There is something endearing about a film that purposely draws attention to the formulaic nature of its makeup while happily playing into each and every action-comedy cliché with a wink. It’s even more enjoyable when it pays homage to movies that have come before it, allowing you to feel accomplished when you recognize those moments as they play out. Sprinkle in some popular music, and you have nostalgia overload for better or worse. That’s all fun and well intentioned, and it’ll put a smile on your face, but without the right actors to bring it to life and give it a manufactured yet fresh feeling, it will ultimately feel hollow. Thankfully, My Spy chose to lean on the talents of Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman for their movie, and along with a terrific supporting cast they are able to deliver on that endeavor more often than they fail.
The story of no-nonsense tough guy awkwardly put into the position of protecting a precocious child is one you have seen done time and time again. Sometimes it works and becomes a cult classic like Kindergarten Cop, and other times you get The Pacifier. Some careful choices have to be made from the beginning. Casting, of course, is paramount, but even before that, an overall tone of the movie has to be decided upon, and, thankfully, director Peter Segal took the script penned by Erich and Jon Hoeber and made it a successful blend of family friendly and adult content, resulting in a PG-13 mashup that toes that line and delivers for both audiences.
It’s odd that while filming was completed back in 2018, this movie had its theatrical release date pushed back several times before COVID-19 ultimately led to it going straight to Amazon Prime for streaming. Apparently, its delay wasn’t a reflection on its quality, but the studio wanted to space it out from Bautista’s R-rated comedy Stuber which was released first, and ensure it didn’t get lost in the shuffle. While certainly good enough for a theatrical release, nothing is lost by watching and laughing along at home.
Dave Bautista is damn likeable as JJ, the CIA agent at the mercy of Sophie (Chloe Coleman, Big Little Lies) after she blows his and Bobbi’s (Kristen Schaal, The Last Man on Earth) surveillance mission. Predictably he helps her make friends, and they begin to bond during some funny montages of him teaching her spy stuff, all while she chips away at his tough exterior. Also predictably, he begins to fall for her mother Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley, Fantasy Island), with the blessing and encouragement of Sophie. It seems a little quick for her to be so keen on setting them up, but, apparently, she’s in need of a father figure, or at least someone who can take her to her extensive school events. There is a less important plot where her Uncle Victor (Greg Bryk, Shoot ‘Em Up) is trying to recover a thumb drive with plans for a uranium weapon, or something along those lines, but it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is the chemistry between Bautista and Coleman.
Bautista has shown his comedic chops with Guardians of the Galaxy and Stuber, and he’s able to be the clear lead in this film. As tough as it can be for a macho action star like him to play opposite of a child and not make the relationship seem silly, it’s just as important that the child be able to hold their own. Their acting needs to sell the whole thing, and Coleman more than holds up her end, which is no surprise considering the extensive credits she already has to her name. While some things may tip too far on the cute and cliché scale, including hit or miss pop culture references, and with a general lack of originality working against them, their timing and back and forth banter help to pull off the story.
By the time the movie has reached its climax, where it rips off the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark airplane fight, which Bobbi comically points out, and Sophie’s life hangs in the balance, you get to see that bond that they’ve worked toward on full display. There is little logic to anything JJ does during the rescue attempt, but he’s proven to be a terrible CIA agent, as continuously pointed out by his boss Kim (Ken Jeong, Community). Luckily, he’s good at “kicking ass”, connecting with kids (and their moms), and is deceptively efficient at the whip and nae nae dance, about five years past its relevance.
It’s worth noting that despite the sophomoric attempt at adding a romantic comedy element to the movie, Fitz-Henley brings some strong emotion to her character as she discovers that JJ has been far from honest with her. Schaal’s performance also stands out, as she’s responsible for a few of the bigger laughs, and always seems to make the most of her material. She also gets a chance to showcase her skills with a gun just like Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies.
My Spy may not be bringing anything revolutionary to the screen, but it does bring consistent laughs and successfully leans on the talents of a pair of actors that make it worth your time to watch, despite a mostly cookie cutter story. It’s a movie that’s comfortably aware of the fact that originality in the genre is going to be difficult to achieve, so it instead tries to deliver the best elements of those that have come before it. It’s cute, and right now cute is enough.
My Spy is currently available via Amazon Prime.
