Action
Comedy
Review: ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’ is a Fun but Predictable Action-Comedy About Female Friendship
August 3, 2018Sherry Li
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From director and co-writer Susanna Fogel comes The Spy Who Dumped Me, a fun spy comedy starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon as two women who get unwittingly entangled in an international spy mission, while also deepening their bond as best friends. Audrey, played by Kunis, has been dating Drew (Justin Theroux) for the past year, but he abruptly dumps her over text just before her birthday. Dealing with her own struggles with self-worth, Audrey takes the break-up pretty hard, so her eccentric best friend Morgan (McKinnon) decides that the best way to cheer her up is to set all the stuff Drew left behind on fire. After sending him a warning about their plan over text, Drew pops back into their lives — joined by some CIA agents — with a warning (don't trust anyone) and a mission (take his fantasy football trophy to Vienna and deliver it to someone named Verne). This kicks off Audrey and Morgan's adventure in Europe, where they're trailed and hunted by spies, assassins and an international crime syndicate. Though Kunis and McKinnon both have tremendous comedic talent and a fair amount of natural chemistry together, they're both under utilized in this film. There just isn't enough comedic material for them to work with, and there are no scenes that are quite laugh-out-loud hilarious either. The premise isn't complicated and could have presented for some crazy and outlandish scenarios, but it never quite gets there. Kunis' character is quite capable, smart and quick on her feet, while McKinnon's seems to offer very little in terms of plot or development. Morgan has no real purpose in the plot, and though her and Audrey's friendship is a delight to see on-screen, she often feels unnecessary. That said, their friendship — as well as the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) feminist commentary shown throughout the movie — will resonate with women. Overall, The Spy Who Dumped Me follows a relatively predictable plot, especially with its romantic elements, and plays it too safe with its jokes. There was a lot of potential for a film starring two hilarious women, but the end result doesn't quite hit the mark. And though Kunis and McKinnon do a fine job with the material they're given, there isn't enough here that could have made it great. What this is, however, is an easy to digest movie about female friendship that will satisfy those looking for a fun, lighthearted "girl's night out." But for everyone else, this is easily skippable, especially in light of the other great comedies that have been released so far this year. The Spy Who Dumped Me releases August 3rd, 2018 from eOne Films. The film has an MPAA rating of R for violence, language throughout, some crude sexual material and graphic nudity. Its runtime is 1 hr. 56 min. |
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