‘Spy’ Reviews: Is This The Comedy Of The Summer?
Melissa McCarthy’s latest comedy, Spy, released to theaters yesterday, and the reviews have been glowing. At the time of this publication, Spy stands at a 95 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 142 of the 149 reviews counted as positive.
Spy has also generated a favorable score on Metacritic, even though there aren’t as many reviews. As of right now, the film has a “Metascore” of 75 with the 39 reviews featured on the website.
Spy has Melissa McCarthy reteaming with her Bridesmaids and The Heat director Paul Feig. This time, she plays a CIA agent named Susan, whose job is to sit in front of a computer and guide the operatives out in the field. When most of the CIA’s operatives get compromised, Susan steps in to take on an important assignment in Paris.
The film also stars Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Jason Statham, and Allison Janney.
Most of the reviews are praising Spy for having McCarthy land a lead role in an intelligent feature. Some of her previous lead work, specifically Tammy and Identity Thief, were both met with scathing reveiws from critics. That’s not the case with Spy, though.
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone applauded McCarthy’s performance and her reteaming and Feig.
“They’re a dynamite team, with Feig’s script a bonanza of zingers and femcentric subtext.”
Justin Chang of Variety had the opportunity to see Spy when it premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW). In his review, he points out that the role is McCarthy’s best so far.
“[Spy is] an uproarious blast of globe-trotting action-comedy delirium that doesn’t spoof the espionage-thriller genre so much as drop a series of banana peels in its path.”
Bob Mondello also noted that he was thrilled to see the actress’ talents rightfully displayed in Spy.
“It is, in short, a generous, smart, sexy comedy, surrounding this generous, smart, sexy star. About time”
But while most of the reviews are positive, there are some critics who hated Spy. Joe Williams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said McCarthy deserves better.
“McCarthy is a funny woman, with an inventive mind and a physical grace that belies her heft. She’s a not-so-secret weapon waiting to be utilized. But Feig’s script is so underwritten that none of the comedy grows organically out of her character or the plot.”
Kyle Smith of the New York Post wrote that Spy should have had the Oscar-nominated actress showcase more of her power, as she had in her previous efforts with Feig.
“It’s frustrating to see her spend more than half the movie being the pathetic target of jokes rather than the dominating figure she was in Bridesmaids and The Heat, both of which are far funnier than this one.”
Will the mostly positive reviews get you to go see Spy this weekend?
[Image credit: 20th Century Fox via The Backlot]
