Spy (PG) ****

Spy

Mrs. Bond!

Look out, Mr. Bond. Sparks fly big time in Spy. Much better than 20th Century Fox’s previous Kingsman, clearly director Paul Feig truly knows what he’s doing when it comes to slicing and spicing up the world of espionage. Consider this year to be the biggest year in secret agent fare since the real James Bond, Sean Connery, set the world on fire in the swinging 60s. No less than 4 big screen espionage flicks are on route over the next few months including The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mission Impossible 5, and Spectre coming in November. Right now Comic chaotic fun comes your way at all Cineplex Odeon Theatres around B.C. Thanks to 20th Century Fox.

Not since the first Austin Powers movies has the spy genre been so effectively skewered. Scene by scene poor Mr. Bond is hammered mercilessly,. Taking a page out of the Eon playbook Spy features dreamy John Barryesque music, an outstanding pre credit sequence, exotic locations and the most unlikely Mata Hari recruit imaginable.

Hotter than ever in an extended opening sequence is man for all seasons Jude Law (Alfie) whose good looks as an ace agent contrast dramatically from the more “seasoned” look of Susan, his accomplice in saving the world based in Langley at C.I.A. Headquarters. Leave it to funny lady Melissa McCarthy (The Heat) to teach the world a trick or two as the most unlikely of all agents since Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart or Marin & Rossi. Poor, plain looking Susan goes deep undercover in an effort to stop a ruthless criminal or two from setting the world ablaze with a missing nuclear bomb.

Perfect timing, non-stop gags and ridiculous dialogue and chases across scenic Hungary and other European hot spots make Spy just a riot of a good time. Heavy lifting from action star Jason Statham (The Transporter) who gets to show off his comic side and Rose Byrne as a mischievous crook simply add to the zaniness of this fan friendly movie.

Ready for a laugh? Then let the good times roll with the side-splitting Spy, making it Ms. McCarthy’s best outing yet. And she effortlessly gives Daniel Craig a run for his $.

By Robert Waldman