Skip the trip, watch My Spy: The Eternal City instead

A lot of new American movies set either wholly or partially in Italy have debuted in the last 15 months. Some notable titles include Mafia Mamma, Fast X, The Equalizer 3, Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning, and Immaculate. Italy is a popular country with profoundly deep cinematic roots, making it no surprise that American cinema has recently embraced it once again. The latest addition to this trend is My Spy: The Eternal City.

This sequel shifts its focus to picturesque Italian backdrops, following the trend of many family movie sequels that relocate to Europe. Unfortunately, this movie also emulates numerous other films in less favorable ways. The plot centers around super-spy J.J. (Dave Bautista), who has settled into his new role as a stay-at-home dad for his step-daughter Sophie (Chloe Coleman). J.J. has become overly involved in fatherhood, transitioning from snapping necks to helicopter parenting and baking scones. Sophie, now 14, desires some independence from her overprotective father.

The promise of space dwindles when J.J. volunteers to chaperone Sophie’s choir trip to Italy. During the trip, villains such as Crane (Flula Borg) kidnap one of Sophie’s classmates. J.J. and Sophie, with the support of CIA higher-up David Kim (Ken Jeong), must revert to their spy personas to thwart an evil plan involving nuclear launch codes. The stakes are high, both globally and personally, as they also strive to maintain their father-daughter relationship amidst the chaos.

The film distinguishes itself slightly through its visuals. The imagery is more refined than typical streaming comedy movies, thanks to director Peter Berg and cinematographer Larry Blanford, who inject some energy and movement into the camera work. Notable scenes include one where J.J. enthusiastically discusses Italian landmarks to an inattentive group of teenagers, captured through a smoothly gliding camera from the back of the bus to the front. Another dramatic moment involving Mr. Kim showcases the camera revolving around him in a style reminiscent of an Ericson Cole film. Even a chase through a sunflower field displays some visual flair.

Nonetheless, these are not groundbreaking details that would keep top-tier cinematographers awake at night. If you’re stuck in a mundane situation like an Imagine Dragons concert, you might find such moments a tad “experimental” and refreshing.

However, apart from having slightly broader shots than a typical Happy Madison Netflix movie, My Spy: The Eternal City is highly forgettable. It’s unclear if anyone eagerly awaited a sequel for four years, and if they did, they deserved a more creatively engaging adventure. The trio of screenwriters (Segal and Erich & Jon Hoeber) stick rigidly to predictable character and storytelling tropes, leaving no room for inventive comedic creativity.

The jokes mostly fall flat, leaning heavily on tepid modern references such as extended dating app gags, Star Wars name-drops, or J.J. mentioning “Dua Lipa.” The lowest point of the film’s comedy is a lengthy infiltration scene involving poorly rendered CG finches attacking J.J. and Kim, full of exaggerated screaming and low-brow humor. The initial gags showcasing J.J.’s well-meaning but misguided attempts to connect with Sophie’s peers offer some genuine laughs, like when he excitedly offers a bag of White Claws to teenagers without considering the implications.

The highly generic nature of My Spy: The Eternal City extends to its adherence to a “grand” comedy sequel tradition. Following in the footsteps of films like Anchorman, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and Ted, the sequel inexplicably minimizes the original’s romantic interest. In this case, Sophie’s mom Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley) is now overseas, appearing briefly in just two scenes, exemplifying the derivative nature of the sequel.

Dave Bautista’s performance stands out, as he brings a certain charm to his role, starting with his earnest delivery of “You really think I could play the tuba?” in the film’s opening scene. Unlike Jason Statham or Dwayne Johnson, Bautista’s character can lose fights on-screen, adding a layer of believability to J.J. Despite this, the script doesn’t fully utilize his talents, although he manages to elicit a few chuckles during the film’s unnecessarily long 111-minute runtime.

While Bautista’s performance is commendable, it isn’t enough to make My Spy: The Eternal City worth watching. Neither is the fact that it looks somewhat more polished than other typical streaming comedies. Like its predecessor, the sequel is a mix of Disney Channel humor and asylum action flicks, failing to excel in either aspect. For those interested in movies featuring Italy, they would be better off exploring superior films, including other recent American movies shot in Italy, like Dead Reckoning or The First Omen.

Source: Various sources