Undercover - In too Deep

Those looking for a rousing shoot-em-up action picture will probably be disappointed by `In Too Deep.' Those looking for a more low-keyed, subdued and thoughtful study of the realities of life as an undercover cop will, however, find much in this film to admire and appreciate. Omar Epps stars as a Cincinnati-based rookie cop, Officer Jeff Cole, who goes undercover to nab a major cocaine dealer from New Jersey who calls himself `God,' (played by rapper LL Cool J) and who, Godfather-like, involves himself heavily in familial values and efforts to `help' the struggling members of his blighted neighborhood. In its exploration of its subject, the film wisely eschews the over-the-top fantasy heroics that afflict so many action films and, instead, tethers itself to the harsh, often ugly realities of the dangerous criminal world in which it is set. The movie builds much of its drama and suspense by bringing to the foreground the fascinating logistics that go into undercover police work, forcing us to witness first hand the risks, the moral compromises (to be convincing, Cole has to snort cocaine himself, for example) and the psychological ambiguities that invariably accompany the job.

Cole is a man who has been obsessed from the early days of his underprivileged, slum-ridden childhood with making a difference in a crime-infested world he knows all too well from first hand experience. This makes him a natural choice for infiltrating this underworld existence since his background has given him the understanding he needs as a point-of-entry. Thus, as he embarks on this new and dangerous career, we see the innate compassion he extends to those caught in the same environment from which he has sprung, an empathy that, in the context of his job, often leads him into a `softness' that clouds his judgment and ends up endangering his life further. In addition, as he is accepted more deeply into the inner circle of trust that God has set up around himself, Cole begins to question his own loyalties – or so, at least, the offers in charge of him begin to believe. (This, I imagine, is the undercover agent version of the Stockholm Syndrome that afflicts so many kidnap victims, often leading them to transfer their loyalties from their rescuers to their abductors).

The screenplay, though it could be sharper and more incisive at times, occasionally achieves substance in its examination of just what happens to an undercover agent's mind when he does indeed get `in too deep.' In addition, the film frequently achieves moments of genuine suspense, in truly scary scenes involving God's uncontrolled displays of manic violence and torture and in moments when Cole's entire cover seems to have been `blown.' In those moments, LL Cool J hits all the right notes in his performance but, both he and Epps, unfortunately, lack the dramatic and emotional range as actors necessary to make their quieter, more intimate moments effectively credible. In addition, the dialogue often rings untrue, especially in the conversations among the commanding officers played by Stanley Tucci and, in another weak portrayal, Pam Grier among others.

With better performances, harder-edged dialogue and slightly more energetic direction, `In Too Deep' might have been a great study of moral conflict set within the context of an exciting policier. On the other hand, the film could also have been much worse. As it is, `In Too Deep' respects the seriousness of both its subject matter and its audience and provides a number of powerful scenes - factors for which we are grateful but which also make us yearn for the high quality film that might have been.

Plot (7 out of 10): An OK plot about J. Reid developing as an undercover cop. No major investigation facts or any plot twists. It's straightfoward and simple, but a nice story.

Acting (7 out of 10): Acting is good, even though everyone is pretty much as plain as it is.

Entertainment (8 out of 10): It's good entertainment. No major action scenes or unbelieveable shots. Everything is just like a real book about a guy that wants to make a difference. You're in tension on any other scene, vowing for Reid.

Soundtrack (5 out of 10): No major scores.

Special Effects (10 out of 10): Max rating, since everything tha's shown feels real. Makeup is good and no CGI is seen. Keep in mind that this movie uses little special effects.

Movie's main characteristic: Character-driven.

Final Score: 7.4 (7).

Summary: In Too Deep is a solid crime drama about an undercover cop struggling with his personal life plus his own mind. Being in too deep in the scheme makes him start to forget who he really is, although even that is not strongly developed. The movie runs for a short time and shows us what we need to know without dragging too much.

IN TOO DEEP is a movie that packs a good punch, violence wise. This film may shock you if you are not a seasoned movie vet(like myself). Aside from the violence and bad language, IN TOO DEEP gives us a nice look at what undercover police work might look like. This film is well acted by the whole cast(especially LL COOL J) and includes a "hip" sound track that adds to the films look and feel. The point of the film is about an undercover cop that tries to work his way into a drug king pin's dealing business in order to bring him down. This is a well done movie and I recommend it to those who like action and rap. I give it one thumb up. Rated R for STRONG VIOLENCE, A SCENE OF TORTURE, STRONG LANGUAGE, A SCENE OF SEXUALITY, AND BRIEF NUDITY.

Starting out his undercover career with small scale drug busts, Jef Cole is soon enlisted to go after the main dealer, known locally as God. When he gets in too deep and kills a dealer who moves up on him, Jeff is sent away to a remote spot to recover. When a chance meeting with a FBI agent reveals that no other officer has got close to God since then, Jeff offers to go back under – but can he avoid going native?

I taped this simply because of the cast and I must admit I didn't expect much from it. I knew from the plot summary that it was going to be a version of Deep Cover, but with more rappers! However I did actually quite enjoy it. The plot, while not original, is actually pretty good fun to watch. The only thing that slowed it down was the seemingly pointless addition of the romance subplot which took the wind out of the film without adding anything to it. The main plot though is quite energetic and exciting – the question of whether Jeff will go `in too deep' or not is pretty moot simply due to the nature of the film but it is still good.

Although in many films, rappers stand out as giving poor cameos etc, here they all do well. In fact the soundtrack is a good mix of hip hop all used to good effect. The opening credits are stylishly shot and the director does a pretty good job of mixing a gritty street feel with some stylish flourishes. The film feels very polished and professional rather the sort of cheap rubbish that many predominately-rapper cast films have been in the past few years.

Speaking of cast, Epps does a good job as a leading man, he is a solid black actor who could be somewhere between Washington and Snipes in terms of abilities and genre. LL Cool J does a good job, enjoying himself playing a bad guy. He is actually quite a good actor simply because he picks projects that don't stretch his abilities. Long is a beautiful woman but is wasted in a pointless role here – she is worthy of more. Support cast includes a long line of rappers & cameos etc who do reasonable jobs – Sticky Fingaz is perfect in this type of role (albeit perpetuating a stereotype) and other faces include Pam Grier, Nas, Dupri and Mya.

Overall this is a surprisingly enjoyable film that is criminally underwatched. While not original it is solidly good fun and well made with the cast giving enjoyable performances.

This movie is excellent. It has everything; lovable characters, crude humor, brief nudity, popular actors, well-written story, a ruthless but nice crimelord who calls himself "GOD". Omar Epps plays Cole, an undercover cop who goes "in too deep" to stop God. At first he suspects he's a cop but after certain encounters with God's enimes; Cole proves himself. He takes it to far sometimes, then his boss stops him from undercover work but he quickly put back in. There nasty but funny scenes n this movie such as: God cutting off the tongue of 1 of his enimes, then another, he shoves a pool stick in his butt. Defenitely a "must-see" film. Although the ending is not expected but nonetheless go see it!