History Film / MiamiBlues

* HandCannon: Specifically the Desert Eagle pistol that Junior conveniently finds while burgling his neighbours' apartment. You'd also have to include the Ruger Super Blackhawk revolver Moseley borrows from an elderly gentleman.

* DomesticAbuse: As Susan states explicitly: Junior never hits her. But he does lie to her about tons of serious shit including felonies and murders, and putting her in harm's way by making her an accessory to his crimes. He also hurts her feelings a few times by being cold and snappy with her. It is clearly a toxic relationship between an older, more experienced, violent sociopath and a clueless, loving young airhead.

* PoliceAreUseless: Played straight... at first. Junior makes the first move on Detective Mosely, surprising him at his apartment and mugging, beating and robbing him of his gun, handcuffs, badge and false teeth. Mosely is even teased about it at work and emasculated in front of a female detective. But the grizzled vet becomes a * Determinator mode and eventually makes Junior pay.

* PoliceAreUseless: Played straight... at first. Junior makes the first move on Detective Mosely, surprising him at his apartment and mugging, beating and robbing him of his gun, handcuffs, badge and false teeth. Mosely is even teased about it at work and emasculated in front of a female detective. But the grizzled vet goes into Determinator mode and eventually makes Junior pay.

* CrimeAfterCrime: Having recently murdered a man back in California, Junior initially escapes by plane to Miami for a fresh start, where he straightaway resumes committing violent crimes and drawing the attention of police. He then mugs a police detective (Mosely) and goes on to pull armed robberies and shakedowns using Mosely's stolen gun, badge and identity.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Unbeknownst to Susan until Detective Mosley shares the truth with her about Junior: specifically his long and violent criminal history, and the fact that he's being investigated for murder.

* HandCannon: Specifically the Desert Eagle pistol that Junior conveniently finds while burgling his neighbours' apartment. You'd also have to include the Ruger Super Blackhawk revolver Mosley borrows from an elderly gentleman.

* SuperStrength: The plot is set in motion by Junior grabbing and snapping a man's finger, causing him to go into shock and die. He also easily breaks a thug's hand during a mugging, and Detective Mosley has a genuinely surprised reaction to Junior's grip strength when they first meet and shake hands.

* CombatPragmatist: Junior is VICIOUS, and he acts quickly when making his moves. In one instance when he's scoping out a pawn shop to rob, the shopkeeper introduces her big, buff armed henchman just to show off her security measures. Junior shoots him * InTheBack like a * DirtyCoward the second he turns away.

* SuperStrength: The plot is set in motion by Junior grabbing and snapping a man's finger, causing him to go into shock and die. He also easily breaks a thug's hand during a mugging, and Detective Mosley gives a genuinely surprised reaction to Junior's grip strength when they first meet and shake hands.

* StupidEvil: Junior makes several decisions that wind up screwing him over.

* LargeHam: Henderson. You can tell Charles Napier made the most of his screen time.

''Miami Blues'' is a 1990 BlackComedy neo-noir directed by George Armitage and starring Fred Ward, Creator/AlecBaldwin, and Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, adapted from the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford.

Frederick J. Frenger Jr., nicknamed Junior, is an ex-con and professional identify thief who hopes to start a new life in Miami. Unfortunately, while in the airport Junior inadvertently causes the death of a Hare Krishna and he makes a run for it. Hiding out in a hotel, he meets a naive and ditzy hooker named Susie Wagner. Falling in love with her, they make plans to settle down together. Unbeknownst to Susie, who believes he has reformed, Junior steals the badge, gun, and dentures of aging and grizzled detective Hoke Moseley and embarks on a crime spree by stealing the loot of other criminals. Understandably angry, Moseley begins pursuing Junior.

* LargeHam: Henderson. You can tell Charles Napier made the most of his screen time.

* BaitTheDog: Junior seems like a LovableScoundrel and a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, but as the film goes on he shows that he is really a murderous sociopath and a violent criminal.