'Spy' is far from a laugh riot
'Spy' stars Melissa McCarthy as a CIA office worker who becomes an agent. Writer-director Paul Feig piles on the clobber comedy and gross-outs.
'Spy' stars Melissa McCarthy (r.) and Allison Janney (l.).
Larry Horricks/20th Century Fox/AP
Melissa McCarthy鈥檚 combustible comedic chops self-implode in 鈥淪py,鈥� which its creators mean to be聽a laugh riot but falls far short of the mark. Actually, there is one good joke involving an聽James Bond-style CIA agent played by Jude Law. Unfortunately, it comes聽three minutes into the movie. It鈥檚 a long sit until the closing credits.
McCarthy plays the agent鈥檚 smitten keyboard jockey 鈥� the voice in his聽earpiece during dangerous missions 鈥� before she becomes an agent聽herself. Writer-director Paul Feig 鈥� he鈥檚 the anti-Ernst Lubitsch -- piles on聽the clobber comedy and fat jokes and gross-outs while McCarthy wears聽out her welcome in record time. I have a soft spot for dumb comedies,聽especially if they鈥檙e dumb-smart. This one鈥檚 just dumb-dumb. Grade:聽D+ (Rated R for language throughout, violence, and some sexual content including brief graphic nudity.)