Here’s your quick and dirty FAQ for the movie “Spy,” a new action comedy starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, and Jason Statham. McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst and the unsung hero behind the agency’s most dangerous missions. When her partner falls off the grid and another top agent is compromised, she volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global disaster. Now, on to the questions.
Is that really the plot? International arms sales?
Yes. And it’s as recycled as it sounds. But “Spy” isn’t about its storyline, it’s about its gags and the actors rifting off of each other. The script created ample opportunities for these things to happen.
How’s McCarthy? She’s usually hilarious.
I don’t get what people find funny about McCarthy. She’s a good actress, but her shtick is lame. In most of her movies, she makes up her lines as she goes, and they’re just plain not funny. That said, director Paul Feig must have known when and how to reel McCarthy in because she’s not that bad in this movie, and a few of her improvised lines even made me smile. Her strength in this movie is, strangely enough, her acting. She gives “Spy,” which can’t decide if it’s a spoof of the Bond movies or a straight-up action comedy, its grounding and its heart.
Well, if McCarthy isn’t funny, why is this billed as a comedy?
One word: Jason Statham. Okay, that’s two words, but it’s the kind of goof his character, Rick Ford, would make. Who knew Statham was so funny? He plays against type here as an agent who only thinks he’s the world’s gift to espionage, but is really just a clueless, bumbling, egotistical lug head. I loved when he made a big speech about riding off across the ocean without realizing he was heading across a small lake, and when someone said, “Where did you get that suit,” and he said, “I made it, yeah?” I laughed out loud. Really, Statham was the best thing about “Spy.”
How about the action? This is a summer movie, after all.
The opening scene, in which Cooper remotely guides Law’s character, Bradley Fine, though an intense mission, is pretty good stuff. And there are a couple of scenes in which Cooper kicks serious butt. It’s highly choreographed but fun to watch. Fein could have gotten away with the shaky cam approach since “Spy” is primarily a comedy, but he took the time to direct some decent, if small-scale, action, and I appreciated that.
What didn’t you like about the movie?
Other than its bland, second-hand plot, I didn’t care for the gratuitous f-bombs, vomiting, or full frontal male nudity. Before you brand me a prude, I don’t object to the use of foul language in movies, nor do I find nudity in films offensive. It’s just that “Spy” has the sensibilities of a PG-13 action comedy, not a R-rated, adult-oriented film, so the vulgarity seemed layered on for the sake of appealing to the people who enjoy movies like “Hangover” and “Bridesmaids.” In other words, it stuck out like a sore thumb.
Let’s end on a positive note. Did you like anything else about the movie?
Actor Peter Serafinowicz plays Aldo, a clumsy informant who has feelings for Cooper. When he meets her for the first time in Rome, he gives her what I assume is the customary Italian greeting of a kiss on each cheek, and then makes a vulgar noise as he tries to stick his tongue in her mouth. It’s so funny and unexpected, I nearly spewed a mouthful of Reese’s Pieces. McCarthy’s reaction was priceless, too.
So, what’s the verdict? Should I see ‘Spy’ or not?
I’d skip it while it’s in theaters, but if it sounds like your kind of movie, definitely catch it once it’s available for rental. It offers enough laughs to make for a fun couple of hours, but the unoriginal plot hurts the film’s viewing experience.
Anything else?
Warn me about the new greeting if I ever mention I’m about to take a trip to Italy.
Two and a half stars out of four. Rated R for language, violence, and sexual content, including brief graphic nudity. David Laprad is the assistant editor of the Hamilton County Herald and an award-winning columnist and photographer. Contact him at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
Quick and dirty ‘Spy’ FAQ
H
ere’s your quick and dirty FAQ for the movie “Spy,” a new action comedy starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, and Jason Statham. McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst and the unsung hero behind the agency’s most dangerous missions. When her partner falls off the grid and another top agent is compromised, she volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global disaster. Now, on to the questions.
Is that really the plot? International arms sales?
Yes. And it’s as recycled as it sounds. But “Spy” isn’t about its storyline, it’s about its gags and the actors rifting off of each other. The script created ample opportunities for these things to happen.
How’s McCarthy? She’s usually hilarious.
I don’t get what people find funny about McCarthy. She’s a good actress, but her shtick is lame. In most of her movies, she makes up her lines as she goes, and they’re just plain not funny. That said, director Paul Feig must have known when and how to reel McCarthy in because she’s not that bad in this movie, and a few of her improvised lines even made me smile. Her strength in this movie is, strangely enough, her acting. She gives “Spy,” which can’t decide if it’s a spoof of the Bond movies or a straight-up action comedy, its grounding and its heart.
Well, if McCarthy isn’t funny, why is this billed as a comedy?
One word: Jason Statham. Okay, that’s two words, but it’s the kind of goof his character, Rick Ford, would make. Who knew Statham was so funny? He plays against type here as an agent who only thinks he’s the world’s gift to espionage, but is really just a clueless, bumbling, egotistical lug head. I loved when he made a big speech about riding off across the ocean without realizing he was heading across a small lake, and when someone said, “Where did you get that suit,” and he said, “I made it, yeah?” I laughed out loud. Really, Statham was the best thing about “Spy.”
How about the action? This is a summer movie, after all.
The opening scene, in which Cooper remotely guides Law’s character, Bradley Fine, though an intense mission, is pretty good stuff. And there are a couple of scenes in which Cooper kicks serious butt. It’s highly choreographed but fun to watch. Fein could have gotten away with the shaky cam approach since “Spy” is primarily a comedy, but he took the time to direct some decent, if small-scale, action, and I appreciated that.
What didn’t you like about the movie?
Other than its bland, second-hand plot, I didn’t care for the gratuitous f-bombs, vomiting, or full frontal male nudity. Before you brand me a prude, I don’t object to the use of foul language in movies, nor do I find nudity in films offensive. It’s just that “Spy” has the sensibilities of a PG-13 action comedy, not a R-rated, adult-oriented film, so the vulgarity seemed layered on for the sake of appealing to the people who enjoy movies like “Hangover” and “Bridesmaids.” In other words, it stuck out like a sore thumb.
Let’s end on a positive note. Did you like anything else about the movie?
Actor Peter Serafinowicz plays Aldo, a clumsy informant who has feelings for Cooper. When he meets her for the first time in Rome, he gives her what I assume is the customary Italian greeting of a kiss on each cheek, and then makes a vulgar noise as he tries to stick his tongue in her mouth. It’s so funny and unexpected, I nearly spewed a mouthful of Reese’s Pieces. McCarthy’s reaction was priceless, too.
So, what’s the verdict? Should I see ‘Spy’ or not?
I’d skip it while it’s in theaters, but if it sounds like your kind of movie, definitely catch it once it’s available for rental. It offers enough laughs to make for a fun couple of hours, but the unoriginal plot hurts the film’s viewing experience.
Anything else?
Warn me about the new greeting if I ever mention I’m about to take a trip to Italy.
Two and a half stars out of four. Rated R for language, violence, and sexual content, including brief graphic nudity. David Laprad is the assistant editor of the Hamilton County Herald and an award-winning columnist and photographer. Contact him at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.