Pas de vacances pour les Blues

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!

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.

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.

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.

One of the better movies of 1993. It was funny, brilliant and full of intrigue.

I liked Dennis Quaid as Jeff Blue. He was full of wisecracks and that smile he gave you told you that he was up to something and/or was only telling you half-truths.

Jeff's wife, Jane, played by Kathleen Turner, was more of the "straight person" to Jeff, but at times, she could she could be funny and tough as well.

Larry Miller as Detective Sgt Halsey was hilarious. Although his accent was horrible (maybe it was intended that way), I liked him as the dopey detective.

Stanley Tucci as "Muerte" or "Morty" as the Blues refer to him as, was the best. He plays a robber in New Orleans and he meets the couple he tries and tries again to rob; The Blues. Every time he tries, he fails and that high pitch scream Muerte/Morty screams when something bad is going to happen to him is hilarious. It no longer becomes a job for Muerte, but a challenge. About the only thing he could "steal" from the Blues was the entire movie. He had me laughing non-stop every time he appeared.

My favorite parts in the movie:

Muerte: "I am Muerte"

Jeff Blue: "Oh hi Morty!!!"

Muerte: "Muerte!!! Muerte!!! no Morty!!! Muerte!!!!"

And when Jeff Blue meets with Paulina Novacek (Fiona Shaw), her gang has "Muerte", thinking he is one of Jeff's "confederates", He (Jeff) plays off it, saying that Muerte is the big guy and refers to him as "The Big 'M'" and "Muerte". Suddenly, Muerte to save his butt, keeps screaming, "I'm Morty!!! Morty!!!".

Stanley Tucci is priceless in this movie.