I Spy
Review
by : Matt McConnel
Starring:
Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Malcom McDowell
Directed by: Betty Thomas
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A buddy comedy movie based on an old Bill Cosby show from
the late 50's? Yea, riiiiiight, but believe it or no, I Spy
is worth the admission price. Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy
hit it off with great chemistry, a script full of some snappy
writing, but with pacing that is just atrocious. Oh, and yes,
six out of the best ten one liners in the movie are in the
trailer.
Owen Wilson
is a secret agent with the US government who has only very
recently been promoted. He is on the assignment of tracking
down a stolen airplane prototype, a plane that can become
invisible to all forms of detection, including sight. The
arms dealer who has acquired the plane is Malcolm McDowell
in a shamefully underused role, but it is Malcolm McDowell
after all, and he is a delicious villain. In order to get
close to McDowell, the agency must use his one flaw, boxing.
Enter the welter weight champion of the world, 57 wins, no
losses, Eddie Murphy. Despite the fact that the character
is flamboyant and horribly egocentric, he does demonstrate
a keen intelligence that, when his ego is not involved, can
be quite formidable.
The strengths
are in the stars; Wilson and Murphy practically overflow the
beaker with the fine chemistry between them. It is very apparent
to the viewer that these two threw themselves into the roles,
and had a lot of fun doing it. And who would not relish some
of the set ups, sight gags, and one liners that are written
in. Possibly the funniest, and this is probably to best reason
to see it with a lot of people because it is just funnier
is crowd than alone, is Eddie Murphy singing 'Sexual Healing'
to Owen Wilson who is then speaking it in a poetic manner
to the woman he's had a thing for ever since he joined the
Bureau.
The problems
I had with the movie come down to two things: Race and pacing.
While the director did a fine job the interaction between
writers, director, and editors was not a clean one, as the
film jumps and lurches at often the most in opportune times.
This is only magnified by the great job done in other places
by the same cast and crew. The bath house sequence is probably
one of my favorite moments in the movie. Race jokes, while
not abounding, are fairly prevalent. From a mugging joke to
the parody of the black celeb's entourage, race is a constant
undercurrent of the film. In only two places did the use of
race as factor of relation between the characters seem justified,
and one of those could be just as easily explained by money
as opposed to race.
Despite
these problems, the movie is very enjoyable. This is a real
treat on a Friday or Saturday with a bunch of friends. Kick
back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
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