Spy (2015) – Review

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I can’t do what I do without you on my earpiece,” Bradley Fine flattered Susan Cooper.

Paul Feig must be very fond of Melissa McCarthy’s comic persona. After the hilarious all-girl Bridesmaids (2011) and cop-buddy-gone-wrong The Heat (2013), they team up again in designating McCarthy as the eventual main protagonist in super ludicrous espionage spoof, Spy. 

Spy was an obvious proof that Feig and McCarthy are symbiotically beneficial to each other. Feig with his clever camera work and his promising action-in-comedy directing, as well as his better comedy-writing skill is the reason why McCarthy terrific improv works. In addition, McCarthy stunning performance with her tongue-in-cheek jokes and all her impromptu folly were all reasons why the script works. That easy.

This was a great take on espionage-comedy sub-genre; from the slick 007-esque opening prior to the typical opening credit. While the plot was actually simple—save the hole-and-corner chaos near the end, Spy was a clever, if not cunning spoof to espionage genre. It put McCarthy as Susan Cooper, a deskbound CIA analyst working to help a top agent, Bradley Fine (Jude Law). When Fine down and another colleague, Rick Ford (Jason Statham) quit, Cooper came as a voluntary reinforcement to the field work. What Cooper brought to the field was never a job any top agent could handle—it was ridiculously brilliant.

Frankly, I couldn’t stop laughing anytime McCarthy was on action; she alone was rocking the espionage world in an exhilarating way. Yet, Feig’s cunning script made ways for other supporting characters to hit with their punchlines just perfectly. Rose Byrne, as an arm-dealer heir Rayna Boyanov, was ridiculously bitchy (looks like she returns back-to-back from Neighbours) making a matching antagonist. Meanwhile, Statham was hilariously cocky and bad-ass as well; frankly, I’ve never seen him acting like that since in Guy Ritchie’s. What a great constellation!

Well, sometimes the R-rated jokes were too much in a sense that they just flooded the plot with strikes to strikes. Also, the thin plot was an excusable trouble to cope up. Yet, Spy is an effective summer entertainment that perfectly went in 007 take, only this one got more rounded 0s and a more rounded protagonist.

VERDICT: Hilariously fresh and ridiculous, Spy is a brilliant craft of espionage tale with director Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy on each other’s back. Like I said, it went in 007 take with more rounded 0s.

Spy (2015)

Action, Comedy Written & Directed by: Paul Feig Starred by: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne Running Time: 120 mins Rated R for language throughout, violence, and some sexual content including brief graphic nudity

IMDb | Official Site


Paul Feig pastinya sangat mengagumi pesona Melissa McCarthy. Setelah berkolaborasi di Bridesmaids (2011) dan The Heat (2013) yang cukup menghibur, mereka kembali bekerja sama dalam komedi espionase berkelas, Spy.

Spy adalah bukti bawha Feig dan McCarthy saling bersimbiosis mutualisme. Kemampuan Feig dalam mengolah kamera, penyutradaraannya akan action-in-comedy, serta skill menulis komedinya yang makin membaik adalah sekumpulan alasan acting improv khas McCarthy sukses. Sebaliknya. penampilan cemerlang McCarthy dengan berbagai kelucuan dan kekonyolannya adalah alasan skrip ini berfungsi maksimal sebagai komedi. Semudah. Itu.

Film ini adalah contoh komedi espionase yang digarap dengan baik; sedari opening a la 007 sebelum opening creditnya yang sepertinya terobsesi dengan Bond. Meskipun plotnya sedikit sederhana (simpan kekacauan di akhir film), Spy adalah spoof genre espionase yang sangat cerdik, bahkan licik. Dengan McCarthy sebagai Susan Cooper, CIA analyst, yang selalu membantu top agent, Bradley Fine (Jude Law) dalam menyelesaikan misinya. Saat Fine menghilang dan koleganya, Rick Ford (Statham) memilih keluar, Cooper menjadi sukarelawan untuk meneruskan suatu misi besar. Bisa ditebak apa yang terjadi kemudian: Cooper melakukan hal yang agen rahasia paling top pun tak bisa lakukan.

Aksi McCarthy selalu mengundang tawa—ia sendiri pun cukup untuk mengguncang dunia Spy dengan tawa yang mengocok perut. Namun, skrip Feig ternyata mampu memaksimalkan potensi tokoh supporting lainnya dalam mengocok perut. Rose Byrne, sebagai putri mahkota gembong pengedar senjata internasional Rayna Boyanov, sangat bitchy sekaligus konyol menjadikannya musuh yang sepadan bagi McCarthy. Sementara, Statham seolah bernostalgia dengan peran-perannya di film Guy Ritchie. Konstelasinya sangat pas!

Memang kadang lelucon R-ratednya terlalu berlebihan dalam membanjiri plotnya. Apalagi dengan plot tipis yang nampaknya jadi terlalu padat dengan lelucon. Namun, Spy tetaplah hiburan musim panas yang efektif. Spy punya semangat 007 walaupun 0-nya terlalu bulat begitu juga tokoh utamanya.

6 responses to “Spy (2015) – Review”

  1. Andina Avatar
    Andina

    Seems like something I should see. McCarthy really wowed me in Bridesmaids, and she continued doing that in The Heat. Hope I’ll like this one too.

    1. Paskalis Damar AK Avatar
      Paskalis Damar AK

      She’s just going to the next level with Feig, and for each level she kicked harder!

  2. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    I am here ALL for Byrne. Like, she’s hilarious and I am dying for the resurrection of her career as a comedic actress!

    1. Paskalis Damar AK Avatar
      Paskalis Damar AK

      True! She’s also talented for that after all

  3. Luthfi Prasetya Avatar
    Luthfi Prasetya

    Monolog Statham pas ada di hotel, pamer-pamer cerita badass ke McCarthy itu kaco banget sih. Lebay mampus, haha.

    1. Paskalis Damar AK Avatar
      Paskalis Damar AK

      Itu favorit bgt! Seru juga ya lihat Statham main kocak gini

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