REVIEW: Spy (2015)

When Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy have collaborated in the past (Bridesmaids, The Heat) the results were perfect examples of well written, well acted pieces that showcased how women can do comedy and action just as well as the boys. Their newest venture together, Spy, is no different.

Spy centres around Susan Cooper (McCarthy), a CIA analyst who is the eyes and ears to cocky agent in the field Bradley Fine, played by Jude Law. However, Susan has always longed to be in the field and prove her worth and when events unfold on a botched mission that leads to agent Fine’s death, Susan has all the motivation she needs to avenge Fine’s death and prove to herself that she is a more than capable field agent.

If you have seen The Heat, Spy treads familiar ground but where the former was a modern twist on the chalk and cheese buddy cop movie, the latter excellently tips its hat to the much loved spy genre. Where the film truly excels is in the way it blends McCarthy’s unique sense of humour with action and genuinely sensitive moments. The script is well written and hilarious, and combines impressive action sequences and tense drama to keep the plot moving along at a nice pace. It is almost perfectly balanced in this sense. The film’s casting is wonderful, with McCarthy more than able of carrying the movie on her own, but the fact that those supporting her are equally hilarious and well cast helps.

Jason Statham is cleverly cast as a fellow CIA field agent who is an exaggerated version of the character he plays in practically all of his previous movies – the role of rough, cockney action hero getting involved in increasingly implausible situations. Statham plays the role with tongue firmly in cheek and it’s good to see that he can have a laugh at his own expense. Any scenes with both Statham and McCarthy where they engage in verbal battle are the highlights of the movie. Miranda Hart ,best known for TV and stand up, brings her own sense of very British, very Miranda-esque humour to the mix as one of Cooper’s only allies and Rose Byrne takes great delight in playing the villain. However, it is perhaps the genius small part played by Peter Serafinowicz that almost steals the show. He makes good use of his ability to do impressions by playing a perverted Italian spy with aplomb and every moment he is on screen is pure gold.

McCarthy is so likeable and genuinely funny, she has shown her talents in previous outings but here she firmly takes the helm and fits very comfortably into the driver’s seat. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and found it incredibly funny and well acted by all. However, there were a few minor points for me that stopped it from being perfect.

Not enough Jason Statham. His glorious character was underused. The moments where he and McCarthy were at each others throats genuinely made the movie sparkle.

Jude Law’s excellent acting abilities were wasted on the stereotypically smooth, boring James Bond wannabe Agent Fine. He gets very little emotional development until the very end and it’s hard to believe someone as smart and vivacious as McCarthy would have a crush on him.

If Miranda Hart or McCarthy’s comedy fails to make you chuckle then this definitely is not the movie for you.
Spy had a lot to live up to being released in the shadows of Bridesmaids and The Heat, and although I greatly enjoyed Spy, I don’t think it quite lives up to its predecessors but it was a very close thing for me.