While Melissa McCarthy's investigator in "The Heat" was both a fine cop and a sexual dynamo, inspiring many heartbroken men, she has made a thriving career by playing boisterous and irresponsible characters with high-level security clearance.
The actress' abilities are enhanced by Paul Feig's "Spy," which gives her the opportunity to travel the globe as CIA operative Susan Cooper while surprising both those around her and herself. Bradley Fine, a stylish super-spy, is guided through perilous situations by Susan, a ten-year veteran of the organization.
The only CIA agent who can find Rayna DeLuca, who wants to buy a renegade nuclear weapon from the DeLuca family, is Susan. She is given drab undercover identities and gadgets that are disguised as stool softener, toe-fungus spray, and hemorrhoid wipes by her boss despite her proficiency with a headset and computer screen.
Rayna is the subject of Susan's tracking and reporting, but she ends up getting close and personal with her. The scenes between McCarthy and Byrne are brutally funny and full of insult comedy. Feig gives McCarthy a comic foil in the form of Peter Serafinowicz, Jason Statham, and Miranda Hart while also treating the spy narrative seriously enough to keep us interested.
While "Spy" contains more blood and violence than typical espionage films, the humour is never compromised. It serves as a reminder of the peril Susan faces while also demonstrating how cartoonish many modern espionage dramas have turned out to be. The movie "Spy" by McCarthy and Feig stands out because it managed to keep me smiling while simultaneously making me wonder who was actually pulling the strings.
