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So I just got back from an early screening of Spy, which I didn't know was a movie that existed until like 3 days ago. But I feel like I should give it some good buzz because it was entertaining and I didn't pay anything. To preface, my wife is a big Feig fan, and she wanted to go because she wanted to meet him rather than to see this movie specifically. I had no clue about the movie, assumed it was just a spy spoof, and I only went in the first place because I knew she was excited about the event (I didn't want to wait 2+ hours to get in). As some of you may know, they way over-ticket screenings so it's first come first serve and we got 2 of the last 6 seats putting us in the absolute front, which was great for the Q&A, but lovely for the movie. I say this so that you know why I won't talk about the look of the film too much as my view was horrendous. The quick summary: Melissa McCarthy is a CIA agent who is the behind the scenes tech support for a suave James bond style agent (Jude Law). Early in the movie, events conspire to put McCarthy into the field to help foil the sale of a nuclear weapon to a terrorist group. So a couple quick points and then my thoughts. The movie is not a spy spoof. I want to be clear on that because 1.)I think it makes the movie a lot more interesting and 2.) because I;m sure it'll get sold that way in the advertising. I imagine they're going to advertise this the way they would if it was a Will Ferrell film (That brand of comedy does nothing for me - Get Hard looks dreadful). This is not a film about McCarthy bumbling through being a spy. She is very competent at being a spy and she gets to kick a lot of rear end in the film, but she is chronically underestimated and finds herself in amusing situations. Feig talked about how he loves the genre, but knew no one was going to tap him to write a Bond film or anything, but then he realized he could write a funny move that was also a spy movie. He mentioned how the Statham casting was partly to add an air of credibility to the film's action credentials, and also because he thinks Statham is a pretty funny dude. On that note, the movie is certainly funny. At the beginning of the film, I was like "OK there are some chuckles here," but around the middle it really hits it's stride (though I can't explain what starts ramping it up without moderate spoilers) and I really lost it at a few spots. Statham plays a hyper-arrogant agent who thinks he is way better than he is and is constantly touting his own -somewhat dubious- achievements (to kill the joke by explaining it - at one point he claims to have had his arm torn completely off and then reattached it with his other arm -McCarthy questions that such a thing is medically possible). In essence he is playing a sort of hyperbolic parody of the sort of action hero he has played straight in other films. I hadn't actually watched anything with McCarthy in it before because the trailers always made it seems like a lot "lol fat" jokes without much else, but I liked her in this, and part of the reason I'm writing this post is to say that this film will likely be sold as the sort of movie I'd never watch, but it's actually pretty entertaining. Is it the film of the year, no, but I think it is quite successful in being both a funny movie, and a movie that gives you the action payoff you expect from the spy genre. I'm game to answer whatever I can about the film. The version we saw still has some color timing to be done (though it wasn't really noticeable) and some sound work (there were a few spots where I thought the levels could be tweaked, but it was minor enough that I don't even know that those are areas they're going to alter). In any case, I believe it was ostensibly the final cut of the film after some changes had been made from earlier screenings. Here is a not great trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrY3v1eDmQY (this has essentially halfway cut the way I was worried it would be) Karnegal fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Mar 31, 2015 |
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Mar 31, 2015 08:01
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Definitely down for this, thanks for telling us about it.
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Mar 31, 2015 18:58
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...wait, so is the agent Jude Law or Jason Statham?
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Apr 1, 2015 20:00
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LORD OF BUTT posted:...wait, so is the agent Jude Law or Jason Statham? They're both agents. Spoiler for the first 20 mins or so Law get's killed at the beginning and the rest of the top field agents are outed, so McCarthy is activated for field work because she is unknown in that capacity Karnegal fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Apr 1, 2015 |
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Apr 1, 2015 20:25
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Just got back from this movie - quite liked it. I also expected the lazy method of "Lol, fat incompetent spy doing stuff stupidly" but was very pleasantly surprised. Although I did expect to enjoy it due to liking "Bridesmaids" and "The Heat". I think my favourite gag was the "Training footage" at the beginning.
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Jun 5, 2015 17:55
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Jason Statham killed it every time he was on screen.
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Jun 5, 2015 23:11
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I also had no idea this existed (or who Feig was), actually thought you were referring to the new Spielberg movie. Going by his imdb rap sheet, I can't really say I'm a huge fan of his, but this movie sounds fun enough so I might check it out. Thanks!ruby idiot railed posted:Jason Statham killed it every time he was on screen. Well he does that in every film. That, and also drives cars.
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Jun 5, 2015 23:41
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This movie was great, haven't laughed like that in a theater in a long time. Glad for the pleasant surprise.
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Jun 6, 2015 00:32
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The first half was really funny, Statham especially and his list of accomplishments. Then it becomes the thing it's parodying and the laughs die out pretty quickly. I'm sure many will be saying that McCarthy was surprisingly good etc. and that she wasn't a bumbling fat idiot because that's what the trailers made you think. Yeah, she was good, but some of that is thanks to not being what they had you to believe. Some of the humor was also kind of lazy in the way of using dialogue instead of visual jokes; many times there's a scene where I thought to myself "they could have done that a lot funnier, instead of this"; the ending gag where Statham's blockhead of a character decides to travel the seas with the boat not realising he's driving around in a lake, and a few seconds later he's screaming off-screen: "This is a loving lake!?" or something like that, it would have been funnier to show him driving around cartoonishly from shore to shore. All in all, it was a quite fun, surprising(ly gory and violent) and entertaining, but lost some steam in the second half.
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Jun 6, 2015 09:44
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Karnegal posted:They're both agents. Spoiler for the first 20 mins or so Law get's killed at the beginning and the rest of the top field agents are outed, so McCarthy is activated for field work because she is unknown in that capacity Isn't that the plot to that Get Smart movie with Steve Carell?
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Jun 6, 2015 12:37
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wins.
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ruby idiot railed posted:Jason Statham killed it every time he was on screen. He did, and ultimately I thought the movie was pretty funny. Worth attending for sure. One of my favorite jokes was vomiting on the guy's corpse, my theater was almost in tears. Also, "That was the most stupid loving retarded toast I've ever heard. You're delightful.
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Jun 16, 2015 20:10
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Saw this a few weeks back without knowing anything about it and it definitely got a laugh out of me. British audiences tend to be super subdued but there was a very good response to this film, Statham is just fantastic and the film is consistently funny throughout.
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Jun 16, 2015 20:21
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I got roped into seeing it by a friend. Most comedies don't do it for me (I'm more a Blues Brothers person when it comes to comedy) but this one made me chuckle a couple times. The acting wasn't bad and although some of the greenscreen was a bit cheesy towards the end it looked alright too. I don't think I'd go out of my way to see it again but I don't feel like I was ripped off like I was with 22 jump street.
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Jun 17, 2015 00:59
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Karnegal posted:This is not a film about McCarthy bumbling through being a spy. She is very competent at being a spy and she gets to kick a lot of rear end in the film, but she is chronically underestimated and finds herself in amusing situations. I saw this last night, and this is what I appreciated most about it. I hadn't even planned to see this because the trailer made it seem like "fat woman falling down and loving up: the movie" but it wasn't at all. In fact Mellissa McCarthy being fat was only a factor in that her appearance made everyone else assume she was underqualified, when in fact she plays kind of a badass in this. I thought the whole approach was really fresh and didn't treat the audience like a bunch of idiots, and I think this film was really hurt by that trailer. That approach really let the movie be funny in a smart way without just falling back to dumb slapstick. Two examples off the top of my head: in the trailer they show her falling over in a scooter and then getting stuck in cement, when those were two really minor, cheap sight gags in a scene that, from start to finish, was about her being extremely good at her job. And second, the scene where the italian guys drive by and stop catcalling when they see her, which was more about her disguise than anything. Especially since those guys are followed immediately by another guy trying to get in her pants for the rest of the movie, and later on those same two guys hollering at her once she actually puts on normal clothes. I really like Mellissa McCarthy a lot, but I feel like the industry doesn't know how to market a strong, smart, large woman without selling her like Chris Farley with a wig on. That's a shame.
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Jun 18, 2015 23:35
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McCarthy has a unusual skillset as a performer. She's not great at telling jokes (though the insults and threats in this movie are hilarious) she's really good at slipping into characters and absolutely committing to them. There was an SNL sketch where she's in a focus group testing mayonnaise or salad dressing or something, and she turns a simple gag into the most convincing, depressing character ever as she desperately chases approval and recognition. But yeah, Spy owned, and actually works really well as a commentary on the casting of women in films, especially action films.
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Jun 19, 2015 00:33
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Loved the movie; that ankle twist/crunch was horrifying, though.
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Jun 22, 2015 02:16
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MisterBibs posted:Loved the movie; that ankle twist/crunch was horrifying, though. Agreed. I was glad it happened quickly, but I kinda wish it wasn't in there at all. I'm really squeamish when it comes to leg/ankle injuries. Really, the violence throughout was way more brutal than I was expecting (the kitchen fight also stands out).
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Jun 22, 2015 15:49
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This'd make a great double feature with Kingsman. Both self aware, affectionate parodies/love letters with shitloads of graphic violence and sex jokes.
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Jun 22, 2015 23:24
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I saw this movie a couple of weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it and will definitely watch it again in the near future. Agreed that the trailer makes it look like it's going to be Mel Mlart - Spy Cop, which couldn't really be further from the character she actually plays. She's an absolute murder machine, and the only time anyone ever makes any cracks about her weight/appearance it's only to set up a later scene where she obliterates the stereotype.
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Jun 23, 2015 00:08
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MisterBibs posted:Loved the movie; that ankle twist/crunch was horrifying, though. Yeah, the movie definitely takes advantage of the rating. I didn't realize going to the theater that it was a rated-R flick. Somehow I still got carded.
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Jun 24, 2015 15:39
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I didn't realize this movie was getting such glowing reviews. I'll have to go check it out.
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Jun 24, 2015 23:28
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Jake Armitage posted:I really like Mellissa McCarthy a lot, but I feel like the industry doesn't know how to market a strong, smart, large woman without selling her like Chris Farley with a wig on. That's a shame. How do you market a funny fat person? Either they're 1) a bumbling oaf because, if they're incapable of something simple like controlling their diets, they're clearly incapable of doing anything that requires actual skill or effort, or 2) extremely competent because it humorously subverts the reality that all fat people are lazy, stupid and unathletic. Most studios go with #1 because you spoil the joke by sticking #2 in your ads (its also easier for people to digest #1 in 30 second chunks).
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Jun 25, 2015 17:18
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I saw it as an attempt to sell Brit-style (competent) self depreciating comedy to Hollywood. It's the most British movie that isn't actually British. Irish Joe posted:1) a bumbling oaf because, if they're incapable of something simple like controlling their diets, they're clearly incapable of doing anything that requires actual skill or effort Also because it's completely devoid of this: The bane of all comedy. Where it goes to curl up into a ball in some forgotten warehouse and silently take its own life.
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Jun 25, 2015 23:02
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It's definitely possible to have a funny actor with a pudgier build who's not a complete oaf. Take Joe Pesci. He's a short little stubby dude with a paunch to him, and he's really funny. It's not the way he talks, he's not a clown, he doesn't amuse me. He's not here to amuse me. But it's a good story he tells, it's funny. The way he tells the story and everything. How he tells the story.
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Jun 25, 2015 23:59
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Melissa McCarthy works because her characters are hyper-competent or really sexually aggressive, and are played by a heavy girl who is completely unaware of the face that she's heavy. The best part of The Heat was how she's constantly getting hit on, and is just annoyed by it.
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Jun 26, 2015 00:33
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Pick posted:
Bridesmaids didn't really allow her to shine, but Rose Byrne is a terrific comedic actress. She kills it in every scene she's in. Hilarious flick, funniest comedy I've seen in a good while.
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Jun 26, 2015 04:03
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Wildeyes posted:Bridesmaids didn't really allow her to shine, but Rose Byrne is a terrific comedic actress. She kills it in every scene she's in. Seriously. Rose Byrne and McCarthy scenes were some of the best in the movie.
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Jun 28, 2015 19:25
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dreadnought posted:Agreed. I was glad it happened quickly, but I kinda wish it wasn't in there at all. I'm really squeamish when it comes to leg/ankle injuries. Really, the violence throughout was way more brutal than I was expecting (the kitchen fight also stands out). "That's been in you, I don't think I want it in me..." Melissa McCarthy is an amazing actress and you should all see this movie. Her character is basically Jane Bond who just happens to not be the societally-correct shape (which gets called out in that bar scene early in the movie). So many great moments, I can't even pick a favorite. Just about anything involving McCarthy or Statham was gold though.
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Jun 29, 2015 00:18
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I think the best running gag was that none of the gorgeous people in the movie are assholes. They tend to be arbitrarily assholes in these sorts of movies. Instead, they're just oblivious to what life's like for people who haven't won the genetic lottery.
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Jun 29, 2015 00:56
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WarLocke posted:"That's been in you, I don't think I want it in me..." Best moment is that first kill off the balcony. I was in tears laughing so hard.
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Jun 29, 2015 00:56
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Relentlessboredomm posted:Best moment is that first kill off the balcony. I was in tears laughing so hard. Yeah that one was great. Just a complete comedy of errors clusterfuck. One thing leads to the next and suddenly "Oh god not on the body, not on the body...." *splatter*
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Jun 29, 2015 01:01
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This film desperately needs a better trailer/entire marketing campaign. Without good word of mouth, this seemed like another Tammy(2014, cinematographer Russ T. Alsobrook).
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Jun 29, 2015 02:31
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I stuck it out through the entire credits sequence of funny catlady spy mission hijinks and was treated to a post credits sequence of statham and McCarthy waking up in bed together.
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Jun 29, 2015 07:24
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It was the exact reversal of that scene in most movies. She wakes up next to buff hunk, is horrified (becuase he's a dingus), he says "You know you loved it." Fade to black. I just wish the action didn't suck during the last encounter. It had been fine up to that point but it was bad during that last fight and it sort of drained the tension from the scene. They had to cut away from a gag that they couldn't get right and just let you guess at it. Not expecting Jackie Chan here but "competent" would be nice (particularly baffling because the other fight scenes were perfectly acceptable). Still, fun film, nice to see, McCarthy is really good. My favorite scene is her reaction during her first encounter with the "backpack bad guy", when he pulls a knife and she kinda pulls a gun and says "Well that's enough of that, let's stop this nonsense right now." Her delivery really sells the fact that she can do this, she can absolutely threaten somebody with a gun no problem at all. I just wish they hadn't undercut that with it being empty.
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Jun 29, 2015 16:20
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dreadnought posted:Agreed. I was glad it happened quickly, but I kinda wish it wasn't in there at all. I'm really squeamish when it comes to leg/ankle injuries. Really, the violence throughout was way more brutal than I was expecting (the kitchen fight also stands out). The only thing I remember that got a definite 'ooohh' from my audience was when evil henchwoman got smashed in the crotch with a frying pan.
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Jun 29, 2015 23:58
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jabby posted:The only thing I remember that got a definite 'ooohh' from my audience was when evil henchwoman got smashed in the crotch with a frying pan. The knife through the palm got more of a reaction in my theater. Unlike the ankle crack in the first fight sequence (which was pretty squicky itself) it was emphasized with slow-motion and there were several uncomfortable gasps when it happened. I actually had more of a reaction than either of those late in the film when Cooper sticks her fingers in a mook's mouth, grabs his jaw and flips him, with very distinct neck-breaking crunch as he hits the ground. That whole fight scene was goddamn impressive as hell. Or as it was summed up, 'Holy gently caress.'
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Jun 30, 2015 00:37
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I love the surveillance footage at the beginning of Coopers training, where she takes out the 2 guys sent in to stop her training, just for the reaction from CJ Craig. Just love that "What the gently caress Cooper?  How come you've been riding a desk for 10 years instead of doing that?"
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Jul 2, 2015 08:32
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BioEnchanted posted:I love the surveillance footage at the beginning of Coopers training, where she takes out the 2 guys sent in to stop her training, just for the reaction from CJ Craig. Just love that "What the gently caress Cooper? "I almost put this on YouTube" got a serious laugh from my theatre. 
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Jul 2, 2015 14:26
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This movie is like a live action episode of Archer and I loved every goddamn second. The entire cast bounced off each other so well, it's hard who to credit, the actors, the director, or the script writer. My husband loving HATED McCarthy before I dragged him to this movie and he was raving about it as we left. This movie is the only one I've wanted to see the sequel to as I was leaving the theater. Even minor characters like the Swedish bodyguard were so charming.
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Jul 2, 2015 15:27
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dragon_pamcake posted:This movie is like a live action episode of Archer and I loved every goddamn second. It really does seem to be sort of like Archer where they made Pam the main character. And I agree about the support characters being pretty good. Now if only Feig were an actually good director.
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Jul 2, 2015 15:30
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