Review: Spy

Spy will be the surprise comedy of the summer, although it probably shouldn't be. The team up of Melissa McCarthy and Paul Feig has produced two previous solid comedies, Bridesmaids and The Heat. Spy marks the third winning comedy from the duo and should make audiences more excited for their upcoming take on Ghostbusters.

McCarthy begins as Susan Cooper, a mousy yet amiable desk worker at C.I.A. headquarters where her job is to be the eyes and ears of Bradley Fine (Jude Law). Fine is the typical ace-spy who, like everyone else, treats Susan with a certain amount of contempt and misses how truly talented she is.

Susan is in love with Fine and therefore eager to take his belittlement. Once in the field, though, she undergoes an entertaining and far-fetched transformation into a super-spy. A great running joke is that her disguises are as unglamorous as they can be, she often plays a Midwestern housewife. Her mission is to stop the baddies, which include a very game Rose Byrne.

Spy is bloody and has several competently directed action set pieces. This makes the film all the more fun as it feels like the spy movies its spoofing. Along the way the film sneaks in some sly and yet not at all preachy comments about feminism and taking control over one's abilities. The film easily passes the Bechdel test but not in some unentertaining or heavy way. Spy is light and ruthless in its female-centric action comedy way. Susan proves to be a very capable if not rather amazing spy and Feig's script never treats her like the boob people may see her as at times. It's one of the best female comedic parts to come along in some time.

The biggest surprise of the film is Jason Statham. He plays a egotistical spy who goes rogue in rebellion of Susan being placed in the field. The film asks nothing new of Statham but places him in a context that makes his deadly serious reading of every line an opportunity for humor. Its a great trick that reimagines someone I had long written off.

4/5