Film Review: ‘Spy’

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Allison Janney

Age Restriction: 16 LV       

Genre: Comedy, Action, Espionage      

Runtime: 120 minutes
 
Release date: 5 June 2015

Comedy actress Melissa McCarthy and director Paul Feig reteam for their third collaboration following Bridesmaids and The Heat. This time though, we have an action comedy in the vain of The Heat with the addition of espionage thrown into the mix.

Spy follows CIA analyst Susan Cooper (McCarthy) who has the essential task of guiding her partner and fellow field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) on missions via an earpiece while sitting in the safe comfort of her desk at CIA headquarters.

Things take a turn for the worse when arms dealer Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne) discovers the names of every field agent, leading the CIA to devise a new strategy for deploying its agents. Susan volunteers and is sent undercover as a spy – an actual dream of hers.

Of course, most people will think that Susan is not suitable for the job due her weight and lack of experience, but instead of following the formula, Feig shakes things up turning Susan into a competent spy skilled in combat.

However, to add some hilarity into the fold, Susan oddly has an aversion to all things gory and usually ends up gagging and even faints at one point in the film.

Spy’s plot may not break any new ground, but if you give it a watch you’ll soon realise that Feig has instead crafted something unexpected, resulting in one of the best comedies since The Hangover.

There’s something almost original about Spy as we have an espionage action comedy combined with Feig and McCarthy’s comedic brand. And, as mentioned before, Feig does not stick to the usual formula and continually changes the pattern – something which adds that fresh and innovative appeal to the film.

With Spy, Feig and McCarthy are able to top their previous efforts to make one of their best films to date.

Spy’s biggest highlight is its slapstick humour, explicit one-liners and impressive cast – all of whom successfully execute the humour from page to screen.

With a nicely written and well polished screenplay, Spy is filled with foul language, black humour and gags – all of which will leave audiences in stitches.

Yes, Spy’s humour hits the right notes, and with its straightforward hilarity, it’s just so hard not to laugh. Unlike most comedies, Spy’s humour never fizzles out, so expect chuckles from start to finish.

While most Melissa McCarthy films poke fun at her obesity, Spy on the other hand avoids this and instead goes in a completely different direction. Thankfully though, this does not affect the humour in any way as Spy is still downright funny and is possibly one of the funniest films released in years.

McCarthy once again shows us how it’s done, proving just why she’s currently one of the best comedic actresses in the world right now. Susan’s upfront vulgar dialogue will have audiences gasping for air (due to so much laughter) especially her threatening verbal insult spats with Byrne’s character – who happily returns the favour.

Action star Jason Statham stars in his first comedy outing with Spy and spoofs his tough guy persona, constantly reminding Susan of his perilous, action-packed escapades. Statham surprisingly impresses in his comedic debut, successfully bringing in the laughs.

Miranda Hart, who plays Susan’s bumbling partner-in-crime and best friend Nancy, was also unexpectedly in top form and will have you guffawing at every line she utters. By the time we reach the third act of the film, Hart ends up bringing hysterical laughter in a few gags involving hip-hop artist 50 Cent – who makes two brief appearances in the film.

While McCarthy, Statham and Hart flourish, it’s actually Byrne who steals the show with her candid, yet brutal insults, superficial demeanour, foul mouth and chemistry with McCarthy – one of the absolute joys of the film. All in all, Byrne is exceedingly amusing and I see a huge potential future for her in comedy.

Action fans will also have something to look forward to as Spy is not too shabby with its fight sequences, choreography and stunts – plus we get to watch McCarthy and Statham in action.

Looking at things from a gender perspective, Spy is definitely the first female espionage film in years and Feig has no trouble highlighting the sexist claims that come with being a female spy.

Spy brings to mind the fact that you don’t need to follow the typical stereotype of being hot, sexy, fit or slim to be a successful female agent. All you need is passion, courage, guts, ambition, self-confidence and of course your intellect.

Spy has no problem delving into the issues that Susan faces, especially letting other people dictate your abilities and competence.

Verdict: With Spy, writer-director Paul Feig and actress Melissa McCarthy up their game, producing one of their best films to date. Believe me when I say that Spy is one of the funniest comedies in years, and judging by most reviews, it would seem that majority critics agree.