Synopsis: Melissa McCarthy stars as restless desk jockey CIA agent Susan Cooper, who is the virtual eyes and ears for charismatic field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law), in writer/director Paul Feig’s Spy. After the identities of the team’s members are compromised, the unassuming Susan is sent into the field to observe and report back, likely to never be suspected since she doesn’t possess the athletic good looks of her peers. After the mission is compromised by over-the-top agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham), Susan must take matters into her own hands.
Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) and Rick Ford (Jason Statham) are one of the most dysfunctional undercover couples ever. Photo by Larry Horricks.
Review: The team of Feig and McCarthy once again bring a hilarious and action-packed movie to the screen, with superb writing and comedic timing. Criminal arms dealers hoping to unload a nuclear weapon are surprisingly thwarted by Susan, who is assigned only to observe undetected. As things spiral out of control, however, it is up to Susan to save the day.
Spy is McCarthy’s best film since Bridesmaids (also directed by Feig), and the comedic writing is top notch, working extremely well as a comedy and fairly well as a spy thriller. It is a hysterical send-up of secret agent movies, and retains the core elements of the spy genre, recalling spy comedies such as Archer, the Austin Powers films, The Naked Gun and The Pink Panther series. But the comedy is no holds barred, and Susan is portrayed as being capable and cognizant rather than bumbling through her scenes.
McCarthy shines in this role and there are many great comedic moments, many of which come from the back and forth between Susan and her nemesis Rayna Boyanov, played by her Bridesmaids costar Rose Byrne. Statham, as a blustering, overly-confident rogue agent, plays a parody of his own hyper masculine action heroes, and does it with great humor and enthusiasm. The film also features some great cameos, including Michael McDonald of MADtv fame.
McCarthy in one of her more unflattering undercover roles in “Spy”. Photo by Larry Horricks.
The action aspect of the film plays well as a satirical vehicle for comedy. The fight choreography and chases make for plentiful frenetic action, and the film possesses all the touchstones of the spy thriller; fast cars, beautiful women, exotic locations and high-tech gadgetry (though Susan’s concealed weapons aren’t exactly as sexy or flattering as she’d like them to be). The comedy in the film runs the gamut of situational, slapstick, scalding derision, crude verbal humor and sight gags, keeping the audience laughing until the end.
This is a great summer date movie filled with action, thrills and, foremost, comedy. Spy really shows McCarthy becoming one of today’s great comedic talents, and I’d liken her to a female John Candy.