Blue Streak (1999)
★★★½ — Blue Streak (1999)
Blue Streak arrived in the summer of 1999, squarely in the middle of the late-1990s buddy-comedy boom that studios were riding hard off the back of successes like Rush Hour (1998). Martin Lawrence was at or near his commercial peak, coming off Bad Boys (1995) and Nothing to Lose (1997), and Columbia were backing him with a fairly substantial $65 million budget, a figure that reflected genuine studio confidence in his box office pull. Director Les Mayfield was working in fairly familiar territory, having previously handled Flubber (1997) and the Chevy Chase comedy Encino Man (1992). The film also features an early screen appearance from Dave Chappelle, a couple of years before his own profile would rise considerably.
Blue Streak (1999) is pure late-90s action-comedy gold, slick, silly, and powered almost entirely by Martin Lawrence’s electric charisma. It's probably my favourite Martin Lawrence film. He plays Miles Logan, a flashy Miami jewel thief who hides a diamond inside a police station… then gets arrested and must go undercover as a cop to retrieve it. It’s a ridiculous premise, sure, but the film leans into the absurdity with energy and style, delivering a steady stream of laughs, fish-out-of-water gags, and just enough action to keep things moving. Lawrence is on fire here, funny, fast-talking, and surprisingly convincing as both a criminal pretending to be a cop and a man slowly learning what real integrity looks like. The chemistry between him and partner Peter Greene (played by Luke Wilson, before he perfected the “laid-back weirdo” schtick) works better than it has any right to, and the script throws in enough twists and near-misses to keep the stakes feeling real, even when you know it’s all just an excuse for jokes and chases. It's not deep or realistic. But as turn-your-brain-off cinema goes, it’s good at being exactly that. The pacing zips along, the humour lands more than it misses, and there are moments (like the interrogation scene or the final heist) that show real comedic timing. Light, entertaining, and refreshingly self-aware. Not a classic, but a solid guilty pleasure with more charm than most films in its lane. If you’re craving something fun, fast, Blue Streak’s got you covered.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 1999 | Watched: 2025-10-05
Where to watch (UK)
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
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Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Les Mayfield: American Outlaws (2001)
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More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
