Spy Review

Source: Wikipedia

*Originally posted at Filmoria* 

Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy are quite simply an undeniable double act in the modern era of comedy. Having set the genre alight with the crude wedding disaster of Bridesmaids, and letting Sandra Bullock in on the act in The Heat, they are two-for-two, and now they have their sights on spoofing 007 and beyond in their latest flick, Spy.

The CIA's top agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) in an untouchable force as he swiftly goes from one mission to the next with relative ease, aided by basement-dwelling mission collaborator Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy). With Susan acting as the eyes and ears during each and every mission, it is Fine's job to be the muscle, making them the finest pair to get the job done.

Unfortunately, things have to come to a swift end and, when the villainous Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne) compromises all of the agents withing the agency, a new mission is born, one that could see a nuclear bomb released within New York. With all agents in a position where their appearance would be instantly recognised, it calls for an unknown to enter the fray; a time for Susan Cooper to enter the field and show the world she can make a difference...

We've seen spoof movies all-too-often in the past and more than regularly they result in flat, unnecessarily weak and unfunny film experiences best left on the cutting room floor. While Spy isn't quite your Naked Gun, it does have its moments and genuinely laugh-out-loud snippets that make it a worthy entry into the comedy field.

First and foremost, Spy is bolstered by its impressive cast, with Melissa McCarthy leading the way with her trademark swagger and care-free f-bomb planting and domination. Recently, McCarthy has somewhat been burdened with a number of roles that simply leave her typecast into a specific character role (Tammy, Identity Thief), but her re-teaming with Feig brings her back to her best.

Thankfully, it's not just about one of the strongest women in comedy, with Spy featuring a host of brilliantly written and varying characters that perfectly span the spy movie genre and shake things up. Jude Law's suave, smooth-talking agent is your James Bond model who brings the familiarity and Jason Statham's rough around the edges agent is quite simply hilarious, with his over-the-top stories of heroism and gung-ho attitude towards getting the job done.

Then there's Miranda Hart in her first major movie exploit, bringing the British charm and silliness to the plate as McCarthy's fellow office dweller, her geeky exterior proving a decent fit to this jigsaw, albeit often stepping into the annoying category. Allison Janney is superb as always, while Rose Byrne pushes her posh accent and plumps up her hair for a brilliant villain turn that is worthy of a place as a turncoat Bond girl. It's an ensemble that oozes brilliance, even if 50 Cent's surprise appearance does fall a little by the wayside. Watch out for a handsy and very Italian Peter Serafinowicz too..

Part of Spy's charm is its slick scripting, with Feig rarely misfiring with his collection of jokes and one-liners. McCarthy's transformation as the film progresses is bolstered by some brilliant put-downs towards other characters and when her and Statham are collectively on screen the sparks fly and the fun doesn't stop. It's good to see that Feig has a blissful awareness of action as well, with Spy also embracing the adrenaline-fuelled side of the genre he is spoofing, with some brilliantly shot set pieces and plenty of laughs thrown into a street chase scene.

It's a real shame though that Spy is a game of two halves, with the first section of the film really struggling to find its feet early and dragging along at a slow pace, before being given that adrenaline shot and new lease of life heading into a much improved second half. That's not to say that it isn't a hoot; Spy is imaginative, hilarious and star-studded, it just doesn't quite gain the credentials to become a comedy with the licence to fully thrill.