UNDERCOVER BLUES
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 5.2
Date Released: 9/10/93 Running Length: 1:29 Rated: PG-13 (Cartoon violence, language, mature themes)
Starring: Kathleen Turner, Dennis Quaid, Fiona Shaw, Stanley Tucci,
Obba Babatunde
Director: Herbert Ross
Producer: Mike Lobell
Screenplay: Ian Abrams
Music: David Newman
Released by MGM
Husband and wife team Jeff (Dennis Quaid) and Jane Blue (Kathleen Turner) have, during their illustrious career as spies, worked for both the FBI and the CIA. Now, with an eleven-month old baby, they're in semi- retirement while vacationing in New Orleans. Of course, there wouldn't be a movie if a plot device didn't come along to re-activate them. In this case, it's a Czech terrorist, played by Fiona Shaw. Simply put, Jeff and Jane have to locate, then stop, her. Along the way, the two are pursued by the incompetently villainous Muerte (Stanley Tucci), who is intent on redressing past insults.
Anyone who takes any part of this film seriously has missed the point. UNDERCOVER BLUES is pure farce, with no inconvenient things like drama, characterization, or storyline thrown in to muddy the waters. The film frequently doesn't make sense and, on those occasions when it does, its stupidity is so transparent that we almost wish it didn't. But that's part of the movie's limited charm.
Most comedy spy stories try for a few dramatic or thriller-type moments, but not UNDERCOVER BLUES. In a way, it's refreshing never to have to worry about the heroes being in danger. You know from the beginning that there's no chance of that. The bad guys are straight out of the comics, and they're not the only ones.
The characters of Jeff and Jane Blue have absolutely no depth, but their banter is frequently amusing, although not laughably funny. Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid appear to be enjoying themselves immensely in these frothy roles, and they mesh well together. Whatever term you want to use for their pairing, be it likable or appealing, Turner and Quaid play off of each other as well as the script allows.
Fiona Shaw is a little to shrill to be enjoyable, and her role isn't a particularly large one. Her Novacek is a nasty woman who never elicits more than a halfhearted chuckle, and manages to get involved in an embarrassing mud-wrestling match with Jane Blue. Similarly, Obba Babatunde (as the tough-as-nails cop who trails around after the Blues) has few genuinely funny moments, and it's a little difficult to fathom exactly what his character is doing in the movie. More than occasionally, he becomes an unwanted annoyance.
The same cannot be said of Stanley Tucci, whose Muerte is by far the best element of the movie. Muerte, called "Morty" by the Blues, gets into a knife fight with Jeff early in the movie. Despite being one of the most feared men in Cajun Country, the inept thug is beaten soundly by Jeff, whose only weapon is a baby stroller. After that humiliating incident, he shows up time and time again, providing several moments of hilarity amidst the sometimes plodding movement of a pointless plot.
A major weakness of UNDERCOVER BLUES is that it pays more than mere lip service to its story (i.e., it actually allows events to move along towards a recognizable conclusion). There are numerous scenes that simply don't work, and their presence slows proceedings to a grinding halt. This is pretty obviously a case of having too little material to fill up the requisite feature film length.
Nevertheless, UNDERCOVER BLUES is silly enough to deserve some credit, and for those who see it, there will at least be a few laughs. This is one of the most empty-headed comedies in a long while, and it revels in its own admitted idiocy. It's debatable whether anyone would want to pay money for this picture, but when it gets to cable, it might be worth a look for those in the right mood. After all, there's always a place for mindless entertainment, even if that place is on television.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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