Review of Spy

Spy (2015)
6/10
Melissa McCarthy's show as a rookie agent who attempts to prevent diabolical global disaster
5 November 2023
Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst--and the unsung hero behind the Agency's most risked missions, she assists the good-looking, intrepid, debonair operative agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). But when her partner falls off the grid and another top agent is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global crisis when an atomic weapon is being smuggled and is threatening to use it unless getting a large amount of millions of dollars. Her boss (Alison Janney) accepts that she completes the assignment because there is no other volunteer or agent to execute it, and despite the strong opposition of the expert and proud agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham). Along the way, Susan takes on a powerful organization for world control and being only helped by her good friend, the office agent Nancy Artingstall (Miranda Hart). One of the guys, one of the spies!. She's finally getting some action!.

The picture is the usual ¨spoof¨ or parody featured by a desk-bound CIA analyst who volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer when her beloved fellow agent falls to death. Melissa McCarthy (who got an Oscar nomination: Best Supporting Actress, Bridesmaids (2011)) continuing the spoof formula, this time as a crazed international agent, playing a similar lunatic character like her other films. The fatty, burly Melissa is very sympathetic as the brave, yet surprisingly accident-prone agent who leaves a trail of destruction in her wake. Melissa told that the film is the most physically taxing she has ever done. It is surrealist, hilarious, extreme and sometimes gross-out spy-movie with full of quirky roles, mayhem and lots of fun. There're gags each fifty seconds, the film is formed by innumerable comical set-pieces and a myriad of imaginative parodies where the wacky humor and laughs are continuous. ¨James Bond's¨ movies or ¨Leslie Nielsen's Spy Hard¨ may be the main spoof targets, though ¨Spy¨ is hardly frugal with its references. The entertainment and fun result to be the disconcerting messes, silly action pieces and other bewildering scenes in wich our starring becomes involved and in which smile to roar with laughter. Melissa is well accompanied by a likeable cast, such as: Jude Law as Bradley Fine, the Agency's star operative, Jason Statham as the conceited and foul-mouthed agent Rick Ford, Allison Janney as CIA Headquarters Head Elaine Crocker, Miranda Hart as her best friend Nancy, Rose Byrne as an ambitious smuggler in atomic weapons, Bobby Cannavale as a businessman long suspected to be linked to terrorists and Morena Baccarin as insulting Agent Karen Walker. Besides, there are several cameos and brief interventions from Will Yun Lee, 50 Cent, Richard Brake, Sam Richardson, Ben Falcone, and look for director Paul Feig himself as a drunken guest at Paris Hotel.

As in any self-respecting spy movie, the film is well set in several European cities, such as: Budapest, Rome and Paris, though mainly shot in Hungary, being wonderfully photographed by cameraman Robert D. Yeoman. Adding a thrilling, evocative and suspenseful musical score by composer Theodore Shapiro. The motion picture was well directed by Paul Feig. This filmmaker is a hardcore fan of the Spy-genre, creating here a broad action comedy in that genre and outstanding the thriller scenes with plenty of humor. He wrote , directed and produced because he knew that no one would ever let him ever shoot a real James Bond movie himself. Paul Feig is an expert writer, producer and director who has worked as Television as Cinema, such as: Arrested Development (2003), The Office (2005), Weeds (2005), Nurse Jackie (2010), Rockefeller Plaza (2006), Heavyweights (1995), Unaccompanied Minors (2006), Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013), Ghostbusters (2016), among others. The film will appeal to absurd and unruly comedy enthusiasts, as well as Melissa McCarthy fans. Rating. 6.5/10.
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