The Spy Who Dumped Me Review!
In a year that has been surprisingly kind for comedic movies it was inevitable that we'd see one and got exactly what was expected out of a modern comedy, let alone a modern action-comedy. That time has come and it's name is The Spy Who Dumped Me, starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon as best friends who have to take up Kunis' spy of a boyfriend's mission after he is killed. Hijinx ensue.
For it's credit, The Spy Who Dumped Me has a great cast. The chemistry between the two leading ladies is adorable, and fully supports the emotional through line of the movie. Side characters also had great screen time like the gymnastic hit-woman. She was a great adversary and had some wonderful moments. All in all I thought everyone who was in the film did their jobs well, but ultimately it was the story that couldn't support them.
When you have an action-comedy the most difficult part of crafting such a film is the balance. You don't want it to be too much action, nor all comedy, but the way this film is edited and put together is no way an action-comedy can survive. When action scenes are done you can tell they were inspired by 21 Jump St and Spy, where there's a knowledge for parody. Those films knew exactly what they were making fun of, but this film does not. The action scenes are taken super seriously without a hint of thought. Whenever a comedic bit does happen it stops the film in its tracks to give attention to the jokes. Then the most common joke they used during action sequences is having the leading women scream...
This film is a mess, but it does have its moments. Scenes with other assassins are ridiculous, and as the film goes further along so does the craftsmanship of this action-comedy. At the beginning the action scenes and comedic scenes were separated, but once it arrived at the third act, it seemed, the film had a better understanding on how to balance and mesh the two genres well. Example: The third act trapeze sequence. It's a character moment, a flashy moment, comedic scene, and all around exciting. It's everything this movie should have been doing. Then the final scene of the movie showed a more experienced Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon with an absurd action sequence that needed to be in more of the movie, because that was the money shot and pitch that I was hoping for.
Overall, I found this film to be a mess, but I enjoyed my time once the credits rolled along. It seemed like the people behind the scene were learning and improving as the film went along, but it is disappointing that it's a standard what-you'd-expect type of movie up until the ending. Leaving the theater I wished the creativity they had for that ending had been implemented throughout the entire film. Maybe if there's a sequel that's the direction they'll go, and it will be an improvement. The film is directed by Susanna Fogel, and I thought it was a good attempt at the genre. I definitely enjoyed the normalized, and non-sexual, approach she had when setting up her scenes, and enjoyed her brief stab at taking advantage of the male form. Oh, and I must say how amazing Kate McKinnon's costumes were throughout the movie. Always stylish. While not a perfect movie it ended on a high note, and has much to be desired.
C+
