UNDERCOVER BLUES
US, 1993, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kathleen Turner, Dennis Quaid, Fiona Shaw, Stanley Tucci, Larry Miller, Obba Babbatunde, Tom Arnold, Park Overall, Richard Jenkins, Saul Rubinek, Dave Chappelle.
Directed by Herbert Ross.
The perpetually teeth-sparkling and smiling Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid as Jane and Jack Blue, lovey-dovey parents of cooing baby but are also ex-spies. We can probably guess the rest…
But Stanley Tucci has an amusing cameo as a street thug who calls himself Muerte (Death) and Fiona Shaw gives a caricatured caricature of an eastern European villain.
It is set in New Orleans, blends comedy and James Bondish action. but it may be a conspiracy – by grinning so much, the stars also put its audience off with all the family and baby niceness that the audience will clamour for more violence!
Interesting supporting cast including Larry Miller, Tom Arnold, Richard Jenkins as the agent. And directed by Herbert Ross who had a 25 year career with a range of film entertainments, including screenplays by Neil Simon and Stephen Sondheim, dance films like The Turning Point, Nijinsky, and his first film being the musical remake of Goodbye Mr Chips.
1. An entertaining comedy, with touches of action? Marriage, family, babies? Crime in the streets? Espionage?
2. New Orleans, the city, family life, crime, the agency? The musical score?
3. The title, the Blues family, and the blues!
4. The Blues and their past careers, Jane as particularly tough and effective, Jeff and his joking, wisecracks, laid back, yet strong in action? The past successes or not, deciding to give up their work? Frank, the gifts, the barnyard with Jeff playing with it, the blanket from the White House? Frank recruiting them again?
5. The baby, the discussions about the names?
6. Muerte, his opinion of himself, the master criminal, outlaw, his name of Death? His behaviour, the muggings, shouting, the switchblade? Ozzie as his
partner? The confronting of Jeff and the baby, Jeff giving the wallet, but showing no fear, irritating Muerte, his stalking the Blues?
7. Novacek, her Czech background in a Communist era, the Cold War, escaping from arrest, her appearance as a dotty Countess, her arms deals, stealing chemicals, her thugs? The encounter with the Blues in the past? Stealing the C 22? The Blues to confront her and bring her down?
8. The New Orleans police, the encounters with the Blues, Sawyer and his being against them, Halsey and his being pleasant?
9. The Newmans, on vacation, the bickering couple, arguing about the baby’s name, and not believing that the Blues were spies?
10. An easy entertaining concoction?
