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MOVIE REVIEW

Spy

MPA Rating: R-Rating (MPA) for language throughout, violence, and some sexual content including brief graphic nudity.

Reviewed by: Pamela Karpelenia
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Extremely Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Action Spy Crime Comedy
Length: 2 hr.
Year of Release: 2015
USA Release: June 5, 2015 (wide—3,711 theaters)
DVD: September 29, 2015
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Relevant Issues

About spies in the Bible

The work of the CIA

“VOTING” FOR BAD MOVIES—Every time you buy a movie ticket or rent a video you are casting a vote telling Hollywood “That’s what I want.” Why does Hollywood continue to promote immoral programming? Are YOU part of the problem? Answer

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Featuring Melissa McCarthy … Susan Cooper
Rose Byrne … Raina Boyanov
Jason Statham … Rick Ford
Jude Law … Bradley Fine
Morena Baccarin … Karen Walker
Bobby Cannavale … De Luca
Allison Janney … Elaine Crocker
Zach Woods …
50 Cent … 50 Cent
Will Yun Lee … Timothy Cress
See all »
Director Paul Feig — “Bridesmaids” (2011), “The Heat” (2013), “I Am David” (2003)
Producer Feigco Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox
Distributor
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Trademark logo.
20th Century Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company

“One of the guys, One of the spies”

“Spy” stars Melissa McCarthy as Susan Cooper, an agent whose main objective is aiding her partner Bradley Fine (Jude Law), by staying out the field and communicating with him through an earpiece and eye piece. She does this because she is secretly in love with him. While on a mission, something goes horribly wrong, and he is presumed shot and murdered by a femme fatale. In her grief and quest to avenge her partner, Susan asks to go undercover. Although met with skepticism from her co-agents, her request is granted. She is given a new identity and sent on a mission to find a bomb, before it’s too late. It may seem like a by-the-numbers plot, but it’s anything but.

Let’s start with the acting, I’d rank it from good to great. Everyone in the cast knew their role inside and out, and played their character very well. Jude Law and Jason Statham are not well known for their comedic chops, but they should be; they did very well reacting to the well paced and sometimes comedic chaos from the more seasoned funny actress Melissa McCarthy. Speaking of McCarthy, she plays her role with skill and amusing wit. This film feels more like a well put ensemble; each character is crucial to the plot, and they perform well together. The cinematography is great, unlike many other comedies.

Unfortunately, all the positive aspects are overshadowed by gratuitous and gross objectionable content. I’ll start with language; I lost count. There are multiple f-words (80+), a**, s***, c***, b***, d***—not to mention the numerous despicable blasphemies. There are some very crude and awful “jokes.” Plus, there is male frontal nudity.

One verse, comes to mind, Romans 12:2,

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

While mature Christians with strong discernment can see the film for what it is, a product of a sinful and unrepentant culture; we must engage this culture and be unapologetic in our faith.

There are a lot funny things in this movie. It would have been recommendable, if it weren’t for the poor taste left in my mouth by the objectionable content.

Violence: Heavy to extreme / Profanity: Extreme—OMG (15), G*d-d*mn (6), Oh G*d (12), Jesus (9), God (10), hell (3), damn (2), plus numerous vulgarities mentioned above / Sex/Nudity: Extreme

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Neutral
Neutral—What’s with all the cursing? If you removed all the F* words from the script—the dialog between actors would be cut by 50% ! There were some pretty good laughs in the film—unfortunately they were completely overshadowed by the severely limited and unimaginative sophomoric dialog. Jenny McCarthy seems to be typecast as a foul mouthed person regardless of which film she’s in. It’s pretty close to the point where if a new movie comes out with her in it, that’s enough to stop me from attending.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Leonardo, age 74 (USA)
Negative
Negative—Would have been a good movie if not for extreme use of profanity and crude jokes. There were many jokes a-mile-a-minute. Jason Statham doesn’t speak without using the F-bomb, and the main actress, at times, gets unbelievably crude.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Spence, age 46 (USA)
Negative—I like to see Melissa McCarthy display her enormous comedic talent, but this movie was more than a disappointment. I admit her scenes did have humor in them, despite the violent subject matter. She is just that good an actress, and she knows how to go from humor to pathos very deftly. But I was not impressed with the rest of the cast.

The movie is just awful. It is a sleazy, foul-mouthed, obscene, over-the-top violent spoof of the spy thriller, making a mockery of the genre and the dangerous life of a spy. Is this what American comedy has come to? So sad.

The story was written well enough to make the action comprehensible, but that level of writing does not justify such a dreadfully violent and crude movie, with no one to like, not even the character played by McCarthy, who is usually so endearing. Big thumbs down for me.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Halyna Barannik, age 69 (USA)
Negative—I’m somewhat embarrassed to say I saw this movie, but I let my guard down while out with a friend. First, the movie is hysterical in many ways. The lead can do all the gags. However, it’s hard to explain just how bad the language was in the movie. Had every other word when a “casual” use of the f-word, it wouldn’t have been so bad (shockingly), but the insults, the comments, the descriptors, it was just unbelievable. Jr. High kids couldn’t keep up with the language. A PG-13 version of the movie could have been made and would have been just as funny.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Bob, age 51 (USA)
Negative—This could have been a funny, light hearted spy movie spoof, and I think there is a market for that. Instead, it was a crude, mildly funny movie that lost its way. I was so disappointed and turned off by the potty humor and the constantly screamed vulgarity. And I do mean constant! Very tiresome and juvenile.

The male nudity was so random and unnecessary. I can’t imagine the writers actually writing that in to the movie! Added no entertainment value what so ever. I walked out after about an hour, because it was making me so uncomfortable, it wasn’t funny, and I was tired of cringing. Yuck! Hollywood has forgotten how to make funny movies—comedy is apparently a lost art. Do not go see this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: / Moviemaking quality: 3
A. Bearden, age 51 (USA)
Negative—Terrible movie. If it were a PG rated movie, it might be a mildly entertaining TV-style comedy. So crude, such a useless effort with no sense of restraint and the understanding that quality comes from picking and choosing not vomiting unfunny ideas to death.

The trailer for this movie is so deceptive. If anything, I thought I might be bored. Instead I was offended. If you think the only place for an obese lead character is a crude thoughtless disaster, then by all means stream this unrated bucket of sewage.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Phil, age 52 (USA)
Negative—Unfortunately, I saw this movie. Not only does the movie seem like it is actually “trying” to be nothing but one long curse word, but they also decided to throw in some very graphic scenes of a man’s p**is. In one scene, the man is shown comparing the size of his erect p**is next to a Coca-Cola bottle. And, in another, he is measuring his erect p**is with a tape measure. And yes, there are even more scenes that include close-ups of his p**is.

What happened to the days when a movie was worth watching because it actually had a well written script and good acting? In my opinion, “Spy” is a movie that approaches the level of being pornographic. Shame on the people responsible for creating this filthy movie, and shame on the people responsible for giving it an “R” rating instead of NC17, or even XXX.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Jeremy, age 48 (USA)
Negative—What happens to Melissa McCarthy when she makes a movie (ANY movie)… they are all offensive, but worst of all they are not funny… she is so good on the sitcom Mike and Molly, but she is so bad in her movies… maybe not all her fault but she should be more selective on subject matter and how low-class, filthy language etc… she chooses… very disappointing and the last chance for her on my seeing another one.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: ½
Susie (USA)
Comments from non-viewers
Negative—I regret seeing the first 40 or so minutes of this film at the theater with my unbelieving co-workers before finally walking out. I sat in hope that maybe the movie would get better, but it kept getting worse. I would never recommend this movie to anyone who desires to keep their mind pure.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Jessica, age 22 (Canada)

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