I Spy: Review By Brian

To be honest, I went into I Spy not expecting too much. When I first saw the trailer, I said to myself, "what is this movie all about? It looks like a cross between Owen Wilson's recent film Behind Enemy Lines and Eddie Murphy's recent film Showtime. Luckily, I was wrong.

As an action film I Spy holds up as well as can be expected. While maybe not on par with other films in the action genre these days inspired by the revolutionary stylings of The Matrix, I Spy does the job very well.

As a comedy I Spy shines through and through. Eddie Murphy plays the role of Heavyweight Champion, Kelly Robinson. In my eyes, Eddie Murphy was made for this kind of role, one of which he has played many times before, dipping into the character as a flamboyant ego maniac that just won't shut up. This coincides perfectly into the "every day" guy role of Owen Wilson.

Owen Wilson plays special agent Alex Scott. Now, I don't know about you, but I love the characters Owen Wilson played in movies such as The Royal Tenenbaums & Bottlerocket. He has a comedic quality to him that gives you the impression that he is just a normal guy trying to make his way in life, yet he is the most abstract person on the planet with ideas that stem from the farrest reaches of man kind. This quality is what brought Owen Wilson to where he is today, and I think the filmmakers of I Spy knew this.

I Spy got three stars for a few reasons. The sewer scene where Eddie & owen spill their guts to each is pure genius. The editing and the obvious improv created the perfect timing for maximum laughter. The cot sequence where Owen Wilson's character is trying to get sleazy with Famke Janssen's character was another great highlight. I don't think the entire theater stopped laughing until the 5 minutes scene was over!

I Spy is great fun, and if you like any of Eddie Murphy's or Owen Wilson's work, you'll find this movie to be a nice homage to their strengths.