Review of film: “THE SPY NEXT DOOR”

2010, 01-09:

Review of film:  “THE SPY NEXT DOOR” 

Director: 

Brian Levant.

Writers:        

Jonathan Bernstein

James Greer

Gregory Poirier.

Starring: 

Jackie Chan

Amber Valletta

Madeline Carroll

Will Shadley

Alina Foley

Magnús Scheving

Katherine Boecher

Lucas Till

Billy Ray Cyrus

George Lopez.         

MPAA Rating: 

Rated PG for sequences of action violence and some mild rude humor.

Quotes:

“He’s such a loser!”

“[He’s so crooked,] he could eat nails & they’d come out corkscrews!”

“He’s as ‘gone’ as rum cake at an AA meeting!”

“Spying is easy. PARENTING is hard!”

MY Rating: 

7.5 of 10 stars (for KIDS, based on an advance preview of the 92-minute film being released 1-15-10).

It’s not “Rush Hour”,  but  the “Secret Agent Man” is Effective & Close By!

Bob Ho (JACKIE CHAN) is a mild-mannered “pen” salesman--  who in reality has put people IN the pen because he secretly works for the CIA (& others?) as a SPY.  He lives next door to a pretty single mother named Gillian (AMBER VALLETTA)--  thus, the title!…

…  Amber (who Jackie is romantically smitten with) has 3 kids:  bratty clothes-loving teenager Farren (MADELINE CARROLL), her even brattier younger brother Ian (WILL SHADLEY) who’s very good with computers & electronics, & baby sister Nora (ALINA FOLEY).  Jackie feels the kids “hate” him--  which they do, because they keep hoping their “dad(s)” will return to their mom…

…  In his secret work, Jackie has been seeking to stop the illegal activities of a Russian gang run by Poldark (MAGNÚS SCHEVING), who’s assisted by a pack of associates including (late in the film) Larry (LUCAS TILL).  Jackie’s governmental group is supervised by Colton James (BILLY RAY CYRUS) & assisted by Glaze (GEORGE LOPEZ)— one of whom may be a “double agent”…

…  As the movie progresses, Jackie can be seen engaging in some of his wonderfully creative action- choreography moves (as seen in many of his “kung-fu”-style movies):  climbing stairs & balconies,  jumping around, & using inanimate objects (ladders, chairs, etc.), to try to catch (or escape) & subdue the “bad” guys who he’s pursuing (& who at times are out trying to get HIM)…

…  At one point (as the Russian group is secretly chasing after him), Jackie is left in charge of the 3 kids, & a good deal of the movie is about the troubles he encounters in trying to care for them, & his attempts to get them to like him…

…  His sometimes clever “solutions” to those situations are often funny and action-filled, & the numerous young (pre-teen) kids in the audience laughed with pleasure a  number of times in the course of the film…

…  Will the Russian group be stopped?…  Will Jackie uncover the possible “double agent”?…  Will he succeed in getting the kids to like him?…  Tune in for the answers!…

…  Jackie & the kids are especially effective in their roles, & you could tell that the young people in the audience could quite “relate” to the children & enjoy the gymnastic antics of Jackie (as shown by the way they gave hearty applause to the movie at the end)…    

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