Family-friendly buddy cop films are kind of a rare subgenre in Hollywood. It makes sense because you can’t make a thrilling action-comedy with a kid as a partner. Yet My Spy is trying to change that thought by combining tough-guy Dave Bautista with tough girl Chloe Coleman. But does this mixture work?
If you’re familiar with some 90s family-friendly action films, then you know what to expect with this film. The film is highly predictable, but My Spy is still a film that’s heartwarming enough to please families.
My Spy follows JJ, a tough CIA agent tasked with surveilling the family of a wanted criminal. However, when the 9-year-old girl catches them spying on her family, she blackmails JJ into doing whatever she wants.
My Spy is not a perfect family film by any means. Yet it is still a heartwarming family film that feels like a throwback to the tough guy family films of the 90s—films such as Kindergarten Cop or Cop and a Half with Burt Reynolds. For better or worse, it also means that it comes with the clichés and tropes that come with family films of that era.
The film does have several entertaining moments, but these moments are ridiculous too. A lot of it revolving around the idea that a little girl can outsmart and blackmail these agents. It’s an insane concept to be sure. However, this is necessary to dissolve the tough exterior of both characters.
If you think it sounds familiar, then you are totally right. If you have seen these kinds of films before, then you know what you’re getting into. This is not the first time we’ve seen this plot point, and it will not be the last. This leads to some very predictable storyline where you know that JJ will become a father figure to Sophie.
This focus on JJ and Sophie also takes up much of the time spent on the crime investigation. It also seems like this plot point becomes an afterthought whenever the film focuses on the villain. These scenes never really fit together until the climax of the film. My Spy never balances out the espionage aspect of the film.
Regardless, the relationship between JJ and Sophie works because of the chemistry between Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman. The two of them play off each other really well. The softening of their armor is palpable, and you can also sense the sincerity between the two when it becomes sweet.
Dave Bautista also found his groove when it comes to comedic films. He has a knack for deadpan deliveries, and it fits for this hard-nosed character. Not to be outdone, Coleman has a fantastic sassiness to her performance. Her deadpan sarcasm adds to a lot of the film’s humor.
Overall, My Spy is another heartwarming family film anchored by the performances by Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman. The film isn’t perfect, though. The film never balances all of its intertwining storylines together well, and it doesn’t have the most original storyline either. Nevertheless, My Spy is a safe film. In other words, you know what you’re going to get, and what you get is very watchable and great for the kids.
Rating: 3/5 atoms
The post My Spy Review appeared first on Nerd Reactor.
from Nerd Reactor
0 comments: