So Undercover Blu-ray Review: Straight to Video and It’s Obvious Why

When the FBI needs someone to infiltrate a sorority in order to protect the daughter of a mob informant, they call on the only person who can get the job done, Molly (Miley Cyrus). With this basic premise and given the fact that this is Cyrus’ second film in a row to be sent straight to DVD, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that it will be a train wreck. The question is how bad is it going to be.

While most people would find it difficult to watch her playing an FBI agent, they can find some solace in the fact that she isn’t an actual agent. She actually works with her father, Sam (Mike O’Malley), a former police officer, and the two track down their client’s cheating spouses and photograph them in compromising positions.

During one of her assignments she is approached by an FBI agent, Armon (Jeremy Piven). The bureau needs a young woman to infiltrate a college sorority in order to help sniff out a possible threat to a witness’ daughter who resides in the sorority. They have reason to believe that someone at the school isn’t who they say they are and is going to attempt to kill or kidnap the girl in order to use as leverage against her father.

Initially not interested in the gig, Molly turns it down until she finds out that her father has a huge gambling debt and they could really use the money. Having accepted the offer, Armon takes the tomboyish detective and turns her into a sorority girl with all the clothes, makeup, and ditzy teen jargon that will complete her disguise.

After infiltrating the school, the film settles into a very stereotypical plot that’s been done many times before; a typical sorority filled with airheads, the bad-boy love interest on the motorcycle, and Molly coming to realize that she likes her new life and wanting to stay in college.

While the audio is in 5.1 Dolby true HD Master Audio, it doesn’t add much to the overall film presentation and is really nothing to write home about. However, the video aspects that are presented in a 16×9 2.40 format are quite good. The film is very crisp and clean. The bright colors and pastels really pop on the screen, and the overall skin tones and textures are nearly flawless. It almost makes you wonder if they went through and air brushed everyone. Unfortunately, there are no special features on the disc, so all you get is the film and some trailers for other releases.

For the most part, this film is a lot of fluff and rehashed storylines. It’s not horrible, but it’s not good either. There are a few funny lines, but those are countered by Molly doing outrageous stunts like pulling a gun on one of her sisters and nobody finding that suspicious. The acting is decent, but most of the characters are so one-dimensional that it doesn’t give them a lot to do and makes them all very superficial.

Unlike a number of films where the ending destroys a perfectly good film, the ending of this one is its saving grace that rescues it from being completely worthless to just tolerable. Not only is the ending a little bit of excitement, but it makes the initial premise of the film make a lot more sense. Unfortunately, it ends up being a little too little and a little too late.

Most people aren’t going to be interested in this flick unless they are a huge Miley Cyrus fan, or like to watch pretty college co-eds dance around in their underwear. And there’s probably not enough of the latter to make it worthwhile.

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Todd Karella

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