THIS film is quite possibly the most shallow and pathetic film I have had the misfortune to endure. John Travolta previously 'starred' in the infamous Battlefield Earth, but at least that film wasn't so grossly offensive.

Be Cool has an impressive cast that sees Travolta accompanied by Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel and Vince Vaughn. Travolta plays Chili Palmer, an ex-mobster who joins forces with a newly widowed businesswoman (Thurman) to save her record label and champion the cause of a budding artist (Cristina Milian).

The chemistry between Travolta and Thurman, so captivating in Pulp Fiction is sadly missing here, particularly during an ill-advised attempt to recreate the magic of their diner dance. The dialogue is the antithesis of cool - when Thurman gets into a flashy sports car, Travolta reminds her: "Drive safely". Nice one John.

The film is one long advert, with product placement in every scene. Name-dropping and pointless cameos dominate the weak plot.

Yet the biggest gripe is the proliferation of stereotypes. Vaughn plays a grating rap wannabe who we are informed: "thinks he's black". Cedric the Entertainer plays Sin, a suburbanite rap producer who routinely slurs a Russian mobster as 'Trotsky' and 'Vladimir', but when the Russian retorts with the n-word, director F Gary Gray elevates Cedric's response like it's a Malcom X sermon. Oh, I see, racism is unacceptable, but the film's casual xenophobia and crude homophobia is fine?

Be Cool is a stain on the career of all involved, save for Outkast's Andre 3000 who shows potential as a reckless gangster rapper and the real star of the film, Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock. Johnson is excellent as Vaughn's gay bodyguard, with an endearing performance and a star quality that seizes your attention whenever he appears on screen. He possesses the charisma and humour otherwise lacking in this shoddy, sorry excuse for a film.

1/10 - Style over substance, without any style. The epitome of self-promoting Hollywood drivel.

Neil Docking