'Blu-ray or Bust'
SPY (2015, R/UR, 120/130 minutes, FEIGCO ENTERTAINMENT/20TH
CENTURY FOX)
Okay. So. This came out a few weeks ago.
STOP JUDGING ME, I WAS ON VACATION.
Kind of. Okay, fine,
I spent most of my money on Christmas shopping on Amazon (OMG, have you seen
the freaking Lightning Deals?!?) and couldn’t afford to movie-shop. And I was kinda watching Christmas
movies. And the first season of
“Arrow”. But this film is kind of
important; if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to, and not just because of the
star power that is, quite possibly, the best comedic actor of our time.
You have to wait for over an hour for Melissa McCarthy to
let loose. During that time, you are
treated to the usual Paul Feig comedy.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as there are a few chuckles along
the way. But the majority of the best
laughs are provided not by McCarthy herself, but rather by her costars, and one
in particular.
In a performance so out of place, so unexpected, none other
than Jason Statham carries the first half of this film. Honestly, he gives a performance that not
only is a textbook definition of what a supporting actor should be, but he
steals the first half of this film.
From his delivery to the lines spouting from his tough-guy jaw line, he
turns in a performance as hilarious as it is unnerving. His obvious self-deprecation of a genre that
made him a star is such perfect casting that he is this year’s answer to Sandra
Bullock. (You’ll remember the
performance she turned in for her film with Feig and McCarthy, THE HEAT, which
was an amazing comedic feat in and of itself)
But at that hour and ten minute mark, you can feel the film
shift gears, and not in an unpleasant way.
To go from a male carrying the first half to McCarthy letting her bad-girl
shine through. Feig, although losing
much of his comedic momentum by the final act, makes a strong case for men
directing strong female leads in today’s cinema. Interesting to hear the actresses of Hollywood up in arms about
their treatment by the system that, currently, has a director and a star that
seem to make very funny movies together.
At the point when Statham passes the comedy reigns to
McCarthy, her abrasive, angry CIA agent “Susan Cooper” not only carries the
film to the finish line, she does so with such brutally spat dialogue that you
wonder how anyone on screen was able to keep a straight face. This may not be
the funniest film of all time, but it may be the funniest of 2015.
The Extended Cut on Blu-ray is the only way to watch this
film. From the engaging soundtrack,
which occasionally throws an exclamation point on an already good punch line,
to the action on screen, this is a funny action film and should be watched as
such. The special features are
numerous, including gag reels almost as amusing as the film itself.
Feig’s next project, while controversial, reunites him with
McCarthy. For those pundits who are
crying foul at a remake of GHOSBUSTERS, I say this: give Feig a chance. While I am a big fan of the original, I’m
curious to see the spin he and McCarthy put on a classic. The performances he elicits from his actors
is nothing short of amazing, and while McCarthy may be great at her job, it is
the surprises, like Statham and the rather unsung Rose Byrne, that make these films
funnier than they have a right to be.
Film Grade: B
Special Features: A
Blu-ray Necessary: Most Definitely
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