though the script doesn't always give her the sharpest tools to work with. Their chemistry is undeniable, even if the stakes feel lower this time around. It’s that specific brand of Hollywood nostalgia that works even when the plot starts to meander.
The Rock as a Breakout Comedian
If you want to talk about a career-shifting performance, you have to talk about Dwayne Johnson. Back in 2005, he was still "The Rock" in the opening credits. Most people expected him to just hit things. Instead, he plays Elliot Wilhelm, a gay bodyguard with aspirations of becoming an actor.
He steals every single scene.
It was arguably the first time audiences realized Johnson had genuine comedic timing. His "Raise Your Eyebrow" bit and the monologue from Bring It On showed a level of self-deprecation that most action stars are too terrified to try. He wasn't just a muscle-bound extra; he was the funniest person in the movie. Honestly, without Elliot Wilhelm, we might not have the version of Dwayne Johnson that dominates the box office today. He proved he could be vulnerable and ridiculous.
The Chaotic Energy of Vince Vaughn and André 3000
Vince Vaughn plays Raji. It’s a performance that is... a lot.
Raji is a white guy trying desperately to act "street," and Vaughn plays it with an intensity that is genuinely uncomfortable to watch, which was exactly the point. He’s the antagonist you love to see fail. He's fast-talking, sweating, and constantly overstepping. It’s a polarizing role. Some find it grating; others see it as a brilliant satire of the mid-2000s music industry posers.
Then there's André 3000 (André Benjamin).
At this point, Outkast was the biggest thing on the planet. André plays Dabu, a member of a volatile rap group. He brings this weird, quiet eccentricity to the role that balances out the screaming energy of the rest of the cast. It wasn't his first acting gig, but it solidified that he could disappear into a character who was vastly different from his stage persona.
The Supporting Cast is Basically a "Who's Who"
Seriously, look at the smaller roles.
- Cedric the Entertainer as Sin LaSalle. He brings a level of gravitas to a character who is essentially a sophisticated thug with a degree in business. His speech about the "nickel" is a highlight.
- Harvey Keitel as Nick Carr. Keitel brings that old-school grit that reminds you this is technically a mob-adjacent movie.
- Christina Milian as Linda Moon. She was the "next big thing" in the film, playing the talented singer Chili tries to discover.
- Danny DeVito returns briefly as Martin Weir, keeping the continuity alive.
Even the cameos are absurd. Steven Tyler. The Black Eyed Peas. Gene Simmons. Wyclef Jean. It was as if the casting director just opened a Rolodex of the 2004 Billboard charts and started calling.
Why the Critics Weren't Kind
Despite the star power, the movie sits at a pretty low rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Why?
The consensus was that it felt too "inside baseball." It tried to do for the music industry what the first movie did for Hollywood, but the music industry is harder to satirize without looking dated almost immediately. The jokes about ringtones and CDs felt old within three years. However, the actors in Be Cool are the reason it hasn't been totally forgotten. They are elevated above the material.
The pacing is also a bit of a mess. At nearly two hours, it feels like it wants to be an epic ensemble piece, but it lacks the tight, Elmore Leonard-style dialogue that made Get Shorty a masterpiece. Leonard actually wrote the book Be Cool, but the translation to screen lost some of that dry, cynical edge in favor of slapstick and celebrity cameos.
Real-World Impact and Legacy
When you look at the trajectory of the actors in Be Cool, it's a fascinating snapshot of a transition period in film history.
For Travolta, it was one of his last major "cool guy" leading roles before he moved into more experimental or direct-to-video territory. For The Rock, it was a pivot point. For the music stars involved, it was the peak of the "crossover" era where every rapper needed a film credit.
It’s a movie that exists in a specific bubble of time. It’s loud, it’s colorful, and it’s deeply obsessed with the idea of what is "cool." Whether it succeeds at being cool is debatable, but the talent on screen is undeniable.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re going to revisit this 2005 relic, don't go in expecting The Godfather. Go in for the performances.
- Watch Dwayne Johnson’s eyes: His physical comedy in this movie is better than in most of his later $200 million blockbusters.
- Check the background: The number of 2000s-era cameos is a fun game of "Where are they now?"
- Compare the tone: Watch Get Shorty on a Friday and Be Cool on a Saturday. The shift from 90s indie-vibe to 2000s studio-gloss is a masterclass in how Hollywood changed.
- Focus on the soundtrack: Despite the plot flaws, the music curation is a perfect time capsule of what the industry thought was "the next big thing" in 2005.
The best way to enjoy the movie today is to treat it as a variety show. It’s a collection of A-list stars having a lot of fun with characters they wouldn’t normally get to play. While it might not be a "classic" in the traditional sense, the sheer density of talent makes it a mandatory watch for any student of modern pop culture. Grab some popcorn, ignore the logical leaps in the plot, and just enjoy the spectacle of some of the biggest names in the world sharing the screen.