In Too Deep Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

In Too Deep Blu-ray Movie Review

Far Too Shallow.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 4, 2012

You ain't one of us, you must be one of them.

Gritty Cop Dramas are a staple of middling cinema, regular guests in movie houses with nothing better to play, easy money sorts of pictures for actors with little better to do with their time. In Too Deep toes the line of genre convention. The movie is remarkable in just how unremarkable it plays, a perfect representation of the midlevel dark and dirty Cop thriller about a good guy torn between right and wrong and two sides of the law, moving towards split allegiances and himself fractured as he maneuvers between the world he knows and the world in which he exists, the line between the two hopelessly blurred and his life following suit towards dangerous uncertainty. It sounds interesting and ripe for good drama, and it is, but the problem is that it's been done to death and done some more, rarely with anything new to offer tired moviegoers who merely settle for the same old thing rather than hold out for a superior and novel product. In Too Deep delivers serviceable entertainment, but its linear and predictable plot, generic characters, and tired cadence result only in a lackluster picture that gets the job done but that will be soon forgotten once the lights come up.

Jeff takes aim.

Jeff Cole (Omar Epps) is a confident young cop who grew up in Ohio's shadiest projects. He's ready for whatever law enforcement has in store for him, which includes a dangerous undercover mission into one of Ohio's most notorious drug rings. Jeff is able to convince his superior, Preston D'Ambrosio (Stanley Tucci), that he's ready for the job. Jeff is tasked with working his way up the food chain and into the inner circle of the violent but smart and savvy "God" (LL Cool J), a drug lord who operates out of the projects but who's expanding his drug empire statewide. God is in control of some 80% of the state's drug traffic. He's one of the biggest targets in the history of Ohio law enforcement and is certainly no easy prey even for a street smart rookie like Jeff. As Jeff works his way into God's good graces, he must come to understand the world of the criminal and participate in it, all without sacrificing his code, breaking the law, or allowing the situation to transform him into someone he's not prepared to be nor willing to become.

In Too Deep does its thing well, but its "thing" isn't that interesting and it's also tired and repetitive. So even when the movie finds moments of high tension, decent character development, or quality drama, it plays with an unshakable familiarity, a repetitive rhythm whereby it's difficult to distinguish the movie from any number of other pictures, this film only really identifiable by the specific actors who appear in it and the title plastered on the poster. The picture follows routine, with the good-intentioned cop headed down a path from which there is no way off but turning around and moving backwards, sacrificing all he's done and making for nothing every step he's taken. The movie is only about that sprint towards the point of no return, the lead character forced to determine the course of the investigation and his very life with every act he takes, crime he witnesses, lie he tells. The characters are developed satisfactorily, along the standard genre convention track. Don't expect any insightful character development or novel character arcs. In Too Deep merely plays it safe, relying on a dark visual structure rather than dramatic heft to carry the project, and even then it never escapes tired convention.

Indeed, and to play on the film's title, In Too Deep delivers a fairly shallow experience. The picture lacks a finely-honed edge, instead settling for manufactured crises and depending upon standard genre plot turns to carry the day. The film, then, leaves the audience always on the periphery, watching the action from a distance, gazing longingly for something deep down inside but finding only a shallow and superficial experience. In essence, the film never lives up to its title, at least from an audience perspective, where viewers will find only a highlight reel of the journey, not experience the nitty-gritty, heart-pounding, ultra-dangerous world of law enforcement penetration into a criminal enterprise. The characters, then, have no choice but to be fairly shallow. The saving grace is that they are well-played, but even the film's fine performances only carry them and the movie in which they appear so far. Omar Epps does all he can to bring a sharp edge to the character, but audiences never see past the cool exterior to truly experience the hands-shaking, gut-churning interior where the real drama takes shape. Epps carries himself well and brings some swagger to the part, but that's about it. The same may be said of LL Cool J's "God." The rapper plays the part of a dangerous drug kingpin with a heavy, fierce hand but carries himself with a cool, confident, professional exterior. His character may be a little more shallow by design, but audiences ought not expect to find much below the surface here, either. The wonderful duo of Stanley Tucci and Pam Grier is grossly underutilized, but they bring a quality presence and a couple of more familiar faces to a project in need of all the help it can get.

In Too Deep Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

In Too Deep's 1080p Blu-ray transfer has its moments of quality visuals, but generally this is an underwhelming high definition experience. The image appears consistently flat, soft, and murky, with only basic high definition detailing to be found. Faces reveal adequate intricacies in close-ups, but pretty much everything else looks little better than a strong DVD, with the image only a little more crisp and stable around the edges than would be a 480p presentation. Colors are drab, but by design. Combine that with the lack of detail and absolute sharpness, and the transfer is destined for visual mediocrity. The image sports little grain and sometimes looks slightly smoothed over. Light print damage -- vertical lines and pops -- are infrequent but present, ditto banding and blocking. This is not a terrible transfer, just a very bland and boring one.

In Too Deep Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In Too Deep's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack fares somewhat better than the disappointing video transfer. Though general clarity could be better, the track does play with constantly good energy, fair spacing, and surround use. A decent low end accompanies the film's heavier music beats, and the quality sense of musical immersion is enjoyable. The track features fair ambiance, particularly in those riverside meetings between Jeff and Preston. Such scenes offer realistic light atmospherics both natural and manmade, all playing accurately and with natural placement all around the listening area. A gunfight near the end of the movie features strong, potent shots, natural reproduction of the sound, and impacting shells all over the stage. Dialogue is often shallow but not difficult to hear, just not as robust and natural as listeners might expect. All told, this is a decent track, nothing remarkable, but a fair presentation for a bargain Blu-ray featuring a generic catalogue title.

In Too Deep Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included is the In Too Deep theatrical trailer (480p, 1:14).

In Too Deep Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In Too Deep recycles genre convention and paints a bland picture of a would-be interesting scenario. The film, contrary to its title, leaves audiences wandering around the periphery, never feeling as if they've gotten deep down into the very essence of the character, feeling what he feels, and really understanding the dangers both physical and emotional he faces. The movie also never escapes typical plot scenarios and actions. It simply follows procedure and produces a decent, but forgettable, Cop Drama. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of In Too Deep features subpar video, mediocre audio, and no supplements of note. Skip it.