Viewed – 01 December 2015  Online-rental

I have to admit I quite like Melissa McCarthy.  I thought she was hilarious in Bridesmaids and followed her star-making turn well with the amiable Identity Thief.  She’s not just funny either, she’s likable.  So her latest venture has her as a desk clerk who is the eyes and ears for her man on the ground Jude Law; a highly skilled spy with more than a passing Bond complex (with a bit more cheese…).  However said spy goes missing and soon McCarthy gets her chance to go on a mission of her own, and maybe finally prove her worth to the CIA.

Typical fish-out-of-water stuff granted but given no end of personality by the ever enjoyable McCarthy who throws herself (sometimes literally) into the task of tracking down bad guys and seeing off the advances of a lecherous side-kick.  At the same time she has gung-ho rival agent Jason Statham to deal with (more full of shit than full of action), and also on hand is Brit comedienne Miranda Hart … whose inclusion threatens to ruin everything because well, she is just not funny.  I don’t get her popular but cringy brand of ‘posh/awkward’.  I just don’t.  Also a cameo by rapper 50 Cent feels like he’s wondered off a music video onto the wrong set.

It’s a movie of two halves for sure … the first plodding getting to know the main character, sympathise as she swoons over Jude Law and dreams of better things … stuff.  Not that interesting but gets a lot more fun once McCarthy gets caught up with villains, bombs and globe trotting, whilst kicking ass, donning disguises and being involved in chases.  Rose Byrne is very good too as the lead bad-girl megalomaniac (and those legs!) but a rather predictable, clichéd plot and a reliance on annoying supporting characters stops Spy reaching it’s full potential.

I enjoyed this, but better use of it’s cast and a sharper script could have made for a more memorable experience.  As a McCarthy vehicle however, this did it’s job.

Verdict:  3 /5