I Spy

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Famke Janssen, Malcolm McDowell, Gary Cole
Directed by: Betty Thomas
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
2002

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A secret agent (Owen Wilson) and an arrogant professional boxer (Eddie Murphy) reluctantly team up to stop an international criminal from selling a top secret spy plane.

Review:

Tim: I Spy is an average action comedy that admittedly gets a boost from its stars, but not a big enough boost to make the movie very good. It's certainly not a terrible film, it's just average in just about every way. It holds your attention in spots, but is ultimately far too forgettable.

The greatest strength the film has is the casting of Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy. These are two extremely funny actors and I loved watching them together. They have a great deal of chemistry and both operate as quick-talking actors. Their styles are similar, but they only work to complement each other here. I didn't love the scenes painting Wilson as a bumbling special agent, because that's been done so many times before. Once the movie decides to let him be at least somewhat competent, he hits his stride. Wilson doesn't have a great character to work with, but he squeezes every ounce of charm that he can from his performance. He's quite good. Eddie Murphy is surprisingly good in his role. He's incredibly memorable as the egotistical boxer Kelly Robinson. This part was perfect for Murphy- it leverages all of his strengths and allows him to shine. Murphy's career has been disappointing for a while, but this performance is one of his better ones. I wouldn't call him great, but with the lowered expectations Murphy has these days, this was a pleasant surprise. The film's best moments all involve the interactions between Wilson and Murphy, and this is the main reason to see the film.

I usually really like Famke Janssen, but she didn't really work for me here. She is usually solid in these types of roles, but she just felt out of place. She certainly doesn't seem like a very comedic actor, so maybe her straight-laced seriousness just felt a bit out of place. I never felt like she was comfortable on screen. Malcolm McDowell was well cast as the main villain. He's always good in those kinds of roles. I also have to admit I laughed quite a bit at Gary Cole playing a Steven Seagal-type super spy.

Outside of the interplay between Owens and Murphy, the script feels too redundant and tired. I simply felt like I'd seen this all before. A mismatched pair of guys have to look past their differences and work together to stop a madman from destroying the world (or some variation of that). The main story is surprisingly forgettable, and it just felt like the writers were far too lazy. This is one of the biggest flaws with the entire film. The characters might be good, but the story built around them is quite weak.

I do want to say that the film features a stunningly good chase sequence. Our protagonists embark on an extremely long series of close encounters, running from the bad guys. We have car chases, balloons, explosions, train things, leaping through tents, sewers, and more. I was shocked at how long the chase lasted. That was one of the highlights of the entire film.

Despite a few legitimate strengths, I Spy just feels too unoriginal and lazy to be very good. It has its moments, but those are overwhelmed by far too many ordinary ones. This isn't a bad movie, as it is at least somewhat entertaining- it is simply too forgettable, and that hurts the film immensely.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Shanghai Noon, Beverly Hills Cop, Behind Enemy Lines