In 2011, director Paul Feig changed the landscape for female-centric comedies with the smash hit 'Bridesmaids' and with Spy, he sticks with his muse in Melissa McCarthy and turns his attention to the James Bond trademarked secret agent genre.
McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a timid desk agent for the CIA who essentially directs her suave field agent Bradley Fine, played by Jude Law, by way of earpiece and Periscope style camera. They both depend on each other with their heightened skills but when Fine is anything but, Cooper steps away from the desk and dons a variety of unflattering disguises to foil a plot across Europe involving a femme fatale and a suitcase nuke.
Spoof spy comedies aren't entirely a new concept in Hollywood with the likes of 'Top Secret' and the 'Austin Powers' franchise not to mention the god awful 'Johnny English' films. Spy's take on the genre does involve counts of slapstick, the pinnacle involving a scooter pursuit into heavy roadworks but for the most part, the action is stylish and rooted in post 'Brosnan Bond' reality.
Speaking of Bond, the comparisons aren't subtle and don't pretend to be. The credits sequence is bang on the money, the gadget quartermaster full of snarky wit and Jude Law's character is not too far away from what we would have been treated to if he had gotten the role of 007 over Daniel Craig.
The secret weapon in Spy is in the casting. Rose Byrne continues to add to her comedic repertoire as the insulting villain, West Wing alumni Alison Janney assumes the semi serious role of M and there are supporting roles for Miranda Hart and Peter Serafinowicz as best friend and sleazy accomplice respectively. There is however a wildcard that this film decides to play and that card is Jason Statham. He hasn't utilised broad comedy chops this heavily before although earlier roles in 'Snatch' and 'Crank' can attest that the skills were lying under the surface ready to emerge. Those skills are 'cranked' up to 11 and at times you'll only be able to hear his hilarious lines as your eyes will be doused in tears to be able to see them grunted out. A scene where 'the stath' reels off his many heroic accomplishments is arguably the highlight of the entire movie.
That being said, if you happen to choose to watch Spy, you are essentially saying you are a fan of Melissa McCarthy and if you are, you're unlikely to be disappointed. Her timing in delivery is a science and her charm can only be compared to current box office king Chris Pratt.
On the whole, Spy has its flaws but they don't take too much away from the finished article. At times I found the plot a bit confusing which is incredible for a spy comedy. Essentially I found myself unsure whether an essential character was good or bad. The third act also wasn't on par with the momentum with the rest of the movie. The final minor flaw is one that is becoming increasingly normal in modern movies...running time. All of Feig's directorial efforts run at around 2 hours and for a comedy that can be an extremely long period of time. Judd Apatow has the same disease albeit with much more serious symptoms and it is invariably and simply linked to the fact that because writer-directors are too close to their own material to trim the fat.
In a Nutshell
The mission is a success thanks to a great field team led by McCarthy, Byrne and Statham however logistical issues from Langley result in collateral damage.
Adam Yates
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