Movie Review: 20th Century's SPY

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SPY

Release Day: June 5th 2015
Director: Paul Feig
Writer: Paul Feig
Main Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Jason Statham
MPAA Rating: Rated R for language throughout, violence, and some sexual content including brief graphic nudity
Genres: Action | Comedy | Crime
Running Time: 120 mins

Official Sites: Web | Facebook | IMDb

A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

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Spy is the new espionage comedy film starring Melissa McCarthy as Susan Cooper, a star in her CIA recruit class who settled for an office assignment instead of a career in the field. Cooper is happy to be the the desk counterpart of Bradley Fine (Jude Law), debonair field agent, until an unexpected turn of events forces Cooper to abandon her desk for the field. And, so, begins the adventure.

This film a ton of fun. I mean, really. It is easily the funniest Melissa McCarthy film to date. After last year's Tammy, you might be a little hesitant to see another movie starring McCarthy. I didn't care for Tammy. It was too much McCarthy. But Spy is great because it pits McCarthy with an awesome ensemble cast. In addition to Law, Spy stars Jason Statham, Allison Janney and Rose Byrne. Smaller roles were played by Bobby Cannavale, Miranda Hart and, even, 50 Cent. There are many more famous cameos which the audience will enjoy. The cast works great. Everyone plays amped-up, cartoonish versions of traditional espionage movie characters. Jason Statham as Rick Ford is a great surprise. The fact that Statham doesn't normally play comedic roles makes him even funnier. I also got a big laugh from Rose Byrne's hair. It's larger than life.

About McCarthy, I think that she is very likable in this film. She has one of those personalities where you either really like her or you can't stand her. I, personally, go back and forth. I enjoyed that Cooper is a relatable character. Even a cat lady can be a hardcore spy, if properly motivated.

The action is outrageous. Great stunt work. McCarthy isn't the quintessential action star, but I appreciated that she didn't shy away from the action scenes. There are knife fights and car chases and explosions, but it's all funny.

This isn't a family comedy. There are some risque scenes. Nothing I would call graphic or gross, but probably too much for young children. It's a good weekend movie, a fun girls/guys night, or any time that you want to enjoy a light hearted spy movie. Hardcore fans of spy genre will appreciate that, even though it's a comedy, it doesn't "make fun" of or disrespect any of the conventions of a traditional spy film.

Make time to fit this one into your schedule. It's a worthwhile watch. But don't take my word for it, go judge Spy for yourself when it opens this weekend.

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