"This is your camera."
"Look at the size of this thing. Size matters."
I SPY is based on the 1960's television show of the same name. It was the first TV show that partnered a black and a white American as series
stars. This was network first. I used to watch it every week mostly because of the great interaction and snappy repartee between Robert Culp
and Bill Cosby. Cosby won three consecutive Emmy Awards for best actor in a drama. Culp became a poster boy for the casual personality.
The television show had a very fluid feel and a seemless blend of humour and suspense. Fans of the original TV show will probably be disappointed
by critical changes to this premise. In the television series, Rhodes Scholar Scott (Bill Cosby) and professional tennis player Robinson (Robert Culp),
whose globe-trotting competition schedule provided the pair with their necessary cover, were a far more matched pair; they were hipster sophisticates
with identical senses of humor. They were the cool of the cool and they were so perfect together that they did not even seem like they were acting.
Now I'll give you that I can't think of any other two who could have matched Culp and Cosby but at least Murphy and
Wilson come close. The only problem I found was that the script could have been a lot better. It was funny and had plenty of
action but something was missing. I think that the problem for me was that the two characters here were at odds for most of the picture and were not
really friends until the end. That sort of bothered me but other than that the film was entertaining. Director Betty Thomas has managed to
capture the essence of the action buddy picture but I feel that Wilson is much better when he was paired with Jackie Chan in
SHANGHAI NOON.
"Stalin's butt, he tricked us."
The film starts at the top of Tien Shan Mountain where Special Agent Alexander Scott is rescuing a prisoner who knows to whom the stealth bomber
was sold. The Switchblade, bomber is supposedly the most sophisticated plane in the world; it has camouflage capabilities that allow the plane to
destroy targets without ever being seen. Unfortunately after he gets the information the foul up agent lets the prisoner get killed but Scott escapes by
helicopter. Scott tries hard but it is easy to see that he is not a very good spy. Meanwhile in Las Vegas, Nevada world class championship boxer
Kelly Robinson has just won a bout that qualifies him to go to Budapest, Hungary for a big match. The two prime players are set
in position.
"Rachel, no! It's a setup."
Back at headquarters, it is decided that Scott will be sent to Budapest even though they wanted to sent super spy, Carlos (played by Gary Cole).
Cole plays the character as an Antonio Banderas caricature providing lots of light moments. Unfortunately he wasn't available and Scott
is considered expendable. Now he is to go undercover to retrieve the plane from the nasty uber-villian and arms dealer, Arnold Gundars. Gundars is a big
boxing fan so the agency has Scott recruit boxing champ Robinson to help get him into the Gundars camp.
"Alexander Scott meet Kelly Robinson."
Kelly Robinson is a fast talking, cocky and really into himself; so it makes sense to have Eddie Murphy play this character. Scott on the other
hand is slow talking, not too sure of himself but he is always interested in helping others. These two mix like oil and water at first but but by the end
when they have gone through a life risking affair, they will become good buddies. Scott's biggest gripe throughout the movie is not having to work with
Robinson but the fact that Carlos gets all the really good gadgets to work with and he gets all the second rate tools of the trade.
"Do you see that? That was a big explosion."
In Budapest the two have to work with tough-as-nails female special agent, Rachel Wright. She helps them put their plans into motion. In between the
waiting the shy Scott tries to romance Rachel with the Cyrano de Bergerac asisstance of Alexander who of course considers himself ladies man. Scott
wears a earpiece so that Kelly can tell him what to do. After seeing this scene you may never be able to listen to Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing"
ever again without thinking about Murphy's rendition of this song. Owen listening to it on the earpiece tries to do a white man's rendition for Rachel to
hysterical results. It must have been funny enough since the audience did break out in heavy laughter. As to be expected the romance goes through lots
of bumps in the road especially a nasty car explosion.
"If you forget this is a sewer; it's a beautiful place."
The film has some great chase scenes as well. One scene begins with an escape by balloon that ends up on a car carrier tractor trailer and goes to
a car chase that switches to a scooter and then to a commuter train, finally ending up in a sewer for some moments of introspection. The scene is
made funny as Kelly and Alex blubber on about their emotions due to the effects of the methane gas in the sewer.
"We can't find it because we can't see it."
The climax of the movie gets interesting if not down right confusing. It gets to the point that you can't tell the good guys from the bad guys. Still this is
scene is well done and increases the suspense. The SWITCHBLADE effects are nice as well. Do opur intrepid agents rescue the plane and become
heroes? Is Carlos really a double agent? Is a Rachel a double agent? Is Gundar a double agent? Does Alex get the girl? Will there be a sequel? Will
this movie spur on the idea of a Get Smart movie next? All these questions may be answered by watching the movie but they won't be.
"Rule number one, always have a way out."
I SPY is simply a fun movie with a simple plot and not taxing on the brain. Thomas' direction offers no pretense to seriousness as the movie is
played for fun. So if you want to simply wish to be entertained with some action and good laughs then you could do worse than to spent the bucks to
see this new updated, I SPY. The only disappointment is the fact that there was no cameo by Robert Culp and Bill Cosby.
Pass the popcorn, pop.
 
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