Wednesday, December 30, 2015
"Spy" Review
Title: Spy
Directed by: Paul Feig
Screenplay by: Paul Feig
Year: 2015
If you were to go and look at my review for Tammy, you would understand how I feel about Melissa McCarthy. I feel she has played the same role for far too long and that the humor of it has been drained over time and through consistent exposure. So I walked into Spy with low expectations seeing as it is another McCarthy movie. Imagine my surprise as I walked out actually liking the picture very much.
Susan Cooper works behind a desk at the CIA, feeding information to field agents and helping them complete their missions. However, when her assigned agent is in danger and the rest of the top operatives are compromised, Cooper volunteers to go into the field to prevent a global catastrophe.
Why is it that most modern spy movies have our heroes striving to achieve the same goal? Why must there always be some global catastrophe? Already we have had Kingsman: The Secret Service, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. do this this year. Is this just the easiest thing to come up with? Is there no other idea floating around in Hollywood? These spy movies need more originality. At least Kingsman did something different by having heads blow up in spectacular fashion.
Melissa McCarthy stars in this action comedy and I have to be honest: I really enjoyed her performance this time. This is mainly because the role she plays is different than what she has done in the past. She begins as a timid, quirky woman who then evolves into the persona for which she is famous. Though not a complete alteration, I will accept it all the same. Rose Byrne plays a hilarious villain that is so condescending, it becomes entertaining waiting to see what new insults she can conjure up. Jude Law is also a good addition to the cast, giving a solid performance, but it is Jason Statham that absolutely floored me. He produced the funniest lines of the film and his performance is one I could watch again and again. He basically plays a parody of himself and it is damned entertaining. Stealing every scene he is in, Statham leaves a great impression.
The story has a quirky premise. Having a desk agent enter the field because the other top agents have been compromised is a nice change of pace for spy flicks. I do not believe we have ever gotten such an in depth look at the agents behind the desk that help those in the field. I really liked seeing this aspect of the spy world. We also spend quite a bit of time getting to know Cooper before she is thrown into the field. The film shows us how she socially interacts with her co-workers and the type of friends she has. So by the time Cooper does begin her mission, there is a great understanding of her character.
Once Cooper begins the mission, the film becomes incredibly fun and hilarious. There are laughs to be had in every scene, and the humor comes from every character. Cooper's inexperience and blunt honesty. Her friend's stupidity. Statham's seriousness when he speaks of his unbelievable accomplishments. Byrne's relentless insulting and sass. All of the actors deliver the comedy strongly and most of the jokes hit their mark.
There are also some impressive action scenes for a comedy film. The fight scenes are well choreographed and fluidly shot so as to give a clear view as to what is happening. Just about every action set piece is injected with just the right amount of humor to make it both thrilling and hysterical. Neither element overshadows the other, but rather they blend into a perfect mix.
Spy is an incredibly fun movie. The cast is terrific, all nailing the humor, and the events that transpire are rather ridiculous, which fits the tone of the movie. Melissa McCarthy injects new life into her acting career and the rest of the cast gives great performances, with Jason Statham being the standout. It takes the spy genre lightheartedly and at times pokes fun at the category. The film is cleverly written with great characters and a nice premise, even though the story is not always up to par. Spy is one of the funniest movies of 2015 and is definitely worth watching.
Grade: B+
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