Movie Review: My Spy (2020)

Genre: Action Comedy  

Director: Peter Segal  

Starring: David Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Kristen Schaal, Parisa Fitz-Henley  

Running Time: 99 minutes  

Synopsis: CIA Agent JJ (David Bautista) causes too much mayhem in the field, and so is assigned a boring surveillance job in Chicago to keep tabs on gangster's widow Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley) and her lonely nine year-old daughter Sophia (Chloe Coleman). JJ and his partner Bobbi (Kristen Schaal) get to work but their cover is soon blown by Sophia, who spots JJ as a potential friend for herself and a possible romantic partner for her mom. JJ is drawn into the lives of his surveillance targets, jeopardizing the mission.

What Works Well: In the time-honoured tradition of an action star softening his image and broadening his appeal by reaching out to kids, David Bautista has plenty of self-deprecating fun as the thick-skulled agent mercilessly outmaneuvered by a nine year-old. Chloe Coleman as Sophia is precocious without being annoying, and Kristen Schaal lends robust star-struck support. Humour underpins the friendship and romance plot points, and even the action scenes benefit from sharp comic undertones.

What Does Not Work As Well: Between the energetic opening and the explosive climax, the pacing sags for a significant middle stretch as director Peter Segal skips over all the professional rules being broken and fails to generate much momentum from Sophia's machinations to gain a friend and engineer a romance for her mom.

Key Quote:

JJ (explaining his profession to a classroom full of kids): When I said I took out garbage... I meant human garbage.



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