Spy: 8/10

Similar to us seeing peak Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber or seeing peak Will Ferrell in Anchorman, we have seen peak Melissa McCarthy and it is glorious. Spy is a cluttered, ridiculous spoof action comedy that doesn't quite set a consistent tone but gives McCarthy the role of a lifetime, and in return we get the performance of a lifetime. Even though you never quite know if you should ever take any part of Spy seriously, the movie entertains, thrills, and has a shocking amount of gruesome action to coincide with the plethora of jokes flying left and right throughout the two hours.

Under the helm of Paul Feig (which has McCarthy as his muse ala Woody Allen with Diane Keaton) providing the writing and directing, Spy is a wildly violent and relentless sendup on action movies of all types, from spy movies to the physics-ignorant Statham flicks that we've seen in the past decade. What starts off as a where-is-the-bomb plot dwells deeper with twists and turns and has the mild-manned Susan Cooper (usually working behind a desk) traveling to Europe to complete the mission.

The cast is what ultimately delivers and carries this movie past any potential setbacks. Melissa McCarthy is phenomenal as her blend of sarcasm, physical comedy, and biting insults with perfect timing works perfectly here. Unlike most of her previous work, she was not just the overweight woman in an unlikely situation, there is much more to her personality in Spy that makes her much more likable, and much easier for us to root for her. We see much more of her when compared to Bridesmaids and The Heat and it gives her a chance to truly stand out and shine---and she does not disappoint.

But kudos to everyone else, especially Rose Byrne as one of the antagonists (Byrne deserves much more praise in the film industry--she is a talented gem) and Jason Statham as a spoof of himself. A good comedy relies more on chemistry and talent level on screen above the script, despite that breaking most screen writing rules in the spectrum. Spy has the Caddyshack syndrome; whenever the storyline starts to drag at the slightest (the movie does get unnecessarily complex) you have the cast keep you engaged and entertained.

What sets Spy apart from the spoofs is the surprising amount of action. We are treated to car chases, brutal fights, shootouts, and even a big final rousing sequence---albeit having an unexpected ending. What also allows Spy to stand out is the abundance of strong powerful women; from Susan Cooper herself to her co-workers, her boss, and even her adversary. It is a welcoming change and a drift from the norm in this genre of film---even though Mad Max Fury Road may have stolen some of its feminist thunder.

This is Paul Feig's best work, McCarthy's best performance, and one of the best movies of the year. Funnier than you'd expect, more action-packed than you would anticipate, and then throw in Jason Statham tossing some of the most astonishingly hilarious work out of any non-comedic actor I've ever seen. This film is a hoot plain and simple, and should finally allow us to take McCarthy much more seriously.