Undercover Blues (1993) Retro Review! Or, why not! Is there a bee on me? So! Retro Reviews are back! Like they had never gone away. Just took a long breath and a pause to re-calibrate.
The first review is the 1993 action-comedy Undercover Blues. Written by Ian Abrams, directed by Herbert Ross, this movie starred Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid as the main protagonists Mr and Mrs Blue. A spy couple, in love with each other, their baby, and their jobs.
This film has a bevy of top notch actors on board to deliver a funny and, it must be said, cartoonish spy film. Think Looney Tunes with its nonstop nonlethal violence with pacing borrowed from any Marx Brothers movie. Severely disliked by Rotten Tomatoes, but what do they know, and liked by audiences by at least a 67% margin.
Turner and Quaid are not necessarily on top of their star ratings here, but they are riding the crest of it. With Innerspace: 1987 (Quaid) and Romancing the Stone: 1984 (Turner) both being intense crowd pleasers, the two actors show why they were so popular with the cinema going public in this fun film.
The story
Such as it is
There is a barely discernible plot. Most of the couple’s antics revolve around their interactions with Stanley Tucci‘s Muerte. Quaid’s instant mispronouncing of Morty, never really gets old and the misfortunes of Muerte always entertains. It is brilliantly pleasing to see Saul Rubinek as the hapless and traitorous Mr Ferderber getting his just desserts.
Sadly one has to look for a DVD of the film to watch it. There are no existing streamer versions to be found. *A word of advice; do not bother purchasing the blue-ray copy. There are no special features anywhere. Granted the film does look good, but, the real reason to go blue-ray is the special features.
Fiona Shaw gives a “by the numbers” portrayal of a Russian spy and there could have been a lot more of the excellent Richard Jenkins. Filmed at Culver City and New Orleans, the movie looks good and sells its southern charm easily. Shout out to Larry Miller with his lispy, almost Cajun, cop. He evokes laughter each and every time he speaks.
The Verdict
This film will never be serious, do not go into it thinking gravitas (Shakespeare, as they say, it ain’t.) but it is good fun. The fights are choreographed capably and look impressive. There are some blunders, but not enough to take one out of the action. Undercover Blues is a solid 3.5 stars. It is a belter of a movie. How can anyone dislike a move with this type of interaction between characters?
“Don’t move.”
“Why not? Is there a bee on me?”
Funny stuff indeed.
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