Travolta, as the suave Chili Palmer, seems uninspired, except perhaps on the dance floor while trying to reproduce the heat that he and Uma Thurman oozed in Pulp Fiction. Uma plays Edie, Chili's partner in a deal to produce a CD for new singer Linda Moon (a wasted but talented Christina Milian).

The entire plot to Be Cool is based on who gets to control the future of Linda Moon's singing career in a sort of “last man standing” type of competition that involves many players. Too many, as it turns out. Be Cool contains characters that just don't matter, such as the Russian Mob, who are neither funny nor necessarily pertinent to the film. The result is a jumble of characters and storylines that quickly leave you feeling overwhelmed.

But if you can ignore the chaos and focus on Elliot, the gay Samoan bodyguard with self-image issues played by The Rock, at least you won’t demand your money back.

The character of Elliot is hilarious. As a struggling gay actor who supplements his career by providing personal security for long-time friend and freak-show star Raji (Vince Vaughn), Elliot’s dreams are finally realized when he cuts his ties from the bling-covered wannabe, stars in Linda Moon’s breakout video, and ultimately scores a part with Nicole Kidman in a major film.

The scene where Elliot busts into Edie’s house in hopes of sandbagging Chili Palmer but ends up reciting a monologue from Bring It On is pure comedic genius mainly due to The Rock’s acting. It’s nice to finally see him play a funny guy. “You never called me!” Elliot laments. “I bought a brand new suit, I bought new shiny red boots…..I even prepared a monologue from Bring It On,” to which Chili replies “Do it.” And he does, complete with finger-snaps.

Elliot’s relationship with Raji turns from bad to worse quickly as Elliot discovers that Raji has been sabotaging his chances to get an audition (or maybe it’s just that Elliot can’t stand to hear Raji say “Beeeeeyatch” even one more time). It probably doesn’t help that Raji is constantly undermining Elliot’s confidence. “You ain’t gonna figure out your two-way Elliot. Why don’t you take a break and daydream about things you like man?" Raji says. "Like, you know, flying on a unicorn with chocolate-covered cherries raining.”

As if Raji’s annoying quasi gangster banter isn’t enough to make you want to put a gun to your head, throw in some enthusiastic gay-bashing. “Once you turn faggot you lose all self respect. You ain’t wired right!” says Raji to Elliot, who finally responds “I’m going to kick your ass!” If only.

Although The Rock's gay bodyguard makes the film worth watching, with so many storylines, it's difficult to sit still through this film. Be Cool should have done what most sequels do not: create it's own identity. Instead, clinging to Be Shorty and riding the wings of Pulp Fiction, Be Cool ends up in the discard pile. It’s too bad, because with such a promising cast and an interesting premise, it could've been a contender.

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