In the beginning of Spy, it makes sense that everyone underestimates Susan Cooper. She’s never been out in the field, and she does not look like the typical secret agent. But at a certain point, when her quick thinking and physical training gets her out of trouble for the umpteenth time, it is a little hard to believe that everyone has not noticed. But it also seems like everyone has noticed, whether or not they’ve said so. After all every major male character seems to have fallen in love with her by the end.
Since the message of Spy is so tangled, its success rests on the strength of its comedy. That aspect is rather mean-spirited, but understandably so, because the insults tend to come from some clearly terrible people. It would have added welcome depth if Rose Byrne’s Rayna Boyanov were more than cartoonishly evil, but she did relish yelling that she was surrounded by idiots.
Jeff Malone is a voracious entertainment consumer and entertainment creator. He currently resides in New York City, where he received his Master’s in Media Studies at The New School. In addition to his pieces on TMRzoo.com and StarPulse.com, you can check out his blog (jmunney.wordpress.com), where he provides regular coverage of Community and Saturday Night Live, as well as other television, film, music, and the rest of pop culture.
