spy
2015 review number 71:
Spy: (Comedy/Action): 84 out of 100: Have you ever seen a movie where the best bits are in the trailer? Don't worry, it doesn't happen here as there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments throughout the whole film. If potty mouth insults are what you like, you're going to have a ball with Melissa McCarthy's hilarious performance. There's more than just coarse language however, with some surprisingly exciting action scenes along with funny one-liners and slapstick.
Melissa McCarthy is Susan Cooper, a CIA agent who has never been out in the field. She is the eyes for agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law), being the surveillance and providing him with details of what is happening as he tracks down the bad guys. She is a deskbound analyst who volunteers to go undercover when Fine has been murdered and all the identities of the other agents have been leaked. Her job is to infiltrate the world of arms dealers such as Raina Boyanov (Rose Byrne) and prevent a nuclear disaster from occurring. She is backed by fellow agents Rick Ford (Jason Statham) and Nancy (Miranda Hart).
McCarthy is a blast. She makes for a fantastic female action hero. OK, she might not appear to be the fittest and strongest female action hero around but the way it's been edited makes it look like she is. The best thing about her is that she's so damned funny in this film. Her verbal and physical exchanges with her co-stars help make the movie better than it should be. Some near scene-stealing performances from Miranda Hart, Rose Byrne and Jason Statham produce an up-tempo vibe. Who would have thought Brit tough guy Statham could be so funny?
The writer and director is Paul Feig. You might have heard of him as the director of "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids". This is an improvement on the former and a return to the humour of "Bridesmaids". If you didn't like "Bridesmaids" because of some of the toilet humour then you might be turned off here. Comedy is so subjective! The only fault lies in some of the exchanges of insults which linger on a tad too long in a couple of scenes.
The story allows for some European locations to be filmed. Budapest, Rome and Paris are integral parts of the story and add to the fun of the whole movie. The beautiful and scenic visuals are part of the high enjoyment factor. Sometimes they're a distraction but on this occasion, they play a major role in developing the plot.
This type of comedy is right up my alley. There's nothing subtle about it but I find that subtle comedies are hard to extract belly laughs. If you want a good laugh then you're going to have a fun time with this beauty. It might end up being the funniest comedy this year.
Starring Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne and Jude Law
(120 minutes)
Parental advice: Coarse language, violence, nudity and sexual references
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAqxH0IAPQI (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Wednesday 20th May, 2015)
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