Spy (2015)

“Spy” is a mediocre and bland comedy with decent performances but some extremely generic moments. Whilst there are some good gags and entertaining scenes, this is an unintelligent film that usually goes for the low-hanging fruit when it comes to jokes.

The cast here are easily the saving grace of “Spy.” Melissa McCarthy does her usual shtick fairly well, I personally preferred her performances in “The Heat” and “St Vincent”, but I thought she was alright here. Jude Law does a good enough job of playing a James Bond –archetype (despite having to work through a horrible American accent), and Rose Byrne is effectively antagonistic as the film’s primary villain.

But hands-down the best performance in “Spy” comes from Jason Statham, he brilliantly plays his character with an absolute dead-pan demeanour, delivering some of the film’s funniest moments as he gives ridiculously over-the-top monologues (“I watched the woman I love get tossed from a plane and hit by another plane mid-air. I drove a car off a freeway on top of a train while it was on fire. Not the car, I was on fire.”)

Action wise, “Spy” is ok. This is a classic example of an action comedy that prioritizes comedy over action which, in my opinion, makes the film less compelling. There are so many amazing adult-oriented action comedies that feature a perfect balance of humour and adrenaline-pumping action (e.g. “Hot Fuzz”, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and “Deadpool”), so it’s a shame that “Spy” couldn’t have included some more nerve-shredding sequences. The action that’s here is serviceable, but it’s let down by woeful CGI and the movie’s tendency to always play a scene for a cheap laugh, rather than for awesome and jaw-dropping spectacle.

I was disappointed by the way in which “Spy” parodies the spy movie genre, with such a star-studded cast, “Spy” had the potential to be a hysterical spoof of franchises like “James Bond 007” and “Mission: Impossible.” Sadly, the jokes that make fun of the genre aren’t anything you wouldn’t find in a “Johnny English” or “Austin Powers” movie, just with more cursing thrown in.

In conclusion, “Spy” is average. If you find people shouting aggressively and swearing constantly amusing, then this movie is right up your ally, but if you (like me) prefer your comedies to have a bit more depth and intelligence, I wouldn’t recommend “Spy.”