User reviews

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.

Plot (7 out of 10): An OK plot about J. Reid developing as an undercover cop. No major investigation facts or any plot twists. It's straightfoward and simple, but a nice story.

Acting (7 out of 10): Acting is good, even though everyone is pretty much as plain as it is.

Entertainment (8 out of 10): It's good entertainment. No major action scenes or unbelieveable shots. Everything is just like a real book about a guy that wants to make a difference. You're in tension on any other scene, vowing for Reid.

Soundtrack (5 out of 10): No major scores.

Special Effects (10 out of 10): Max rating, since everything tha's shown feels real. Makeup is good and no CGI is seen. Keep in mind that this movie uses little special effects.

Movie's main characteristic: Character-driven.

Final Score: 7.4 (7).

Summary: In Too Deep is a solid crime drama about an undercover cop struggling with his personal life plus his own mind. Being in too deep in the scheme makes him start to forget who he really is, although even that is not strongly developed. The movie runs for a short time and shows us what we need to know without dragging too much.

First of all I'll start by saying that "In Too Deep" is a watered down version of "Deep Cover", but that's not really a bad thing.

The movie looks, sounds and is acted in a very well put together way. The characters are even memorable, even LL COOL J's "God", is really effective. He's a family man, but a notorious and mean gangster all at once.

The look at what going undercover can do to one's mental well being is a really sharp and involving look. Stanley Tucci, excellent, Nia Long, let her have her own movie,PLEASE!!, Omar Epps as "J. Reid", very impressive. And look for Pam Grier, NAS, and a few others.

A really good African American crime thriller, with heart.

First, I liked the script and it benefitted because of the casting too. LL Cool J gives a good performance as "God" a ruthless crime lord as well as Omar Epps in a very different role but still manages to keep that street charisma that he has. Nia Long's character Myra was perfect to draw the line between his police work and his personal life. this also starts Stanley Tucci, Pam Grier, Hassan Johnson and Veronica Webb.

one of my all-time favorites...

9.5/10

In Too Deep is a urban drama that was overlooked in 1999. Omar Epps is good in the lead role a J. Reid/Jeffery Cole an undercover cop who begins to lose his mind while trying to get close to God ( a drug lord) played very effectively by LL Cool in one of his best performances ever. The direction and cinematography are very good and the film features cameos from rappers Nas, Stickay Fingaz and Jeramine Dupri. While the film isn't as good as Deep Cover it's still worth a look.

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

Absolutely loved this movie, LL is a great actor and Omar Epps is great as well. With these two playing the lead roles you should have known it was gonna be a classic movie. Every now and then I'll watch this movie and each time I still enjoy it like its my first time watching it. Definitely a movie you should have in your DVD/Bluray collection.

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".

This is a good, well constructed action film which involves an all black cast that is more than worth seeing. Actually, Stanley Tucci is in this - but he is always a pleasure to see. Omar Epps is the lead and shows a lot of promise, as a "ghetto" undercover cop who gets a little too entangled with his job.

I have to say, LL Cool J is the best. It is a pleasure to see this man acting. He is scary as hell in this movie.

I highly recommend it.

Those looking for a rousing shoot-em-up action picture will probably be disappointed by `In Too Deep.' Those looking for a more low-keyed, subdued and thoughtful study of the realities of life as an undercover cop will, however, find much in this film to admire and appreciate. Omar Epps stars as a Cincinnati-based rookie cop, Officer Jeff Cole, who goes undercover to nab a major cocaine dealer from New Jersey who calls himself `God,' (played by rapper LL Cool J) and who, Godfather-like, involves himself heavily in familial values and efforts to `help' the struggling members of his blighted neighborhood. In its exploration of its subject, the film wisely eschews the over-the-top fantasy heroics that afflict so many action films and, instead, tethers itself to the harsh, often ugly realities of the dangerous criminal world in which it is set. The movie builds much of its drama and suspense by bringing to the foreground the fascinating logistics that go into undercover police work, forcing us to witness first hand the risks, the moral compromises (to be convincing, Cole has to snort cocaine himself, for example) and the psychological ambiguities that invariably accompany the job.

Cole is a man who has been obsessed from the early days of his underprivileged, slum-ridden childhood with making a difference in a crime-infested world he knows all too well from first hand experience. This makes him a natural choice for infiltrating this underworld existence since his background has given him the understanding he needs as a point-of-entry. Thus, as he embarks on this new and dangerous career, we see the innate compassion he extends to those caught in the same environment from which he has sprung, an empathy that, in the context of his job, often leads him into a `softness' that clouds his judgment and ends up endangering his life further. In addition, as he is accepted more deeply into the inner circle of trust that God has set up around himself, Cole begins to question his own loyalties – or so, at least, the offers in charge of him begin to believe. (This, I imagine, is the undercover agent version of the Stockholm Syndrome that afflicts so many kidnap victims, often leading them to transfer their loyalties from their rescuers to their abductors).

The screenplay, though it could be sharper and more incisive at times, occasionally achieves substance in its examination of just what happens to an undercover agent's mind when he does indeed get `in too deep.' In addition, the film frequently achieves moments of genuine suspense, in truly scary scenes involving God's uncontrolled displays of manic violence and torture and in moments when Cole's entire cover seems to have been `blown.' In those moments, LL Cool J hits all the right notes in his performance but, both he and Epps, unfortunately, lack the dramatic and emotional range as actors necessary to make their quieter, more intimate moments effectively credible. In addition, the dialogue often rings untrue, especially in the conversations among the commanding officers played by Stanley Tucci and, in another weak portrayal, Pam Grier among others.

With better performances, harder-edged dialogue and slightly more energetic direction, `In Too Deep' might have been a great study of moral conflict set within the context of an exciting policier. On the other hand, the film could also have been much worse. As it is, `In Too Deep' respects the seriousness of both its subject matter and its audience and provides a number of powerful scenes - factors for which we are grateful but which also make us yearn for the high quality film that might have been.

First off I would like to say what a hell of a movie and story plot. Second for anyone who craves all them great movies like menace 2 society, Boyz in the hood, Juice, Training day.... Will love this movie. I will start of by saying LL Cool J is a very legit gangster and drug lord. Second off i knew Omar Epps was a very talented actor... But I never knew he was this talented! This movie starts of really slow but the realism starts right at the beginning. I don't really wanna say much there is no spoilers on this its just a review for people who still have not watch this masterpiece! Pretty much this is all i gotta say for the most part! I mean i know this is not too helpful its my first review so I'm sorry if I'm rough around the edges ill get better as i go along... its just one of them movies that is worth writing about and reviewing. If I have wasted anyones time I'm very sorry in every way!

Rookie cop Jeffrey Cole (Omar Epps) works in the narco unit and shows skills posing in the drug world. Preston D'Ambrosio (Stanley Tucci) is the captain. Dwayne Gittens (LL Cool J) is the leader of a drug gang calling himself God. Jeff goes undercover as J.Reid to take down God. He gets introduced by Breezy T (Hill Harper) and befriends the headman. He proves himself in a drive-by and deliberately missing shooting seemingly wildly. Things don't go smoothly when God's men try to rob him. Jeff fights back and shoots them.

It's not flashy. It's not original. I like Omar Epps. I like Stanley Tucci. I especially like the fact that Jeff's handler Preston is much more by the book. I like that the story takes place in Cincinnati rather the normal NYC or other bigger iconic cities. The pose-a-thon normal for this genre is kept down... except for LL Cool J. There is something about him that always seems Hollywood. He never seems like a real gangster to me but rather posing as one. That's OK to a point. I can't fault a gangster who calls himself God for some Hollywood posing. Omar Epps is great and he shows that he has the acting skills. This is a gritty urban black version of many movies everybody has seen before. It would even be better if the ending was more compelling and more gritty. It ends without much drama.

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

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. (**)

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...?)

I have a real appreciation for smart undercover cop movies. A lot of titles - particularly in the action genre - use it as a cheap and/or quick plot device. The better films use it on a more substantial level. I count 'In Too Deep' within the best of the best. 'Deep Cover', 'Donnie Brasco' are other great examples. The heart of these movies is the psychology involved and all these titles capture it with class. The effects it has on the officers and the ultimate cost to them. Futility of the whole thing.

Rookie cop Jake Cole (Omar Epps) wants to be a part of the war against drugs and gets his wish granted from Cpt. Preston D'Ambrosio (Stanley Tucci) to go undercover. He starts small before working up to Cincinnati drug lord Dwayne Gittens (LL Cool J) known as "God" on the streets. As "J. Reid", he starts to lose grip with reality, becomes more and more like his alter ego and gaining this big time drug dealer's confidence as Myra (Nia Long) a girlfriend he gained along the way sees him falling apart and growing distant.

Released in 1999, 'In Too Deep' didn't get the recognition it deserved. It's quite the unique title in Dimension Films (a subsidiary of Miramax mainly known for releasing horror films) catalog too. Featuring great performances from Epps and LL Cool J amongst a ton of recognizable faces in the supporting cast. Loosely based on a true story - it doesn't dive the same depths as those other films I mentioned - but it gets the job done. An eventual downward spiral is both entertaining and feels authentic.

Epps is totally believable as a guy with an inner drive to be part of the action and how he loses himself. LL Cool J doesn't turn in a dime store performance as a one dimensional drug baron either. This is really good piece of work from a man who made his name making music. As God, he's violent, charismatic, doing bad deeds but still human. Between this movie and his contribution to 'Any Given Sunday' he gained a fan in me.

I could talk at length about noteworthy moments from the supporting cast, but I'll keep it short. As Cole's superior, Stanley Tucci brings a solid gravitas to what could otherwise be a one note cliche role. While Hill Harper as one of the more predominantly featured drug dealers in the organization is fleshed out to feel real. He's not a caricature.

The majority follows a predictable path, but the atmosphere, faces and some truth score it major points. There's just enough ugliness shown counterbalanced by some questionable things on the street to draw you in. An essential element in my humble opinion - prestige, wanting of results from those disconnected faces higher up in positions of law enforcement and politics - is shown & handed well. This beast that is the ever continuing war of drugs has many players and this film hits on that point. It's primarily entertaining, but it's also a lean, tidy package.

'In Too Deep' features a satisfying if a little too clean ending. The real officer this is based on ended up taking his own life. However a decent tale carried by good acting and an excellent rap soundtrack complete what is in my top three of undercover movies. It's not this bare bones package and many of the players are fleshed out to feel real in addition to those action / drama beats you expect to see here. This is a film I'll keep coming back to for repeat viewings.

Very realistic portrayal of the Ohio drug crime scene and the tense tightrope walk an undercover officer had to do to nab the local drug-lord. The street talk and violence ring true. Reasonable performance by Omar Epps and a good one by LLCJ. I found the part of the movie where he takes a forced hiatus from his undercover role a little draggy though. The other members of the police force are lacking in conviction, but in my opinion, they are extras and their performance has very little relevance to the story. The criminal extras on the other hand, excel. And that is where it matters. , Overall, the movie compares well with the 2006 Leo Di Caprio- Matt Damon - Scorcese thriller. Definitely worth a watch.

This movie was pretty good i guess. There were a couple of things I didn't like:

1. They didn't give enough information about what was going the first two years he was undercover trying to take down "GOD." He was undercover and then all of a sudden it's two years later in the film and he's gotten in too deep and has to hide out. They needed two spend more time on what happened in those two years i think.

2. Felt like it the film dragged on/loose momentum just a little.

2. Would have been nice to know what happened to the actual persons this story was inspired by.

3. Omar Epps, although i think he's a great young actor, felt that his performance was kind of lame and flat except when he was playing the part of the undercover "Jay Reid."

This movie is excellent. It has everything; lovable characters, crude humor, brief nudity, popular actors, well-written story, a ruthless but nice crimelord who calls himself "GOD". Omar Epps plays Cole, an undercover cop who goes "in too deep" to stop God. At first he suspects he's a cop but after certain encounters with God's enimes; Cole proves himself. He takes it to far sometimes, then his boss stops him from undercover work but he quickly put back in. There nasty but funny scenes n this movie such as: God cutting off the tongue of 1 of his enimes, then another, he shoves a pool stick in his butt. Defenitely a "must-see" film. Although the ending is not expected but nonetheless go see it!

In too Deep (1999) is a movie I recently watched on Amazon Prime. The storyline follows an ambitious undercover cop who feels he's perfect to infiltrate a notorious crime ring and bring them down. When he gets in too deep it's hard to tell whose side he's on. This movie is directed by Michael Rymer (Pincic at Hanging Rock) and stars Omar Epps (Scream 2), LL Cool J (Deep Blue Sea), Nia Long (The Best Man), Stanley Tucci (Hunger Game) and Pam Grier (Coffey). The storyline for this picture was interesting and fun to watch unfold. There were elements that seemed unrealistic like how quickly the main character infiltrated the gang; however, I did think the acting was solid and LL Cool J delivered his character and the intensity of circumstances well. The soundtrack was also good and the primary plot and conclusion plays out well. Overall this is far from a masterpiece but is still worth a viewing. I'd score this a 6/10.