| I SPY |
| Starring Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Famke Janssen, Malcolm McDowell, Gary Cole Directed by Betty Thomas **� out of **** It has long been said that Eddie Murphy lost his edge � and man, did he ever. Dr Dolittle and the Nutty Professor films merely enhanced Murphy�s image as family entertainer � gone was the foulmouth from 48 Hrs we loved so much. At least I Spy isn�t the star�s worst film, and it teams him with Jackie Chan�s pal Owen Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Behind Enemy Lines). Wilson has excellent comic timing and can come across as both dim and clever, and he and Murphy make a fine (if not classic) comedy duo. I Spy concerns a secret agent (Wilson) who is joined by master boxer Kelly Robinson (Murphy) on a dangerous mission in Budapest. They don�t like each other at first, as it goes in all such films, but as time passes and they spend more time in each other�s company, their differences take second seat to the job at hand: finding a state-of-the-art aeroplane (Kelly refers to it as �the Leafy Bug�) that can �turn the smallest country into a superpower.� The main villain is played by Malcolm McDowall, who�s played villains so many times that he does it in his sleep, which is the case here. Famke Janssen joins the team and spices things up as the receiver of Wilson�s crush. Wilson faces opposition on home ground in the form of Carlos (�American Gothic��s legendary Gary Cole), a superspy who gets all the latest gear and attention. I Spy works mainly because of endearing characters. Sure not all the jokes work and a lot of it come across as forced and lacking spontaneity, but Wilson is so immensy likeable and Murphy has such a history that it�s hard not to warm up to them. Sadly, the story doesn�t have much meat. The two protagonists arrive in Budapest, run into trouble, run from trouble and confront trouble head on as the end nears. There�s a twist, but you can see it coming for a mile. An unexpected bonus is the appearance of Cole (a contemporary of Bruce Campbell), who has carved himself a nice niche as a �secondary� actor with great range. I Spy isn�t a very long film, although a chase scene in them middle of it seems to last much longer than it should. Furthermore, the action is very restricted; it�s all politically correct � no blood, no guts, just good clean action-packed fun. Comedy is the film�s main aim, and for the most part it delivers a pleasant diversion. To expect anything more guarantees disappointment. COPYRIGHT 2003 CW Broodryk |
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