Undercover Blues (1993) User Reviews

Supporting Cast Adds Spark

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 7 July 2006]

As in every comedy, there are things that are very funny and things that are annoying or stupid. You just hope that the "good" outweighs the "bad." I think that's the case here, even though I traded in the tape. However, I did watch it a couple of times, so there are enough laughs to make this worth seeing. There are enough odd characters, too. That's no surprise when you see the supporting cast: Stanley Tucci, Larry Miller, Fiona Shaw and Tom Arnold. All of them put added spark to the film. Tucci, as "Meurte," is most obvious as he continually tries to mug the leading couple, played by Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid. Miller plays a weird cop with a lisp and a very weird accent. I guess you could call this movie "quirky."

Turner and Quaid are so smug as modern-day Nick and Nora Charles, you want to root for "Muerte" to succeed. Frankly, I never found Turner, except perhaps in "Body Heat," to be that alluring. However, I think she is an underrated comedienne.

As a whole, this comedy is a little rough in spots, hence the PG-13 rating which often means more profanity than R-rated films. This is not for the kiddies, but adults will laugh.

Surprisingly good

[Boyo-2 · 7/10 · 24 April 2001]

I did not expect much when I decided to watch this, but in point of fact its a very funny and clever movie with a lot going for it. Quaid and Turner have some real chemistry. This is easily Turner's best movie in the last eight years but that's not saying much I guess. Dennis Quaid's easy-going manner and joyful grin are perfect for the part.

Stanley Tucci is a riot as "Muerte", a bumbling wanna-be gangster who appears to have seen Al Pacino's "Scarface" once too many times. In many ways, its Tucci's movie and he makes the most of it.

Fiona Shaw is also appropriately over the top as a woman/criminal with a crush on Quaid, and there are other familiar faces in the case too.

All in all, a welcome surprise.

Light comedy fun

[cosmic_quest · 7/10 · 9 March 2006]

'Undercover Blues' is a very light-hearted comedy for those who don't always want to take life so seriously; perhaps too jovial for some but I enjoyed it. Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner were very likable as Jeff and Jane Blue, ex-spies who are revelling in family life only to be enticed back for one last job. Larry Miller and Obba Babatunde were humorous as the two New Orleans detectives who know the Blues' are up-to-something but aren't quite sure what exactly but it is Stanley Tucci' hilarious Muerte, the thief who can never get one over on the Blues', who steals the show in his slap-stick performance.

The film does skirt the edge of being a bit silly but is still entertaining with enough action and comedy for a quiet family evening. For those who refuse to just enjoy the innocence of the film, they can still take in the stunning backdrop of New Orleans before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Okay, so it's not Alfred Hitchcock

[jfg1 · 30 June 2002]

This is not Great Cinema, and it's not supposed to be. It's "I've had a bad day and don't want to think too hard" lighthearted fun. Not only are Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner great as Jeff and Jane Blue, but the supporting cast of Stanley Tucci ("that's 'MUERTE', as in 'DEATH'), Fiona Shaw (now perfect as Harry Potter's Aunt Petunia Dursley), Obba Babatunde and Larry Miller as the outclassed detectives, and Tom Arnold and Park Overall as the "normal" couple for balance make the whole cast shine. Park your brain, relax, enjoy, and remember, even GWTW is NOT "GWTW".

Love and ridicule

[jeffthemartin · 7/10 · 6 June 2005]

Unlike most people who see this movie (including my friend who recommended it to me), the character "Muerte" (or "Morty") was not my very favorite part. He was funny, yes, but I was more impressed by the two quirky main characters, (played by Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner). Quaid's character, especially, had a hilarious dead-pan humor that made me like him and laugh.

"Undercover Blues" simultaneously embraces and ridicules spy-movies. The plot structure is fairly typical, (other than the fact that the protagonist spies have an 8-month-old baby). There are good guys and bad guys, and I was reminded of Ocean's 11 and 12 at the end. The main characters have the typical prowess of professional spies, yet they spend as much time mocking themselves as using their skills. I found this duality unique and refreshing, while the formulaic plot didn't stretch my limited Sunday-evening-lethargic brain-power.

One other thing that impressed me about this movie was the main characters' relationship. It is unusual enough to find movie characters who are married, rather than trying to attract mates, or having affairs, or just sleeping together. This movie has only one romance, and it is a happily married couple who are totally in love with one another! There is no gratuitous sex, but it is clear that this couple enjoys and values their intimacy, and have no desire to stray from it.

If you're looking for a fun, fairly innocent action movie, try this one.

PS: It also has a cute baby!

spy of the needle

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 29 October 2023]

Admittedly, Herbert Ross's "Undercover Blues" is a silly movie. It seems like much of the movie is an excuse for the characters to do a bunch of martial arts, with the protagonists smiling in even the most dangerous situations. Even so, the movie makes no pretense about what it is, so it's easy to enjoy. Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid play married spies targeted by different sets of goons in New Orleans.

The movie's purpose is to just have fun, and it succeeds in that respect. No reason to parse or analyze it, just sit back and watch the gags while also enjoying the music provided by the Crescent City.

In supporting roles are Tom Arnold, Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter movies) and RIchard Jenkins (partly known as Nate Sr. On "Six Feet Under", he also played supporting roles in "Step Brothers" and "The Shape of Water").

A Brainless But Entertaining Comedy

[tabuno · 7/10 · 20 January 2019]

3 February 2009. Undercover Blues represents the best of the dumb comedies with prat falls, stupid comic routines and stunts. But this precursor to Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) with Brad Pitt and Anglina Jolie has it all - the action, the simple straightforward plot so that one can just focus on the crazy antics. There are subtle twists and turns, like a magician which makes this fun comedy an above average, sometimes seemingly intelligent movie. There isn't any deep meaning here and is a genuinely PG movie. The use of the baby is never threatening and the situations are always likely comfortably acceptable. Overall, this is just a romp of getaway chuckles. 7/10.

Typical Spy Comedy is Only Worth Watching to See Kathleen Turner

[mrb1980 · 5/10 · 2 August 2013]

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Kathleen Turner was one of Hollywood's top A-list actresses. She appeared in a series of hit movies and was much in demand as a leading lady. She made a few duds, but her films had a high batting average, plus she was very beautiful and could really act. She had, and still has, true star quality.

Unfortunately, "Undercover Blues", released in 1993, is a very typical spy thriller-comedy with nothing new to offer. Jane and Jeff Blue (Turner and Dennis Quaid) are soon-to-be retired spies who do the hackneyed "one last assignment" thing, along with their baby daughter. They do battle with an evil Czech agent (Fiona Shaw) and of course come out victorious after many dangerous situations.

There's nothing new in "Undercover Blues" that I could identify. Different actors had done the same thing in dozens of previous movies. The main villain isn't really that interesting, and a dumb criminal (played by Stanley Tucci) has some funny scenes but that's it. The whole thing has a lackluster "paint-by-the-numbers" feel to it. The shining star in the movie is of course Turner, who steals every scene in which she appears. Dennis Quaid is okay, but almost any actor with his qualifications could have taken his place.

After the mid-1990s, Turner's career took an abrupt downturn due to illness. Her days as a leading lady are over, but she does pop up from time to time in films and on television. "Undercover Blues" is silly and unremarkable, but it does showcase Turner in one of her last roles during her star period. It's worth a look for her appearance alone.

This is a funny, enjoyable comedy that Stanley Tucci walks away with!

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 6 September 2001]

A word to those out there who view cinema as either High Art (CAPITALS clearly audible and firmly enunciated) or that it must have Meaning (ditto): This is not your movie, nor was it made with you as its audience. It is light, funny and meant to entertain. It does this fairly well. You may not like this, but, then, you don't have to. Last time I looked, films as art or with meaning exist. Watch them-I do. I also watch movies as well as films. Having both is not a mutually-exclusive proposition. The Bicycle Thief and Rashomon will not spontaneously combust because this film exists-or vice versa. End of sermon.

Dennis Quaid is funny, Kathleen Turner is a scream, the supporting cast is great (the two detectives, Larry Miller and Obba Babatunde are a riot), but Stanley Tucci, as Muerte, steals the movie. I don't care if the plot has more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese! Park your brain at the door and just enjoy. So it's not GWTW. That's okay-we already have one of those. Highly recommended.

A Multiple-Watch-Worthy Movie

[MarcPerroquet · 7/10 · 18 August 2021]

I think this movie deserves a better rating than the 6.1 that it currently has. If I could, I would rate it 7 1/2 stars. Granted, it is not grounded in reality and its sarcasm (usually delivered by Dennis Quaid as Jeff Blue) gets tiresome but in the end, I was entertained and that's all that matters to me.

Kathleen Turner was a hoot all the way through and Fiona Shaw was wonderful in the role of Novacek, the ruthless, sex-hungry psychopath. When criticized for a particularly cruel and disgusting action she took, she laughed as she said, "I know! It was was in the worst possible taste!" Of course, Stanley Tucci gave his usual brilliant performance, this time as Muerte, the maladroit wannabe-gangster.

As in most movies, I am often equally--if not more--entertained by powerful, lesser appreciated character actors than by the high-paid stars. This was true here. The late Dennis Lipscomb absolutely nailed his small role as the wimpy Foster. I swear, for the rest of my life, I will be cursed to use his voice whenever I ask, "Who is this?" Larry Miller and Obba Babatundé were the perfect choice to play the bewildered cops. They weren't bumbling or incompetent, just confused by the mystery of the Blues.

Im glad the 90s are almost over

[perulv · 3/10 · 12 January 1999]

I would never have finished this movie if it wasn't for Muerte. Luckily, he's appearing all through the movie. What goes for the two super-agents, they were annoying blimps from the 80s.

Still laughing 16 years later

[amcalexa · 8/10 · 23 November 2009]

My husband and I were walking along the sidewalk in the New Orleans French Quarter in the summer of 1992, when he turned and looked at a woman walking alongside us in the street and said, "Oh, my god, that's Kathleen Turner." I was just getting ready to tell him I was sure it wasn't when I looked across the street toward a courtyard, and just about fainted. "Oh my god, It's Dennis Quaid!" We stopped for a minute and watched the two of them walk toward each other, and realized they were taking a break in the middle of filming a movie scene. We were on our way somewhere at the time so we didn't stay to watch, but we decided we'd have to find out what movie they were filming and make it a point to go see it. That's how we ended up seeing Undercover Blues the week it was released in 1993.

The sign that a movie's a good comedy is when you remember the plot's running gag, and it still makes you laugh years later.

I was explaining the Latin root "mort-" to my teenage daughter last night, and that reminded me of Muerte/Morty. I started laughing just thinking about Stanley Tucci's brilliant comedic turn in this role. I called to my husband and asked him if he remembered Muerte/Morty, and he said, "Sure, Stanley Tucci!" And then he started to laugh, too. It's pretty much automatic that any time I hear a word that starts with "mort," I think of Muerrrrrrrrrte!" If you haven't seen this movie, do. It's smart, funny, and at times it'll have you laughing so hard you hurt. And I guarantee you'll never hear a "mort-" word again without fondly remembering Stanley Tucci as Muerte, and his alter ego Morty.

The hit man saves this film from flopping

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 12 December 2015]

Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid are OK as Jane and Jeff Blue in "Undercover Blues." But that's not saying much for a comedy. Their fight scenes and other antics invoke a smile, but the humor soon wears off with these repeated incidents. The film would fast fade into boredom but for one thing. It's not hard to notice that Stanley Tucci's character, Muerte, is what keeps this comedy caper going after the first 10 minutes. His is a very funny role that provides most of the laughter. And Tucci plays it to the hilt. Muerte delivers on his contracts – even if it takes years. The hit man is the only thing that keeps this film from being a flop.

Manufactured spryness

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 15 January 2017]

Retired spy team, a loving married couple on leave with their newborn baby in the French Quarter, are lured back into the business with a top-secret assignment involving plastic explosives (so dangerous "the military won't even touch 'em!"). Unexciting, unfunny updating of "The Thin Man" and its ilk, a comedic crime-caper so hammy that almost every character--the villains in particular--become human cartoons. Dennis Quaid dispatches with two street thugs while holding his infant, but this kind of outlandish humor looks really out of place in a modern-day scenario. New Orleans has been made-over into some kind of fantasy free-for-all, one where anyone can crash a party or play games with the local law (made to look like incompetent boobs). Kathleen Turner, despite having to haul her kid around like a pet, gets by with her smoky register and guttural laugh, and she makes Dennis Quaid look like a wet upstart by comparison. Unsuccessful at the box-office, espionage comedies being out of fashion. *1/2 from ****

This is one fun movie!

[Reel_entertainment · 27 August 2001]

Not many movies keep you wanting to watch, like this one does. The plot is very simple; 2 spies on a vacation are asked to do a job while in New Orleans. The outcome...? One hilarious movie! Dennis Quaid & Kathleen Turner are great as Mr. & Mrs. Blue, the title roles. During the movie while they are fighting the bad guys, they're either bickering over their vacation or what they want to name their daughter. The standout of this movie is Stanley Tucci, who plays street thug Muerte. After a botched mugging of Mr. Blue, which leads to Muerte getting beat up with a stroller, Muerte constantly is following the Blues in the movie to get revenge. You won't be disappointed with this movie!

One of the best comedies of the 90s

[adorjanmarcel · 7/10 · 21 June 2021]

The story is bonkers, the leads are awsome and the supporting cast is Stanley Tucci and Fiona Shaw. What else can you ask for?

Muerte stills the show.

A literate burglar?...

[FlashCallahan · 4/10 · 12 January 2014]

A husband and wife team of ex-Spies arrive in New Orleans on maternity leave with their baby girl. T

But they are hassled by muggers, the police and their FBI boss, who wants them to do just-one-more job.....

I don't know what this film is,and why it exists, but it does and its a really strange film. Quaid and Turner have been kidnapped, and been replaced by robots who have no personality and spout out inane one liners one after the other.

They become embroiled in some set up or another featuring Fiona Shaw with a silly accent, and all the while being chased by a wonderfully silly Tucci who wants revenge on Quaid because of a foiled mugging.

The film tries to be clever, but ends up just too weird for its own good. It's too dark for family viewing, but it's just too silly and immature for its target audience.

When this was released, Quaid and Turners stars were fading, and films like this didn't help them.

Well worth missing.

When Natasha Fatale met the coyote.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 25 June 2023]

The scene stealing Fiona Shaw and Stanley Tucci are guilty of grand theft acting and they are sentenced to hear laughter from the audience every time they appear. Who would think that supporting players could get away with this in light of the leads, Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid as the Blues who are secret agents up against Shaw. Quaid initially encounters Tucci as the mugger Muerte (don't you dare call him Morty!) who metaphorically gets knocked over by Acme products at every turn. The seductive vixen villlainess Shaw is hysterically over-the-top, and obviously having a blast, having gotten tons of laughs from me already as the girl's school mistress lusting after Tom Selleck in "Three Men and a Little Lady".

Yes, the plot is outlandish and at times even ridiculous, but it's a cartoon like caper comedy where the plot doesn't mean a thing because the pacing already has its swing. There are ton of delightfully funny moments that had me chortling in delight, and every time Tucci looses a tooth because of Muerte's own stupidity added more delight, as did his scene at the zoo ending up nearly naked in the alligator tank. I didn't find Tom Arnold and Park Overall at all necessary as the married couple they befriend begrudgingly early in the film, and would rather have had more of Shaw, Tucci and the idiotic American secret agents, some of whom have wacky speech impediments that add more fun silliness. Definitely a crowd pleasing popcorn movie aided by Turner and Quaid's breezy charm, and especially the featured players directed with style by the legendary Herbert Ross.

unfunny broad comedy

[SnoopyStyle · 3/10 · 12 May 2015]

Married couple Jane (Kathleen Turner) and Jeff Blue (Dennis Quaid) are in New Orleans with their new baby. They are secret agents on maternity leave. They befriend fellow travelers Bonnie (Park Overall) and Vern Newman (Tom Arnold). Jeff is attacked by bumbling thugs Muerte (Stanley Tucci) and Ozzie but are easily repulsed. Muerte vows revenge. Police detectives Halsey (Larry Miller) and Sawyer investigate. Frank (Richard Jenkins) wants the couple to recover experimental explosives from ruthless villain Novacek (Fiona Shaw).

I understand that this is meant to be a broad comedy. However neither Quaid nor Turner are natural straight-up comedians. The silly manners and voices from the side characters get a bit ridiculous. I can't stand Larry Miller or Stanley Tucci in this. I think this would work better with a serious action thriller while the Quaid-Turner banter could be put to better use. I keep thinking of 'Romancing the Stone'. This tries to be too broad but they don't have the cast for the material.

funny enjoyable movie

[clp9292 · 8/10 · 18 February 1999]

Undercover Blues is a great, enjoyable movie. The plot doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's not supposed to. You just have to go along with it and have a good time. The characters and their entertaining dialog are what make this film great. Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner are great as undercover agents Jeff and Jane Blue. Their interactions with the local police and Muerte are hilarious and the movie flows very nicely despite the fact that the plot is less than realistic. The movie is definitely worth the three bucks to rent at the video store, or in my case, the ten it took to buy it.

Why this movie was ever made is beyond me

[sammydson · 1/10 · 2 February 2002]

How anyone could read this script and say, "I have to make this picture" stumps me. How any actor after reading this lame duck could say, "I must act in this" stumps me.

The fact is I tried my best to get through this movie. I got about 1/3 into it and just couldn't watch anymore. The jokes were non-existent. The action lame. The acting poor.

But, the worse thing of it all is quite simply: the script.

It's formulaic, it's hackneyed, and it's just bad.

One review I found summed it up best, "Give the tape to one of your worst enemies and tell them it's the best movie ever and smile a lot."

Stay away from this thin-story lined, hack fest.

music, beauty, sex, comedy, spies and crime, - what more could you want from a movie?

[bobsunman · 10/10 · 26 December 2005]

Seen Harry Potter? His aunt, Mrs Dursley? Now see the same woman - Fiona Shaw, as Paulina in Undercover Blues, - all long legs and muddy in a cat fight. But, I guess, Stanley Tucci stole the film in one of the funniest performances I have ever seen. This is an absolute "must see" for anyone who loves to laugh. Buy it rent it, blackmail your local cinema to show it, - but somehow get to see this wonderful movie. From the opening in New Orleans with a happy jazz background, to funeral marches, blues and some of the best music on the planet, this flic will keep your feet tapping. The stunts and fight scenes are witty and great fun, while the husky, sexy voiced Ms Turner in her undies is yet another wonderful bonus! Go See The Movie, - or the boogie man will getcha!

undercover blues ( Bag Lady)

[abaker-71419 · 3/10 · 6 February 2016]

OK, watch this movie more than twenty times and enjoy each time I watch it. But I notice the bag lady shown in three different area of N.O. during the shooting of the film. What is her part? Every time they show her I get loss. Do any one know what is it that she suppose to be or do? OK, watch this movie more than twenty times and enjoy each time I watch it. But I notice the bag lady shown in three different area of N.O. during the shooting of the film. What is her part? Every time they show her I get loss. Do any one know what is it that she suppose to be or do? OK, watch this movie more than twenty times and enjoy each time I watch it. But I notice the bag lady shown in three different area of N.O. during the shooting of the film. What is her part? Every time they show her I get loss. Do any one know what is it that she suppose to be or do? OK, watch this movie more than twenty times and enjoy each time I watch it. But I notice the bag lady shown in three different area of N.O. during the shooting of the film. What is her part? Every time they show her I get loss. Do any one know what is it that she suppose to be or do?

Aw, come on!

[psycholemming · 22 January 2001]

5.3? This movie deserves better! What on earth is wrong with a movie that's unbelievably funny and doesn't use fart jokes? I mean, that scene with the crocodiles...I just about died laughing! Grow a sense of humor, people! Just because a movie doesn't have some ingenious plot line doesn't mean it can't be worthwhile. This movie is great.

Not a bad movie but...

[extravaluejotter · 5/10 · 22 July 2006]

Every few years, someone tries to capture the spirit of those black-and-white screwball comedies of the 1930s and 40s, Hollywood's Golden Age. "Undercover Blues" is a brave attempt and reasonably well-acted, but...

Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner as a couple? No way. Kathleen Turner is a fine actress but she is visibly older than Quaid. Yes, she's pretty sexy in "Undercover Blues" but her chemistry with Quaid is more like the Anne Bancroft/Dustin Hoffman chemistry of "The Graduate".

Stanley Tucci is also a fine actor. Unfortunately in this film he is stuck with a feeble one-joke two-dimensional role. He does his best but by the end of the film you'll be crying out for someone to kill him.

I ended up with the Undercover Blues after watching this film. Roll on the next screwball comedy genre attempt...