MOVIE REVIEW: ‘I Spy’ — Yet another 007 wannabe, Grade C+
With the 20th installment of 007 hitting theaters later this month, movie execs seem to be looking for a way to cash in on the super suave spy theme, and they have failed miserably.
This year alone has seen a myriad of cheap rip-offs that really don’t heat up the screen. It started with the latest Austin Powers sludge and was followed more recently by The “Tuxedo” and now “I-Spy.” None of these films should have been made. But studios know a cash cow when they see one.
The problems with “I-Spy” were numerous. To start with, the script left so much to be desired. This was not a well-written show. At times, it felt as if the actors were making up the lines as they went. Even if that was the case, it should not feel like they are. Dialogue is meant to move a story forward. I know, that is just what I would expect in my utopian society.
The characters are not well-developed at all. Perhaps this is not solely bad scripting as much as bad directing. Betty Thomas doesn’t take this film in any new directions. She has stayed with the tired old spy themes and seemed more like a marionette in the hands of the studio head honchos than an actual director with a vision of her own.
The final insult of this spy film rip-off came with the casting of Famke Janssen. This deadly beauty will be remembered by Bond fans as Xenia Onatopp. Here she is a little sweeter and a little less sexually driven as Rachel, a secret agent. But she is not all that she pretends to be – not a great role for her to take.
But the main problem with this film was Eddie Murphy as Kelly Robinson. He was a civilian superstar tapped out by the president of the United States to help with a top secret mission – right – but forgetting that he was downright annoying. Had he said Kelly Robinson will only do what Kelly Robinson wants to do when Kelly Robinson is ready to be Kelly Robinson … well you get the idea. In all honesty, his tired delivery and comic style should have been retired years ago. Most folks are tired of the same mono-character he plays in every film.
Owen Wilson plays the agent assigned to work with Kelly Robinson. He adds some great one liners and the only real comic moments this movie had. Because of him, the movie was actually watchable. It is too bad his main role was to babysit Kelly Robinson and be the whipping boy for Murphy’s flippant
comedy.
For another remake in the tone of “The Avengers” and “The Wild Wild West,” this deserves the same fate as a dusty video rental. Don’t waste $6 on this one, wait a week for “Harry Potter” or two weeks and catch the real master spy when “Die Another Day” is released.
Justin Berry is working toward his second bachelor’s degree in Theater performance. Comments can be sent to justinsb26@hotmail.com