Spy (2015)
Despite being well regarded as an actor, Melissa McCarthy rarely stars in movies that get much praise. Despite her being always at least "good", her comedy movies especially fail to deliver most of the time but there are a few in there that do break out of that slump. The biggest would have to be Spy which not only got critical acclaim currently holding a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes but even get some awards love such at the Golden Globes where it got nominations for McCarthy in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category and was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Despite this strange amount of praise I had never checked Spy out so finally, I saw an opening as part of this series and decided to give it a go. Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) has always dreamed of being a spy but ended up behind a computer helping esteemed agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) on his missions. When a mission goes bad and Fine ends up killed, Cooper is sent on assignment to pick up where Fine left off.
Where the reception that Spy received intrigued me, after seeing the movie I honestly just don't get it. That isn't because Spy is a bad film, but rather because it is so just "good". First looking at the film as a comedy, Spy is overall funny. The humor is very hit or miss with some really basic physical humor failing to connect but overall the film is enjoyable which should come as no shock considering the cast in this film. Actors like Jason Statham and Rose Byrne have great comedic timing so it comes as no shock that when they are on camera they do a wonderful job. The same thing can be said about Melissa McCarthy but the thing to really work regarding her performance is the chemistry between her and Miranda Hart who plays her best friend Nancy. These two together were hysterical and nearly stole every scene they both were apart of with their back and forth. With that said though, the comedy in this film where solid is also nothing revolutionary. It is a good comedy movie but also provides nothing new that would be the reason the film stood out so much.
The thing that propelled the movie so much probably was the message the movie had. This is a film largely about female empowerment and the workplace discrimination they can face. Where this is nothing super new for 2020, back in 2015 this was a much fresher conversation which is why I imagine the effectiveness of this conversation has lessened over the past 5 years. Where it might have felt like it was pushing the envelope back then, now it just kinda feels like it is briefly touching on it not really providing anything new or noteworthy. Past the deeper message, the plot also features plenty of twists and turns meant to give it some substance as a spy film but this is where the film started to lose me a bit. There are so many unnecessary plot developments and it feels like a very messy script. The film clearly had a list of plot points it wanted to hit either for comedic or dramatic purposes but instead of creating a plot that naturally got to these moments the film picks up a strange and unnatural pacing. There is a huge lack of flow within the plot of this movie and it constantly feels like the movie is more concerned about reaching the general plot points rather than making an overall film that works.
Spy is far from a bad movie, it is enjoyable enough and does have a message within it that is important and meaningful. Unfortunately, it really lacks the basic filmmaking and depth to be something incredibly noteworthy. I don't understand why this film blew up the way it did but also I am writing this review as a man in 2020. This is a film meant to be empowering to women and was created in a very different social climate so keep that in mind when reading my opinion on the messages within the film. Still, I can only speak on my experience with the film and even past the social commentary this film provides, Spy didn't feel like anything that memorable or deserving of a rewatch in the future.
Spy is far from a bad movie, it is enjoyable enough and does have a message within it that is important and meaningful. Unfortunately, it really lacks the basic filmmaking and depth to be something incredibly noteworthy. I don't understand why this film blew up the way it did but also I am writing this review as a man in 2020. This is a film meant to be empowering to women and was created in a very different social climate so keep that in mind when reading my opinion on the messages within the film. Still, I can only speak on my experience with the film and even past the social commentary this film provides, Spy didn't feel like anything that memorable or deserving of a rewatch in the future.