Movie review: Melissa McCarthy scores a comedic headshot in ‘Spy’

“Spy” opens with Jude Law as secret agent extraordinaire Bradley Fine, looking every inch the James Bond he probably plays in some alternate universe, albeit with one difference: In this film, he’s an American working for the Central Intelligence Agency (a small difference, to be sure, but his accent is so hilariously awful, it bears mentioning). Assisting Fine in his world-saving mission du jour is analyst Susan Cooper (McCarthy), who guides the intrepid agent via headset and earpiece from her desk in the basement of CIA headquarters.

When the nuclear-bearing arms dealer that Fine is tracking dies unexpectedly, the trail leads to his daughter, Rayna Boyanov (played by Rose Byrne). With Boyanov looking to complete her father’s work and the identities of the CIA’s top agents known to their enemies, it eventually falls upon Cooper’s unlikely shoulders to go undercover, find the nuke, and, yes, save the world.

After stealing the show as part of an ensemble in 2011’s “Bridesmaids”, and receiving top billing opposite Sandra Bullock in 2013’s “The Heat”, it was perhaps inevitable that Melissa McCarthy would someday headline her own movie. The trailers for “Spy”, however, failed to inspire confidence, looking to be cut from the same unfortunate cloth as “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”.

Fortunately for this reviewer, he was completely wrong in his assumption. “Spy” may very well turn out to be one the year’s funniest films, combining judicious amounts of comedy, gross-out gags, and action in gut-busting style.

Judging from the audience’s laughing itself senseless at the screening this writer attended, it would seem that director Paul Feig’s decision to cast McCarthy was the right one. Having already directed her in “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat”, Feig is, at this point, a practiced hand at how to get the most out of his McCarthy’s ability to curse up a storm, while managing to keep her character inherently loveable. Make no mistake, while the film has no shortage of colorful supporting characters, “Spy” is McCarthy’s show, through and through.

In her first lead role, McCarthy proves herself to be a solid performer, effortlessy earning the audience’s sympathy as her position (under a series of delightfully degrading identities) becomes increasingly imperiled. Fortunately, as we come to learn, the homely Cooper is a fully qualified operative, having reached the top of her class during training, but was talked out of becoming a field agent at the last minute.

On the surprisingly-graphic action front, much comedy is mined from the sight of McCarthy – who isn’t afraid to poke fun at herself – engaging in the sort of cinematic shenanigans more usually associated with the likes of Angelina Jolie or Daniel Craig. Indeed, from vehicular chases to one-on-one dustups, McCarthy holds her own, proving to be as (surprisingly) adept with an action sequence as she is at curse-filled rants.

That McCarthy is able to keep her shtick from getting old quickly is impressive enough, but when your film’s supporting cast includes Jason Statham (gleefully skewering his tough-guy image as a boastful agent with the IQ of a bag of rocks), “Shaun of the Dead’s” Peter Serafinowicz (as an overly-amorous Italian spy), Morena Baccarin (“Firefly”), Bobby Cannavale (star of TV’s “Boardwalk Empire” and Byrne’s real-life boyfriend) and 50 Cent (as himself!), it’s downright superhuman. “Mad TV’s” Michael McDonald and “Silicon Valley’s” Zach Woods also show up for brief cameos, while British comedienne Miranda Hart plays Cooper’s fellow analyst and best friend.

Of all the supplementary characters, however, it is Byrne’s turn as ultimate rich bitch Rayna that comes closest to stealing the spotlight. Appearing in a variety of figure-hugging outfits (“slutty dolphin trainer” brought the house down), sky-high heels and an almost-complete lack of anything resembling empathy, her dialogue exchanges with McCarthy rank among the best in a film brimming with memorable one-liners.

While “Kingsman” brilliantly showed moviegoers earlier this year that there is still a lot of material left to be mined in a genre that has seen everyone from Mike Myers to Rowan Atkinson take their shots, one never could have guessed that we would get another (enjoyable) one quite so soon, much less one starring the woman who was once most (in)famous for her onscreen misuse of a sink.

However, unlike the diminishing returns of Myers’ and Atkinson’s later entries, if the reactions of the audience this writer saw “Spy” with were any indication, it would seem a pretty safe bet that, in the very best cinematic secret agent tradition, Susan Cooper Will Return. — BM, GMA News

"Spy" is now showing in cinemas.