Spy (2015)

This hilarious spoof of James Bond movies kept us laughing all the way through, as our clever heroine moves from humiliation to triumph. Melissa McCarthy is more than up to the task, as are her co-stars Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Jason Statham, and Bobby Cannavale, among others. McCarthy was last blogged in St. Vincent, Law was mentioned in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Side Effects and linked  to his previous work in Anna Karenina, and Byrne was most recently in these pages for Annie. Statham, new to the blog, is the proud winner of the 2006 Most Offensive Male Character Award from the Women Film Critics Circle for Crank (2006), and some of my favorites of his work include his first role ever in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch. (2000), The Italian Job (2003), and Cellular (2004). Bobby Cannavale, who joined the cast because he's dating Byrne, was last blogged for Danny Collins.

Paul Feig (most recently directed The Heat) had always wanted to direct a James Bond picture such as Casino Royale, but realized he would have a better chance, given his reputation for slapstick, of making a comedy. He has a cameo as a drunken guest outside a Parisian hotel room. McCarthy's husband Ben Falcone also makes an appearance as a tourist.

The locations, with Budapest standing in for Paris and Rome (Rule #2 may be computer-generated) as well as itself, are glorious and all the production values are high enough to be Bond-worthy.

McCarthy's early makeovers (hair, makeup, wardrobe) are the source of some of her humiliations. "Really?" she says as they're revealed, but two of the later ones are spectacular.

In the couple weeks since we saw this I've forgotten whether the original music by Theodore Shapiro (last mentioned for scoring St. Vincent) was noteworthy, but I imagine it was because of the talented composer--listen here. The original soundtrack album (on this youtube link it's slowed down--click the gear and raise the speed to 1.25, or don't, because it's okay at regular speed) is full of agreeable pop songs and more Bond-worthiness.

Jack and I are definitely not alone in praise of this summer entertainment. Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 95%  and audiences 84 after the movie's fourth weekend. Good fun for when it's too wet, hot, or cold to play outside.