Ten years ago "Get Shorty" became a vital part of John Travolta's comeback bid as a superstar. Soon after, he was carrying such blockbusters like "Broken Arrow" and "Face/ Off." "Get Shorty," based on the Elmore Leonard book, was smart, funny and mature, capitalizing on the charm and chemistry of Travolta and Rene Russo. Leonard's screen adaptations have taken a beating since "Get Shorty," with such bombs as "The Big Bounce" and "Jackie Brown" to his name. The sequel to "Get Shorty," "Be Cool" does not reverse this trend. Despite its promise and talented cast, it is so forgettable that it is sure to be one of the least talked-about movies this year, if only because nobody can remember what actually happened the next day.

"Be Cool" follows the continuing adventures of former sleuth and movie producer Chili Palmer as he tries to break into a music industry reluctant to accept him. Palmer is the smoothest of the smooth, never missing a wisecrack and never flinching when a gun is pointed at his head-which happens with alarming frequency. After the death of a friend, Chili joins Edie Athens (Uma Thurman), who is struggling with an independent record label and swimming in debt. The two make a brave attempt at solvency and work on signing a young, idealistic talent named Linda Moon (Christina Milian) away from her cruel, uncaring producer and label. The action that follows is supposed to be terribly clever but actually borders on incoherent. For all of the set-up and unnecessary gunplay, the movie is still pretty darn boring.

The talented group of actors who will soon try to forget they were ever in this movie include Vince Vaughn, as Linda Moon's producer who "thinks he's black," Harvey Keitel as the head of Moon's record label, The Rock as Vaughn's gay bodyguard with thespian aspirations, and, in one of the worst casting mistakes in years, funnyman Cedric the Entertainer as a Suge Knight-esque producer whose attempts to be hardcore are only slightly less embarrassing than Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's attempts at acting in his overblown cameo role. Outkast member Andre 3000 shows up as one of Cedric's henchmen and alternates between accidentally shooting people and sipping tea. The movie attempts to deflect criticism with weak postmodern humor. The characters at times acknowledge that they are in a movie, and so the stereotypes and trite nature of the characters, dialogue and plot are all part of the big joke being played.

What really dooms "Be Cool" is the unrealized potential of the cast and comic set-ups. It should be funny, but it is not. Vince Vaughn's wannabe character should get big laughs, but he doesn't. The Rock as a gay bodyguard should be a scream, but it falls flat. The movie moves in and out of satire, never knowing if it is dark comedy or slapstick screwball comedy. Travolta and Thurman, who sizzled with sexual tension in "Pulp Fiction," seem like brother and sister here despite their romantic inclinations. Travolta's character is almost too smooth, and he walks with a swagger that seems forced. There is nothing openly offensive or bad about this movie, except that it tries to pawn itself off as so many things and succeeds at none of them. If you feel inclined to see Travolta strutting around, rent "Get Shorty," and if you're a Vince Vaughn fanatic, get the rarely seen gem "Made." "Be Cool" is only for Elmore Leonard fans, and even they might find it hard to love this overblown, underfed flick.