Skip to main content

Spy (2015), R, ★★★1/2

Melissa McCarthy as a spy and Rose Byrne as the villainess.
James Bond, Ethan Hunt, Jim Phelps, Jason Bourne, I can keep going with these spy characters but the question is can you have a spy with not much qualifications both physically and mentally? Well, I'm not sure. However, in this movie, it exists because the agents are compromised and nobody can go on the mission except for one person. Do I have a problem with it? Sort of. However, director Paul Feig adds a jolt of energy to his next project and thanks to the star and some supporting actors, this movie delivers with brisk excitement and superb action.

Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is a CIA analyst who works at her desk guiding an agent, Bradley Fine (Jude Law) on a mission to Bulgaria from the office, using a radio from her earpiece. Fine accidentally kills his target by sneezing simultaneously as he fires his gun, so, Cooper guides Fine on an escape route back to the United States.

The next day, at CIA Headquarters, Head Elaine Crocker (Allison Janney) briefs the agents the mission that is on continuance. Nobody knows where the nuclear bomb device is except the guy's daughter, Raina Boyanov (Rose Byrne). She sends off Fine to her residence as Cooper is sent out by a no no-nosense agent, Agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham). During a mission goes awry for Fine, the agents are compromised, so, Susan Cooper volunteers to be an agent. In disgust, Ford quits the agency.

Crocker has no idea who to send initially, but looking at the file and the video, Cooper was at the top of her class, being aggressive and having perseverance, she sends Cooper on her first mission on the condition that she is not in contact with Boyanov or her contact, Italian playboy Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale). Susan is sent to Paris to spy on De Luca under an alias and try to gather answers from Boyanov as she becomes friendly with her on a plane with some hilarious exchanges.

Let's go in undercover. 
I expect this movie to be a solid film spoofing on the spy genre, but I never expected this movie to be as good as I thought. The movie presents a satire of characters and potential caricatures to be in a misshaped action comedy and on paper, the cast is all over the map. But, this is expertly casted and well done with its help of the talent and the screenplay as some scenes are expected to conclude when expected. However, the movie adds physical and violent humor with energy but also with subtlety.

Melissa McCarthy's performance is the secret ingredient to this movie because she adds so much humor to this movie that you cannot resist holding it. But, also, in its quiet elements where she feels left out, you feel her pain as she wants to belong out there in the field with the other agents as she was stuck in a desk. Plus, she does not embarrass herself in any way, only the embarrassment propels the audience to root for her to beat the bad guys and solve the case. But, the supporting actors are excellent. Rose Byrne has good chemistry with McCarthy with funny exchanges, Jason Statham is funny as he makes fun of his usual action-type persona in his other movies, Jude Law delivers another charming performance delivering laughs and traditional spy action. Allison Janney is great as the boss and Cavannale is superb as the playboy. The only character I didn't like was Nancy played by Miranda Hart. I felt she was unnecessary. The character is only added as a sidekick character.

Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy are another duo right now that can do no wrong. Bridesmaids was an exceptionally well-made comedy and The Heat was solid. This movie throws everything at you with its R-rating in this spy genre - brutal violence, profanity (I felt a few of the f-words were placed in the dialogue randomly for no reason, you don't need that much language), a few nude images and some action sequences supplied with gags and jokes. The movie has a little different twist in the ending on the mission that I thought is refreshing and well-done. It does provide a feminist message which is satisfying for the genre. This is the spy comedy that spoofs the genre we have been hungering for for a long time and it's simply titled Spy.

***1/2

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2015 Documentaries

I have only seen 6 documentaries this year which also includes Amy and I Am Chris Farley . But, I have to be honest, this has not been a particularly strong year for documentaries except for onethat got me emotionally and mentally as what I examine for when they uncover the truth or some facts from the people involved in these documentaries. But, here are the four I have seen this year: Listen To Me Marlon, Unrated, 4 stars This is the most insightful documentary of the year as we only hear Marlon Brando narrating his life and experiences what he has gone through regarding his family, his private life and his film experiences regarding The Godfather , Apocalypse Now , Last Tango in Paris , etc. It is like Marlon Brando came out of his grave to give us another profoundly moving movie only we hear his voice and scenery and nothing else. The Look of Silence, R, 3.5 stars Joshua Oppenheimer's follow-up documentary is a light-hearted but still-disturbing film regarding a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Daddy's Home 2 (2017), PG-13, ★1/2

The first Daddy's Home was surprisingly a financial success as I thought it was not as bad as many people thought. I thought it was a solid cable watch because it had enough laughs for that sort of mixed recommendation. I was not craving for a sequel for this movie because again, comedy sequels have a very bad record, however, the only difference is that it is not too late since the first movie came out a few years ago. But, this sequel is a reminder as to why we do not need a sequel to a hit comedy because this is a pretty much forgettable comedy, especially a holiday comedy...which I hade a guilty pleasure for. This did not work for me. Brad and Dusty (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) have become friends after the events of the first film and they set up a co-dad system where their two children, Megan and Dylan, spending time at each father's home. Dusty has re-married to writer Karen (Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio) and he is step-dad to Adrianna, Karen...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), R, 4 stars

The stockbrokers worshipping Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) like a god. Wall Street. The clients, the adrenaline, the stocks, the money, the power, and the decadence. The former three pertains to the man's job, but the latter three pertains what any stockbroker wants in order to have the freedom to do whatever they want with the client's money. As Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) would say, "The name of the game is: move the money from your client's pocket into your pocket." We basically spend three hours seeing all of these Wall-Street scumbags steal the clients' money into their own pockets and spend it on booze, drugs, women, and other insane things in more insane activities. I have witnessed here is a great movie that I would not watch repetitively. The movie starts with Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) blowing cocaine onto a hooker's butt and he and his brokers throwing a little person onto a board with a dollar sign in the center. It'...
Post a Comment
Read more