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Movie Review: ‘Spy’

(20th Century Fox)

"Spy" Directed by Paul Feig 20th Century Fox

By William Thorne

June 1, 2015 1:33 a.m.

As dashing super-spy Bradley Fine fought his way through a castle filled with evil henchman, a nasal voice was constantly in his ear, telling him who to shoot and which way to go at every turn.

The voice of Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy), a frustrated Central Intelligence Agency office worker yearning for some field action, is always there to help and compliment the agents. Cooper is the central character of the uncompromising comedy romp “Spy,” releasing Friday.

From the very beginning, the script is crammed with “your mama” jokes, as well as quips about obesity, sexual assault and other sensitive topics. Improvisational comedy is ever-present in the film, and the actors were visibly given almost free rein to play off each other in order to squeeze out every single chuckle.

As Cooper and Fine (Jude Law) dine together in a fancy restaurant after another successful mission, the conversation turns to the former’s potential as a field agent. Although Fine laughs off the idea at first, the CIA is forced to turn to Cooper to track down and gather information on Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), a seductive heiress who apparently kills Fine while on a mission.

Any idea that Cooper is going on a simple reconnaissance mission is quickly banished, as she becomes caught up in an epic caper which takes her from Paris to Rome to Budapest, Hungary. Along the way, she is helped by her reliable yet incompetent friend Nancy Artingstall (Miranda Hart), but at the same time hindered by rogue CIA agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham) who is unable to stomach Cooper’s selection over him for the mission.

“Spy” shamelessly plays on the unlikely hero trope, but the film’s shamelessness is its greatest strength.

McCarthy was reunited with director Paul Feig for this film after the pair’s success with “Bridesmaids.” “Spy” recycles all the same dirty jokes, which precariously walk the line between hilariously crass and wildly inappropriate. “Spy” is a film that is unafraid to attack the audience with as many jokes as possible, and then sit back and let the comedic onslaught take effect.

At the center of the madness is McCarthy, absolutely in her element. Her performance as Megan in “Bridesmaids” already established her as the queen of physical comedy, and the role of Cooper is just as farcical but with a few additional martial arts moves. However, her performance is precisely what we have come to expect from McCarthy; she can be depended on to deliver uncompromising humor, and “Spy” is no exception.

With its $65 million budget, “Spy” was also able afford a spectacular supporting cast. Law adds a touch of class and Hart is effective in the role of the bumbling sidekick. However, Statham is the standout – playing a satire on all of his previous action man performances. His character regularly reminds Cooper of his previous exploits; one of the film’s funniest segments is five minutes of Ford listing all of the stunts he has pulled off, which get more and more preposterous as he goes along.

There will be many who won’t appreciate “Spy,” and with good reason. Not only do the endless jokes about groping and being fat become nauseating, but the most tasteless ones are delivered by Aldo (Peter Serafinowicz). Serafinowicz plays a lazy stereotype of an inappropriate yet elegantly dressed Italian man, and when he made a grab at Cooper’s breasts for the 20th time, the audience members’ grins turned to grimaces. Aldo is by no means the only stereotypical character, and by the time the film approaches its conclusion, there is a danger that much of the audience will have tired of the smutty jokes and xenophobic caricatures.

“Spy” is a film that is destined to divide. Some parts are very funny while others are extremely offensive, and the barrage of constant banter only serves to prove that the film tries too hard and overplays its jokes.

– William Thorne

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William Thorne | Alumnus
Thorne was the prime director. He was previously the assistant A&E editor for the Theater | Film | Television beat.
Thorne was the prime director. He was previously the assistant A&E editor for the Theater | Film | Television beat.
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