‘Deep Cover’ Review: Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed Mug Their Way Through a So-So Action Comedy

by

The movie titled “Deep Cover” starts with a quote that’s often used in comedy and war – “You must be prepared to die if you want to kill.” This quote might seem like an easy target for critics looking to make a quick joke. However, the film itself doesn’t end up dying or killing anyone, even though there are many action scenes and deaths on screen. Instead, it persistently carries on for 99 minutes, filled with plenty of slapstick humor and quips, but only occasionally producing a genuine laugh. The main cast includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed, who play desperate improv comedians unexpectedly caught up in the London underworld. While it’s more bustling than amusing, more frantic than engaging, it remains watchable.

“Deep Cover” begins with a well-known quote about comedy and war – “You must be prepared to die if you want to kill.” This quote might seem like an easy target for critics seeking a quick joke. But the action-comedy doesn’t end up killing anyone, even though there are many deaths on screen. Instead, it keeps going for 99 minutes, filled with lots of slapstick humor and jokes, but only occasionally causing a genuine laugh. The main cast consists of Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed as desperate improv comedians who find themselves in the London underworld. Although it’s more active than funny, more energetic than compelling, it is still enjoyable to watch.

For Colin Trevorrow, who is both the producer and co-writer, “Deep Cover” signifies a comeback to the humor-laden genre films he initially excelled in with his hit “Safety Not Guaranteed”, following his stint on major franchise productions. He and his regular partner Derek Connolly penned the original script, but it has been reworked with a European twist by the eccentric comedy duo Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen. Tom Kingsley, a fellow British filmmaker known for “Black Pond” and “The Darkest Universe”, takes on directing responsibilities for this project, his first feature since these smaller-scale, subtly strange films. This blend of American and British styles results in a distinctive combination that is sometimes both bold and quaintly offbeat, with transitions at times feeling slightly uneven. The film will make its world debut at the inaugural SXSW London festival, followed by screenings at Tribeca, before it lands on Amazon Prime Video.

The Anglo-American influence extends to the casting, where Trevorrow’s “Jurassic World” actor Chris Howard takes the lead as Kat, an American expatriate making ends meet in London by teaching improv comedy, after her larger acting aspirations didn’t pan out. If Howard, who is more comfortable in serious roles, appears somewhat unusual for this part, the movie doesn’t display Kat’s on-stage comedic techniques. Similarly, Bloom’s character Marlon, one of Kat’s students and a gloomy aspiring actor, seems out of place, though his lack of fit for the comedy club scene is more of a recurring joke.

In a significantly funnier twist, the “Ted Lasso” cast member Mohammed plays the role of Hugh, a timid, socially awkward IT worker with aspirations in comedy that seem far-fetched given Kat’s cheerful and gentle guidance. However, an unusual prospect presents itself when Kat is approached by Billings (Sean Bean), a hardened narcotics officer, who proposes an unconventional idea: enlisting comedians, known for their quick thinking and improvisation skills, as undercover agents to catch petty criminals. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, starting with Kat’s desperate decision to partner up when her top performers are poached by an agent: Hugh and Marlon are the ones she settles for.

In one of the movie’s funniest scenes, their botched initial heist as a group becomes a standout moment – Mohammed’s timely yet misaligned “yes, and…” is particularly memorable. Despite its unintentional consequences, they somehow manage to sneak into the den of drug lord Fly (Paddy Considine, seamlessly transitioning from his TV role in “MobLand”), who finds their clumsy criminal act amusing. As they meet the more suspicious mob boss Metcalfe (Ian McShane), they’ve already become too enmeshed in the situation to escape.

As a film enthusiast, I find myself yearning for a more character-driven narrative in this movie, as the drawn-out gang war seems to overshadow other potential storylines that could have been more engaging. The writers, Ashenden and Owen, display their cleverness through the dialogue between the duo of Scotland Yard detectives they’ve created, who are hot on the heels of the amateur crew, unaware of Billings’ master plan. However, the abrupt shift in tone between the dry, humorous exchanges between these two characters and the more exaggerated performances of the main trio is somewhat disconcerting.

Deep Cover” is somewhat unsteady, especially when it delves into full-blown action sequences, which can feel jarring next to the lighthearted humor in other parts. For instance, a fast-paced car chase at the beginning of the movie seems haphazardly justified and edited poorly; similarly, the rapid pace of fight scenes is disorganized. While this chaos could be appropriate for a story about ordinary people thrust into serious criminal conflict, the film as a whole sometimes appears unsure and attempting to imitate the cool confidence of tougher genres.”

“Deep Cover” stumbles when it enters action territory, with scenes that are violent and chaotic, contrasting sharply with the cheerful humor elsewhere. An initial high-speed car chase is unclear in its reasoning and poorly edited; the fighting sequences follow a frantic rhythm. This chaos could suit a story about average people thrown into serious criminal conflict, but the movie itself often seems hesitant to adopt the swagger and dialogue of tougher genres.

Read More

2025-06-06 17:17