THE SPY WHO NEVER DIES (2022)

THE SPY WHO NEVER DIES (2022)

Tagline: Spies are people too.

(Action, Comedy, Can’t A Guy Just Get a Normal Day Off?) [R]

Note: This movie was not given a rating by the MPAA, but it would have landed a [R] for language. It is given a TV—MA on streaming services. 

In this one an international spy named Brad just wants to take a night off and hang out with a girl named Veronica whom he unexpectedly met at the veterinary clinic. Of course, he was there because he attempted to kill another spy while he was walking that dog and many others. The couple is hitting it off but faces the wrath of a mysterious force trying to bomb multiple targets. Brad will need the help of his organization to get out of this one, but will they be in time?

This movie kind of goes in the direction of predecessors like AUSTIN POWERS and GET SMART only not quite as over the top. If you watch the previews you will be under the impression that the action is pretty much non-stop but that isn’t the case. Most of the action takes place at the beginning and end of the film. The rest is about socially awkward Brad who is a bored spy and his new love interest Veronica. 

That acting in this is pretty solid all around. Georgia Walters who has mostly done shorts does a good job in this for the most part as Veronica but was off-screen for a lot of the film. Paul O'Brien (PROJECT EDEN) is more than adequate as Brad, the main protagonist. Kristy Wordsworth (BLAZE) who plays Jennifer is pretty good, but I am guessing she’s had better roles. Amir Aizenstros plays Brad’s whiny “guy in the chair”, but I actually liked his character. It’s pretty rare for me to like a character that does almost nothing but get upset that another character doesn’t appreciate him, but in this thing, you can see clearly why he’s pissed.

What this film does successfully is, look like a high production in a lot of spots and give the feel of a fun spy flick. The fights are pretty great and the circumstances are usually pretty nuts. I did like the pacing, but the movie wasn’t what I expected because I thought this would be just all action all the time and we don’t get that. I also liked that it managed to be provocative like the older 007 films but doesn’t get ultra-raunchy. 

What I didn’t like about the movie is just that it’s too sexual for this type of film and that gets cringy in a couple parts. Even the actresses looked uncomfortable in real life, beyond just the acting. I get that they need to attract an audience, but this thing actually has a good script, it has good production for a B-movie. It has all the ingredients to be great, but the situational comedy in some scenes kind of threw this out of whack. 

So a lot of how you view this thing will depend on what you were expecting. Once it got going, I was able to embrace that this is mostly just a fun spoof. If you are expecting MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, then you are going to be let down. I saw a few reviews saying it was boring and I didn’t think that at all. It does feel like they set up for a sequel because it literally leads right into one, but who knows when that will come about. I am guessing there are a few different versions of this because of complaints about the accents in reviews online. I saw the version where the main characters didn’t have an Australian accent, but the film was made in Australia. 

If you are looking for a fun spy movie with a bit of edge, this is pretty good but is not kid friendly. Just as a heads-up. THE SPY WHO NEVER DIES gets a solid 5 out of 7. I didn’t identify with any of the characters, but I don’t have to. Movies are not made to cater to everything we want. Otherwise, they would all have giant knife-wielding kaiju mantis shrimp with alligator arms, Kate Beckinsale and Christ Pratt riding in on futuristic tanks with mean faces that shoot fire and chew bubble gum, a soundtrack done by Skillet and Project 86, then somewhere in there a living plush Tony The Tiger would show up with Gizmo and all of the Crites from CRITTERS.  

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