Read Mixed User Reviews for Spy

4

IAmTechJun 18, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. OK, so this looks like an interes...oh my God! its another bloody Bond parody!! seriously!!! Yes the modern age feminist hipster, Paul Feig, takes a swing at the Bond genre, and oh what an original concept that is, gee I wonder what we'll see here...ugh!

So naturally its an adult comedy with lashings of semi-serious action, CGI blood, swearing and a whole heap of Melissa McCarthy and other actresses. Basically the plot revolves around McCarthy playing Cooper, a desk jockey CIA analyst who helps the very suave, completely clichéd character of Fine played by Jude Law. Yep, if you ever wanted to see what it would be like having Jude Law as Bond, well here you go. After a botched mission Fine is supposedly killed off and the CIA need someone to take his place, an unknown, hence they can't use Statham who plays another totally clichéd agent character we've all seen before. We then follow Cooper around as she slowly but surely sinks deeper and deeper into a mission, which she was never really suppose to get into in the first place (she was only meant to be surveillance).

Oh geez where to start, the plot is unoriginal sure, we all know that, but how about some original ideas...oh too late. From the very first scene I had a good idea what this film was aiming at and how the characters would play out. Spoiler alert! but the minute you see Law as this debonair spy, you know he's obviously gonna die early on, he's clearly the plot setup for McCarthy's Cooper, I mean come on, who didn't see that?! But wait! as the film progresses and more and more characters are introduced, we start to see double agents and characters popping up outta nowhere who are suddenly spies or assassins. All of sudden characters we saw at the start who appeared to just be the butt of a joke or background fodder, are now main characters out to kill the protagonist. Its at this point you know that anyone is fair game and anyone can surprisingly come back from the dead when you thought they had been killed off. So I quickly realised that Jude Law probably wasn't dead at all. Seeing as we didn't actually see him die, clearly he can come back, and he did...*groan*

The plot is a mess of characters bouncing back and forth between the goodies and the baddies. Seriously, there are characters popping up all over the place, getting whacked, and then replaced minutes later by new ones, only to get killed just as quickly. The ones that don't get killed, you just know are probably gonna turn out to be secret agents, but on either side. I honesty thought Law's character of Fine was gonna keep flippin' sides! he was a goodie, then a baddie, then a goodie again, but at this point I genuinely suspected he would turn on Cooper yet again right at the death, and then get properly killed off. Amazingly the film beat me on that one, but this film could of kept spinning these characters round and round, one double agent twist after another.

The actual characters are a completely mixed bag of nuts that all had one thing in common, none of them managed to actually make me laugh...at any point. McCarthy was...well, pretty much like McCarthy is in every bloody movie she's ever done (whilst looking oddly like Dawn French at one point), whilst her sidekick, played by Brit Miranda Hart, was just simply annoying and unfunny. I swear, an early scene near the start has McCarthy and Law in conversation at dinner, they are both talking about themselves and offering basic foreshadowing of things to come. Now initially there are moments that made me smile (as there were throughout this film), but this obviously intended funny sequence just went on and on and on...it just didn't f*cking stop. Like seriously, the moment has passed, the joke is over, its not funny anymore its just awkwardly embarrassing, stop flogging this dead horse!!

The only characters that did offer some genuine giggles were Statham as a dumb, cocky but tough agent, nothing gobsmackingly funny mind you, but reasonable. Next to him I quite liked Peter Serafinowicz as the slimy Italian (yet another secret agent) Aldo who can't keep his hands off the ladies. Sure this character felt like a cheesy 'Carry- On' character (something I would of thought was beyond the realms of acceptance for Feig), but his antics were amusing. Other than that everyone was just there, doing exactly what you expected them to be doing with these character types. Get a load of Law by the way, how much flippin' makeup?? Oh and both Statham and the main baddie fall into the lake from that helicopter at the end, so why does only Statham survive?

I know this movie was relatively successful but I don't really understand why. Yes some parts were good such as the gadgets sequence near the start which is obviously yet more parodies of a certain franchise, and I did quite like how the main female villain was a spoilt bratty Princess type, although again that did become annoying at times too. But in general everything just felt very generic to me and relied far too much on feeble visual gags including male genitals and slapstick, lots of profanity and lots of weight/looks shaming jabs. Even the inclusion of lots of blood and a bit of gore didn't do anything for me, that just felt unnecessary and shoved in to appease the male audience. I would say this was more enjoyable than 'The Heat' which was pretty dire, but at the end of the day, I found this to be an infantile, factory assembly line, cookie cutter of a flick.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

vikesh2206Jun 8, 2015

Messy and formulaic but hugely enjoyable nevertheless, Paul Feign and Melissa McCarthy's third team-up Spy is a fun genre film with plenty of laughs and solid performances.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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6

SirNilesIVJul 7, 2015

A movie without a heart
jokes that hit one two
but only one lands, the other with a thud
The Beaches watch is the funniest moment
Jason Statham is quite good, though

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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6

MattBrady99Jun 5, 2015

Well that was surprisingly funny and not terrible as I thought it was going to be.

The story is about a CIA analyst who just so happens to be responsible for the success of some of the most dangerous missions. But when her partner suddenlyWell that was surprisingly funny and not terrible as I thought it was going to be.

The story is about a CIA analyst who just so happens to be responsible for the success of some of the most dangerous missions. But when her partner suddenly disappears and another top agent is compromised, she finds herself going from behind the desk to into the field - deep undercover to infiltrate the inner circle of an arms dealer and prevent a global catastrophe.

Spoof movies on spy films isn't anything new, we seen some good and we also seen some really bad ones that are not written very well and the jokes are just flat and retarded. Spy starring Melissa McCarthy looked the same and I didn't really care about until the film got it's early reviews from critics and it got positive reviews. So I just seen the movie last night and I thought the film Spy is a very funny comedy and it's ten times better than Tammy that we got last year.

Melissa McCarthy can be a hit or miss with me, because I know she can do a great performance in comedy movies I mean she got nominated for Oscar in Bridesmaids so that's saying something. In this movie I thought she was going to be a clumsy over weight women who always slip up and makes things worse, you know the cliches in those comedy's, but I was extremely surprised that this didn't happen in this movie as Meliassa McCarthy character has a comedic ark to her but she also played a different character and not the ones that she normally pick. Melissa McCarthy did a good comedic performance in this movie and she did better in this movie then in Tammy.

The director of the Paul Feig who previous did Bridesmaids, The Heat and he's doing the upcoming Ghostbusters movie. He directed the movie pretty good and although out the film I keep thinking of The Heat that he did and I'm saying that in a positive way as it shows he can mix action with comedy very well. Great work Paul Feig.

The rest of the cast in the movie like: Jude Law, Rose Byrne and Jason Statham all three did great in the movie as both got they own funny lines and at least they wasn't wasted like in some other movies seem to do with a big cast like this, but luckily it worked out fine.

The writing was good, the one liners in the movie has to be funniest one liners I've heard since the movie Whiplash and some of jokes really worked.

Now for the problems: Some of the jokes in the movie are sometimes predictable and just fell flat to me. I know this may sound like a small little nick pick to most people but the movie has a Jame Bond like opening just like Bond films always open but of cause this movie does it's own take on it and it really wasn't all that good, as I said before it's a small little nick pick but it could have been a lot better, I'm just saying.

Overall Spy is decent comedy and it's way better then some spoof movies on spy films. The acting was good, some of the jokes worked, Paul Feig directed the movie with style by mixing the action and comedy and the movie is enjoyable to watch.… Expand

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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6

moviecritic68Jun 10, 2015

User Score is spot on. My wife enjoyed it & I laughed a few times due to funny lines & occasional funny scenes. I'm not a big Melissa McCarthy fan so that doesn't help. Some of the characters were believable but others weren't. AnUser Score is spot on. My wife enjoyed it & I laughed a few times due to funny lines & occasional funny scenes. I'm not a big Melissa McCarthy fan so that doesn't help. Some of the characters were believable but others weren't. An overweight middle aged woman casted in a role to fight professional killers is a bit much. So I give it a 6.5 overall and that is being generous… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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6

TVJerryJun 8, 2015

Melissa McCarthy teams up again with Paul Feig (writer/director of "Bridesmaids"), but the result isn't anywhere near as hilarious. She plays an deskbound CIA analyst who ends up on a mission to intercept the black market sale of a nuclearMelissa McCarthy teams up again with Paul Feig (writer/director of "Bridesmaids"), but the result isn't anywhere near as hilarious. She plays an deskbound CIA analyst who ends up on a mission to intercept the black market sale of a nuclear device. A few other stars are in the mix (Jude Law, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne), but only Byrne manages to be very funny. There's plenty of energy and good-natured spoofs on the genre. Feig has reigned in McCarthy's usual incessant rants and liberally substituted F-bombs every time he can't think of something clever. This movie is never dull. It just falls short on laffs.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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5

AliceofXJun 5, 2015

Spy is a movie that starts out good but looses its way in the middle. It has got laughs but the weak plot brings the movie down. That would be my short summary of Spy.

I'm not going to go into more specific plot spoilers but after theSpy is a movie that starts out good but looses its way in the middle. It has got laughs but the weak plot brings the movie down. That would be my short summary of Spy.

I'm not going to go into more specific plot spoilers but after the first half the story and character decisions stop making any sense. It feels like the kind of Hollywood script that was rewritten a dozen times until all that's left is pieces from wildly different stories. I might have given Spy 6 stars, instead of 5, but I personally didn't like the way some characters turned out and some parts of the film felt condescending.

Comedies typically start out with a ridiculous premise but it must remain grounded enough. Otherwise the story stops feeling real and you stop caring about it. Which was my experience of Spy. It lost all touch with reality.

Susan Cooper was a likable character for me but the problem is she doesn't grow or learn through out the film (like in, say, Kingsman), she just abruptly turns from a clumsy beginner to a competent agent.

So after bashing the film I have to say that despite its plot problems it was still very funny and overall I enjoyed my movie experience.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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5

stiner49erJun 10, 2015

I'm still waiting for that super funny movie that you can't wait to see a second time when it comes out on video. Well this one doesn't fill the bill. I was so excited to see it because I had heard good things but we hardly laughed .In fact,I'm still waiting for that super funny movie that you can't wait to see a second time when it comes out on video. Well this one doesn't fill the bill. I was so excited to see it because I had heard good things but we hardly laughed .In fact, there was only a few chuckles through the whole movie from everyone in the whole theater!. They could have done without all the F-ing swearing! It made it worse. Good acting but it just fell short of being a really good movie.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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5

Brent_MarchantJun 7, 2015

A mildly amusing spoof of the spy movie genre that, unfortunately, has too few sustained laughs to make it worthwhile. Feeble attempts at creative insults, excessive use of f-bombs and uneven pacing keep this offering from living up to itsA mildly amusing spoof of the spy movie genre that, unfortunately, has too few sustained laughs to make it worthwhile. Feeble attempts at creative insults, excessive use of f-bombs and uneven pacing keep this offering from living up to its potential. If you really want to see something truly funny in this comedy subgenre, go see "Kingsmen" or the original "Red" instead.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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6

FilmPhonicJun 6, 2015

‘Spy’ marks the third comedy collaboration between writer/director Paul Feig and star Melissa McCarthy in a thus far successful quest to “feminize” movie sub-genres having created a female ‘The Hangover’ with ‘Bridesmaids’ and transformed the‘Spy’ marks the third comedy collaboration between writer/director Paul Feig and star Melissa McCarthy in a thus far successful quest to “feminize” movie sub-genres having created a female ‘The Hangover’ with ‘Bridesmaids’ and transformed the traditionally male “buddy-cop” comedy with ‘The Heat’.

It’s clear from the trailer alone that this film is a broad action/comedy which mixes slapstick and gross-out humour with a fish-out-of-water element within somewhat of a parody, but quite cleverly it’s the clichés in traditional Spy films and their parodies that are being attacked here.

Feig does a commendable job of subverting the traditional Spy movie by presenting most of the male characters as testosterone-fueled or sex-obsessed simpletons, a fact that us men can hardly complain about given the years of women being depicted as either sex objects or maliciously vindictive sirens in these kind of films.

‘Spy’ has some real genuine belly-laughs and works because of Feig’s sharp, witty and often coarse dialogue expertly delivered through Melissa McCarthy’s lead performance, the rest of the cast do an adequate job with only one character being at best surplus to requirements and at worst downright annoying, but unlike ‘Austin Powers’ this film in not much beyond a silly and outrageous comedy vehicle and introduces no unforgettable characters that we’ll be talking about for years to come, not to mention being about 30 minutes too long.

The Bottom Line…
Broad and silly without threatening to become a comedy classic, ‘Spy’ is nevertheless highly entertaining thanks to Melissa McCarthy’s lead performance and a mix of crude & sharp dialogue with outrageous physical comedy, a welcome addition to a sub-genre lacking in genuine “classics”.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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6

sicranoAug 7, 2015

sadjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuufjfhfhjdajifdjdifjiojsdmcxfjjjjjjjjjjjjdj..............................................the negative reviews are imcroprresemssible

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

drbriandoddphdJun 9, 2015

An otherwise pretty good movie totally spoiled with all the foul language. I don't know why writers think using the F-word in almost every scene is 'normal' or funny. One of McCarthy's rants against Anton is particularly unnecessary,An otherwise pretty good movie totally spoiled with all the foul language. I don't know why writers think using the F-word in almost every scene is 'normal' or funny. One of McCarthy's rants against Anton is particularly unnecessary, unfunny and just nauseating.… Expand

3 of 10 users found this helpful37

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6

DRauchDoes2015Jun 10, 2015

Far exceeding my lukewarm expectation, Spy arrives as a cementation of the creative pairing of Feig and McCarthy, and could end up as the funniest film I see all summer. It’s without a doubt the return to form McCarthy so demanded after herFar exceeding my lukewarm expectation, Spy arrives as a cementation of the creative pairing of Feig and McCarthy, and could end up as the funniest film I see all summer. It’s without a doubt the return to form McCarthy so demanded after her recent output of comedic sludge (St. Vincent lacked enough of her to erase the grease-stain that is Tammy). More than that, Spy is legitimately, refreshingly hilarious. It’s fantastic cast play up acidic vitriol and exponentially vulgar material with game performances across the board, particularly from Jason Statham (more on his brilliance later).

The film takes the established espionage thriller format and, though it is impaired by credence to some of that formula’s worst qualities (cliched jargon detailing overly-complex character backgrounds, convoluted treachery, etc.) Spy successfully spoofs these movies with it’s goofy, yet rousing action sequences and daffy situational irreverence. Think James Bond meets Jump Street (replace daunting black man as boss with daunting bony white woman) (Allison Janney is the best).

However, Spy also regrettably embraces the hollow, yet suave veneer of actioners of old and indulges in a few too many hackneyed bromides of the genre (exaggerated use of slow-motion, exhausted montages, a detached, businesslike synth-soundtrack, etc.). These roadblocks hamper Spy from resembling anything close to artistry, but it’s ribald inventiveness is so revitalizing, it earns my blessing through entertainment value alone.… Expand

4 of 14 users found this helpful410

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5

ThenewoneDec 30, 2015

................................................................................ I let me terribly, the movie is good, but the jokes are long and dull especially from Melissa McCarhty character, if this is have been aclaimed from american................................................................................ I let me terribly, the movie is good, but the jokes are long and dull especially from Melissa McCarhty character, if this is have been aclaimed from american critics, the american humor is poor.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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4

nascentSep 28, 2015

Terribly unfunny. Awful writing, awful comediennes, none of the humour works on any level, penis photos, throwing up on dead bodies, and as many vile and grotesque insults as possible. Just being vile doesn't make something funny, you sortTerribly unfunny. Awful writing, awful comediennes, none of the humour works on any level, penis photos, throwing up on dead bodies, and as many vile and grotesque insults as possible. Just being vile doesn't make something funny, you sort of have to combine it with something that's funny. Only redeeming part of the film is Jason Stratham, who unfortunately isn't in the film enough. A perfect demonstration of why America isn't known for satire, for a brilliant satirical spy film look for OSS 117. This is more like Paul Blart In The CIA.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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4

smilzobobozSep 6, 2015

This movie is plain boring. There are "so called" funny moments, but since you can tell what they will be like seconds (if not minutes) before they happen all the fun gets stripped out out them (not to mention that there are only extremelyThis movie is plain boring. There are "so called" funny moments, but since you can tell what they will be like seconds (if not minutes) before they happen all the fun gets stripped out out them (not to mention that there are only extremely low-level funny situations).

The plot is not so absurd to get aboard the nonsense train nor realistic enough to be "plausible". Limbo is bad.
Also, as for plot twists... I don't know if it was intended but pretty much the entire movie was extremely (like very extremely) predictable.

The only good thing of this movie is acting, almost all actors are extremely good on their roles, which is why this movie gets this score (for me).… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

TokyochuchuSep 12, 2016

Spy is an entertaining comedy vehicle for Melisa McCarthy. It also features some other amusing turns from Jason Statham and whoever plays that hilarious Italian pervert spy (too lazy to research, sorry). Rude jokes and decent fights abound.Spy is an entertaining comedy vehicle for Melisa McCarthy. It also features some other amusing turns from Jason Statham and whoever plays that hilarious Italian pervert spy (too lazy to research, sorry). Rude jokes and decent fights abound. Spy is a fun time.… Expand