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    Spy

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    When I first saw a trailer for “Spy”, I have to be honest and say I thought it was going to be awful. The impression I got was that this was going to be a juvenile comedy in which Melissa McCarthy falls over a lot, is the butt of a significant number of jokes because of her weight and is profoundly uninspired. I’ve seen the spy thing done before in dozens of comedies from “Hoodwinked 2” to “Austin Powers”. What more could there be to add? I even looked at the title and figure it was proving my point. “Spy”? What kind of bland name is that? It’s like calling the next Dwayne Johnson disaster movie “Action”.

    Basically, I outright dismissed this comedy and figured I would be saving myself time and money by staying as far away from it as I could. Then, the movie got released and I heard some very good word of mouth. In fact, I heard almost unanimously good things. I decided to leave my presumptions at the door. I went to see “Spy” in the theatre… and I’m glad I listened to everyone but that little voice inside my head because I had a terrific time.

    “Spy” is not what I expected it to be. This isn’t a film about a fat lady spy, it’s about a person like you and me, a regular, competent woman whom no one believes in. Strange circumstances force her into changing from a person that works at a desk, to one that is out in the field. Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, who volunteers to go undercover in order to stop the sale of a nuclear bomb to terrorists. Despite the protests of her ultra macho, dismissive or vaguely misogynist co-workers (including Jason Statham, Jude Law, Bobby Cannavale and Allison Janey) she is determined to get the job done.

    I was delighted when I realized that this movie is not about a fat spy. It’s really about an unusual spy. She’s the person that no one would expect to be good solely because she’s not the type of person that would be cast as the lead man/lady in a “James Bond” movie. “Spy” has a lot of fun with this idea because Susan is a person that would react like everyone in the audience would in these outlandish situations. When you hear one of her co-workers tell her that their plan involves something along the lines of using their six remaining bullets to kill seven people, then beating the remaining three goons to death with the butt of the gun, using their skulls fragments to pick the lock and get the hostage out, all of the other agents and higher-ups act as if that’s the most logical way to go about things. It’s hilarious to see her question and be just as baffled as we would be in her shoes. All of these super agents might get the job done in flashy and impressive ways, but they can also be just as dumb as you and me. It’s like Susan is the only sane one in a madhouse and sometimes that works out in her favor, sometimes it just doesn’t because she’s not experienced enough... but she could be with a bit of practice.

    I was also surprised when I saw that this movie is not only a great comedy with some surprisingly sharp writing and well-timed comedic performances (seriously, who knew that Jason Statham could be as funny as he is here, playing essentially his character from “Crank” but as a spy) We also have a genuinely interesting spy thriller that contains everything you’d want to see in a Bond movie. The sexy lady that’s lethal but irresistible, the villains who kill their own minions willy-nilly, the gadgets, the secret identities hat could be compromised at any second, the car chases, the gunplay, the hand-to-hand combat. It’s all here, but shown through a brand new, shiny lens that gives it that little something special. Director/writer Paul Feig deserves some special praise for putting together a truly unexpected, sharp and witty comedic film that makes great use of its actors. It even has a bit of a progressive tone to it. I know it’s going to make me sound like a hypocrite after that sentence, but I’m not ashamed of saying that McCarthy’s also prett-y good looking in some of the classy outfits and looks she’s given on her mission here (no not the cat lady one, stupid! The good-looking outfits where she’s dressed to the nines!) She fits this role incredibly well but it never feels like they just gave her free-reign to endlessly improv because they had no idea what to do with this story either.

    I’m not usually one to go for comedies. If I want a laugh I’m the kind of person that throws in an over-the-top action movie from the 80’s or a really bad horror and just tears it apart to get my jollies. When I say that this is a very funny comedy, you know that I’m not exaggerating or going with the popular opinion. This movie surprised me to no end. It’s consistently funny, smart and original with more than a few moments with Jason Statham and McCarthy that I am going to be laughing at for a long time. Stick around all the way to the end of the credits too, there’s a funny scene at the end as well as something else I haven’t seen in a long time: entertaining gags while the names are scrolling (and I don’t mean outtakes, I mean mini stories) The last thing I expected was to enjoy “Spy” but I had a ball with this one. Don’t think it has anything to do with lowered expectations either. I highly recommend you check this one out. (Theatrical version on the big screen, June 23, 2015)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  26.6.2015 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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