“Reno 911!” is one of Comedy Central’s longer running series in which a group of bumbling sheriff’s deputies is followed around with cameras that document their jobs “Cops” style. The television show is known for its improvisational style of comedy and the movie continues this tradition when Reno’s sheriff’s department make their way to the silver screen in “Reno 911: Miami.”
The film begins with an action montage that introduces the cast in all their glory, as they are called in to control a dangerous terrorist situation. As soon as the real action is about to begin one of the deputies awakens behind his steering wheel seconds before he crashes into a port-o-potty. The viewer has finally arrived in Reno and all the chaos that follows the half-witted cops.
The story begins when the sheriff’s department gets an invitation to a police convention in Miami, Florida. This is the first year they have ever been invited and it is only because everyone was invited. The deputies arrive late and out of uniform to the convention and are quickly told they are not on the list to enter or stay at the hotel provided by the convention. Instead of letting that get them down the officers take to the night life of Miami and once back at their substandard hotel the characters let us peak intowell, let’s say, a celebration of themselves…alone.
The deputy’s return to the convention the next morning to find the entire convention building quarantined from a biological attack. Every cop from the city is inside and now it is up to Reno’s finest to police the city and find the antidote to the virus spreading throughout the convention.
This is the moment the film really takes off as the characters are at their best when they are performing their policing duties and performing them poorly.
The officers meet many challenges in Miami, the first of which is actually finding the one phone ringing in the city’s 911 office. From that moment on, our deputies are in control and the city of Miami is at their will. They take on challenges such as an alligator in a swimming pool and a beached sperm whale. One of the funniest recurring moments is the abduction of two of the deputies and the “Scarface” like bad man who is responsible.
I’ll end the summary here, because what works so well about this film is its surprise factor. Improv comedy is done best when you are unaware of the actions and reactions that follow and Reno’s deputies are always dead on. “Reno 911: Miami” is an average story with a great cast who keep the laughs coming.
There is no doubt that fans of the show will love it and the odds are anyone with a sense of humor will too.