In Too Deep (1999)

Originally tonight's late night movie on BBC 1 was going to be the pierce Brosnan thriller DEATH TRAIN but because of a terrible train crash down in England a few days ago the BBC must have changed their mind in a similar way to some US stations changing their mind about showing SAVING PRIVATE RYAN while there's a war on so instead the BBC showed this gritty urban thriller . " The film contains very strong language , violence and scenes viewers may find disturbing " said the announcer which led me to believe the station might have been better of showing a comedy if they were going to change the schedule

Yes indeed IN TOO DEEP does contain strong language and scenes of violence , I sure hope the bad guy chalked his pool stick before taking his shot . From the outset it's obvious what the story is about and where it's heading , an undercover cop infiltrates a drugs gang and ends up going native so right away you're reminded of NEW JACK CITY , DONNIE BRASCO and the little seen British thriller I.D . It's hardly ground breaking but it is entertaining enough if you like streetwise urban thrillers . If I have two criticisms it's the clichéd dialogue which sound like the opening sequence of the Aphex Twin music video WINDOW LICKER ( Do all homies talk like this ? ) and the very abrupt ending

Six out of Ten

Fmovies: A superb, tense thriller that can be placed alongside "Donnie Brasco" (I mean, of course, Agent Joseph Pistone's book, not the dreadful movie, full of lies and awful changes, that was "based" on it). "In Too Deep" is powerful, dark, gripping and keeps you in uncertainty of what's going to happen till the very end. A very realistic experience, with attention paid to the tiniest details and legalities - this isn't your average stupid Tarantino flick where undercover cops go around happily shooting anyone they want whenever they feel like it; this feels almost *real*! I doubt if the movie was actually based on a true story of an undercover policeman (unless the "story" is the obvious fact that thousands of policemen risk their lives every month working undercover all over the world), but if anything like it ever happened, you can safely bet that it happened exactly the way the movie tells it. Highly recommended, especially for anyone interested in true crime. I hope it comes out on DVD, with extras and specials - this movie deserves it. If while reading "Donnie Brasco" (NOT while watching its stupid film version...) you ever wondered what it would be like if moved to the 1990s, "In Too Deep" will answer your questions! (By the way, have you noticed that "God" looks somewhat like a thin Suge Knight, while J-Reed looks a bit like an older version of Tupac Shakur...?)

The title is a misnomer; "In Too Deep" is shallow and rushed. There isn't one original idea to be found anywhere in this film; you'll recognize scenes taken from movies you haven't even seen! The "beginning-at-the-end" structure eliminates most of the suspense as well. But if you insist on watching the film, be sure to rent the DVD version with optional English subtitles, because only about 50% of the dialogue is comprehensible. (**)

In Too Deep fmovies. Michael Rymers look at an undercover cop infiltrating a east coast drug lord is unrealistic, at times entertaining but all-together only average. omar Epps is decent in the lead role, but LL Cool J's performance as the drug lord wasn't the best. Nia Long was nice eye candy and Stanley Tucci and Pam Grier were good enough in there roles. THis film isn't the most realistic though at times obviously drastic. THe screenplay is decent but the sequences of events indicated in it are just not what goes on. There's better films out there in this genre such as New Jack City and great stuff like Donnie Brasco. THis movie is only avearge 7/10

This is actually a very good film. A great watch, and tense all they way through. It was an incredible mix of scripting, acting, dialogue and cinematography that uncovered an understanding of truth on both sides of the issue.

In this film, Omar Epps plays a rookie, undercover cop, whose first small assignment actually leads him into the number one crime syndicate in all of Cincinnati. The inexperienced cop uses his urban upbringing and street smarts to get him to the top, where he really has to decide which side he wants to be on. Also LL Cool J showed that he had much talent in acting as in Hip-Hop music. Omar Epps is also great, and Nia Long, nice eye candy from fresh prince of Bel Air and Stanley Tucci, who added further weight to the cast. The soundtrack is great too, especially at the end with the Mobb Deep track, it's a perfect fit.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Someday this will be the sort of movie that gets rented because Omar Epps is a big star and his fans didn't see this when it was released.

There wasn't much WRONG with the movie, but there wasn't much to praise either. I found it fairly slow and tedious at parts, and it never really built much tension around going undercover. I compared it unfavorably to Reservoir Dogs it that aspect.

I'm a big fan of Stanley Tucci, but he hasn't got much to work with here. That goes double for Pam Grier - her "character" isn't much more than a target for a few of Omar's attacks after he goes "too deep".