Pas de vacances pour les Blues

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.

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.

'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.

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.