★★
When the world's best spy is turned into a pigeon, he must rely on his nerdy tech officer to save the world.
Classification: PG
What if James Bond was a pigeon?
Brave new thinking coming out of Blue Sky animation but all jokes aside, this cute little animation does what it can to give depth and emotion to such a peculiar concept. The one interesting theme of the film gets bogged down by conventional comedy and storytelling but Spies in Disguise still has the moments that make it a fun avian espionage romp. Will Smith and Tom Holland play well off each other, essentially delivering heightened animated versions of themselves, Smith as slick, cool beloved super-spy Lance Sterling who effortlessly defeats the bad guys with swagger and style. Tom Holland, a goofy loveable nerd named Walter whose pacifist views have him create non-lethal gadgets in direct contrast to Sterling's own destructive, collateral damaging tactics.
The whole film is an attempt is a play on the violent nature of spy driven action specifically the James Bond franchise as Sterling and Walter's relationship is a clear parody of the Bond-Q dynamic. Sterling being transformed into a pigeon by one of Walter's wacky inventions has this macho bravado inverted through comedy setups of the super-spy being unable to do anything that makes the stereotype cool. Spies in Disguise has its laugh out loud moments but bar the wacky third act, it never feels like it embraces the mind-boggling quirkiness of the whole idea. It's all typical comedy setups that are mostly reliant on exaggerated animation combined with Smith's trademark charisma hamming it to an almost desperate degree. It's a fun little concept, seemingly based on a short film that featured a pigeon interfering with a spy's mission rather than a physical transformation but Spies in Disguise never reaches that moment where the idea really clicks. It's fun seeing Sterling as a pigeon develop a small team or "flock" of other pigeons to help him in his mission, the scene of the pigeons trying to steal a keycard or outsmart a killer drone being an amusing mix of the film's vibrant animation and action cinematography. The emotional element of the transformation never reaches the heights like other animated films with similar concepts such as Emperor's New Groove or Brother Bear.
The animation itself is quite impressive but these days when isn't it, there aren't many moments where the film is memorably striking but there are a few scenes where the lighting elevates the emotional impact of scenes. Specifically, the scenes where Walter is confronted against the main antagonist Killian, (a Dr Claw wannabe) are improved by the use of the digital rendered golden hour. The action is smooth and the character designs themselves have a nice aesthetic tribute to the sophisticated pulp of the spy genre, Sterling's sleek stylish form, the frantic Yakuza goons, Killian's megalomanic Blofeld-Claw hybrid. Even the locations play tribute with secret bases beneath the reflecting pool in Washington DC, evil hideouts on the sides of mountains and plenty of globetrotting with high tech planes and submarines.
The main theme of the film ties directly into commentary about spy films which is the cycles of violence and revenge that fuel the rivalries between the good guys and bad guys. Sterling recruits Walter's off-brand style after Killian frames him for murder and theft before his transformation Sterling wants to hit back hard, to get revenge and specifically "fight fire with fire". When turned into his fowl alter ego, Sterling is hindered completely in pursuing an act of violent revenge and has to compromise to Walter's more peaceful wholesome methods of fighting crime. Walter has a pretty standard tragic origin to explain his world view and the development of his and Sterling's partnership doesn't really break the mould but does allow the few poignant moments of the plot to explore the difference in their approaches. It's promoting this idea of embracing the weirdness and not having to submit to brutal, cruel retribution that makes Spies in Disguise worthwhile for its young audiences; saving the day doesn't have to mean killing the bad guys.
It has its moments but they're buried deep in convention and for a film that wants to champion being weird, the whole affair feels very tame even when the main character is sporting a beak and wings for most of the runtime. Polished animation and vibrant action work well in unison as Smith and Holland's loveable charisma deliver some laughs and heart but Blue Sky is unable to have this film soar to the heights of its past work. Despite these creative faults, the messaging and few sparks of splendour do make Spies in Disguise decent fun for families looking for a solid animated adventure with a worthwhile message.
Director: #TroyQuane and #NickBruno
Cast: #WillSmith, #TomHolland, #RashidaJones, #BenMendelsohn, #RebaMcEntire, #RachelBrosnahan, #KarenGillan, #DJKhaled, #MasiOka
Release Date: December 26th 2019
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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