Does this sound familiar? "Heroine outsider is forced to go undercover into an environment she doesn't understand, change everything about who
she is, and
intermix with people to whom she cannot relate, all in the name of solving some important crime." It's an age-old "fish out of water" backdrop
that's been
the subject of countless films, amongst them Miss Congeniality, Never Been Kissed, and, to a slightly lesser extent, The House Bunny. Director Tom Vaughan's (What Happens in Vegas) So Undercover intermixes elements of
all
three in his telling of the tale of a tomboy forced to ditz herself up and play the role of shallow sorority sister in an undercover FBI sting operation.
She's forced to change
her vocabulary, wardrobe, and makeup, all the while somehow making herself fall into line with her "sisters" who, to her, may as well be "aliens."
It's a
playful, innocent, and wholly conventional flick, but somehow, some way, So Undercover finds a charm, a sense of humor, and a
watchability
that all
make it a much more satisfying little excursion than the advertisements might otherwise suggest.
Undercover out in the open.
Molly Morris (Miley Cyrus) isn't like the other girls. She's something of a tomboy, a pro with the camera, an expert marksman, and she
demonstrates
plenty of physical agility. She's sort of like a teenage super spy; her latest intelligence-gathering mission has her trailing a prominent U.S. Senator
to
capture on film his sexual escapades. When that mission goes bust, she's forced to follow lower-profile targets, and again her mission is scrubbed
when
her cover is blown, but not by her own doing. Her latest sting is interrupted by an FBI agent named Armon (Jeremy Piven) who wants her to go
undercover into a New Orleans college, pose as a sorority sister, and keep an eye on a girl named Alex Patrone (Lauren McKnight) whose father is a
key
figure in an operation against the Georgian mafia. Molly, who needs the money to cover her father's gambling debts, agrees. She receives a physical
and verbal makeover and enters the Kappa Kappa Zeta sorority under the pseudonym "Brooke Stonebridge." She keeps a pistol under her pillow and
clandestinely sets up spy cameras all around the house. But there's one thing she didn't count on: boys. When she meets Nicholas (Joshua
Bowman),
she must balance work with newfound personal feelings and try to piece together a mystery that runs much deeper than the bottom of a spiked
punch
bowl.
Don't be so quick to outright dismiss So Undercover, don't judge a movie by its title, don't pass by because it stars a "like/hate" "tweener"
celebrity. While
certainly not a classic in the making, So Undercover proves a rather enjoyable little mindless excursion into the world of the modern college
scene. It's a fluffy and innocent movie that packs in a surprising number of laughs, getting a lot of mileage out of the ditzy sorority scene and one
girl's efforts to fit in with a class of people far above her bank account and far below her IQ. It's lots of fun and even a bit clever, very comfortable in
its skin, and it generates a good number of laughs, even if some of those laughs are at the characters rather than with them. It's
a somewhat edgier film than parents might want to expose their younger Miley fans to; there's some choice language, light adult themes, and mild
violence. That said, it's a solid watch and an enjoyable little movie that belts out a hip and happening soundtrack and finds just enough heart to
offset the humor and parade of mindless sorority girls in whom the film finds most of its humor. It's an imperfect movie within an imperfect cinema
landscape and in an imperfect world, but So Undercover knows its place and its strengths and stays right where it fits most comfortably as a
light and good-natured escapist movie.
No matter what the movie does right or wrong, no matter how similar it may be to other films, most will probably be drawn into a watch, or pushed
to avoid it, solely based
on the star power in the lead role. Miley Cyrus acquits herself very well in So Undercover, milking the part for all its worth and finding just
the right cadence for every scene, whether as a tough girl spy, trying her best to fit in with dissimilar people, or ultimately a part of the girls' club by
film's end (hey, these
things are sooo predictable). The transformation is a standard one but Cyrus falls into character -- both extremes and the arc across the
middle ground from one to the other -- naturally and believably, except, of course, when she flubs an otherwise humorous line about her "dream
possession," a Sig Sauer pistol with "tritum" night sights. Ouch. In her defense, one can probably blame the writer for that little mistake.
Certainly, this
isn't a challenging role, but this isn't a challenging movie. Cyrus plays the part just as it needs to be played, with an effortless blend of charm,
machismo, and sweet rolled into one likable character.
So Undercover's high definition transfer is a good one with few problems of any note. The photography sparkles, offering a very clean, sharp,
and pure digital image. It's a little flat by nature, but it shows fine details and strong colors. Whether ritzy hotel decorations, roadside diner accents,
richly textured college campus buildings and adornments, skin details, or clothing lines, the transfer captures most everything clearly and accurately with
no blemishes or anything less than upper-end clarity and attention to detail. Colors are brilliant, particularly the many shades of bright pink and red
scattered throughout the film. A few scenes feature a moderate warm push, but the palette is generally candy-colored brilliant and accurate. Blacks are
a touch pale in spots but generally precise. The image shows a few brief signs of aliasing, but very little in the way of banding, blocking, or other uglies.
Overall, this is a good, accurate transfer from Millennium Entertainment.
So Undercover features a balanced and clear Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. All of the usual elements, and the qualities associated with
a solid presentation, are here. There's a fine natural spacing and accuracy to music. It plays with a fine low-end support, and all of the various pop
tunes throughout the film really kick but not too heavily and not at the expense of clarity. The musical presentations are nicely room-filling, and the
aggressive posture suits the movie's attitude nicely. The track finds some light surround support, mostly in the way of atmospherics but sometimes in
specific sound effects supporting movement or action scenes. There's a positive, full-stage power to an explosion near the end of the film. Dialogue
plays clearly and cleanly from the center. The track isn't particularly memorable -- though fans of the soundtrack might want to replay a few scenes --
but it does everything well and with all of its elements in fine working order.
So Undercover won't win any (positive) awards and many may outright dismiss it based solely on the actress in the lead role. One can't blame
others for overlooking this movie, and it's not a gem, but it is a bit better, somewhat more fun, than it superficially appears to be. Miley Cyrus
turns in a
charming and balanced role, her sorority sisters do the ditzy thing very well, and the story plays out predictably but nevertheless proves mildly
entertaining and largely humorous. This is a good, relaxing little movie that might be a bit too adult-oriented for the smallest Miley fans, but most
audiences should get a kick out of what is a simpleminded but generally entertaining little flick. Millennium's Blu-ray release of So Undercover
features
good video and audio. No supplements are included. Worth a rental, and perhaps a purchase at a rock-bottom price.
