Spy

Director: Paul Feig
Writer: Paul Feig
Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Jude Law
Strengths: Comedy, Acting
Weakness: Excessive Language
Runtime: 119 minutes
Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

Review: In "Spy," Melissa McCarthy is Susan Cooper, a CIA analyst who sits in a basement and acts as the eyes and ears of super-spy Bradley Fine (Jude Law). Susan is in love with Fine but feels out of his league in every way, and thanks to McCarthy's amazing timing and understated self-deprecation, it's always funny. Then something nasty happens to Fine, courtesy of international crime family heiress Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), and the CIA must act quickly to find her and stop her plan to sell a nuclear device to terrorists. The problem is, the CIA's top agents have been compromised. Seeing her chance, Susan volunteers to go into the field to spy on Rayna and her crew.

"Spy" is the Melissa McCarthy movie that many have been waiting for. She's been solid, if not exceptional, in her previous collaborations with writer-director Paul Feig ("Bridesmaids," "The Heat") but for the first time, McCarthy's the star of the show, and she truly shines. Some of "Spy's" best humour arises from Susan's relationship with Jason Statham's Rick Ford, a super-macho spy who wants no part of the plan to send Susan to do what he believes is his job. He's a clever metaphor for every male braggart who's ever belittled a woman to overcompensate for his own ineptitude. A household name among action-movie fans, Statham here displays comedic timing as deadly as his martial arts skills. Rick's fond of rattling off the ridiculously dangerous, over-the-top things he's done on different missions and, in every instance, Statham's delivery is perfect. 

What's most notable about "Spy," silly as some of its antics may be, is that McCarthy's found the perfect vehicle for her style of comedy. She could well become the face of the first successful spy film franchise headed by a woman, and deservedly so. McCarthy isn't defying conventions here -- she's destroying them. This is an absolute must watch, although it does contain a truckload of profanity and graphic violence so it might not be advisable for younger audiences.

Reviewed by Intisab Shahriyar