I’ve always enjoyed comedies surrounding the spy genre, so when we were invited to watch The Spy Who Dumped Me we set to practicing our super cool Spy poses. With great success. So we combat rolled our way down to Event Cinemas in the city to watch The Spy Who Dumped Me (TSWDM) starring Mila Kunis and the always hilarious Kate McKinnon.
TSWDM is ultimately about the friendship between two women, Audrey (Kunis) and Morgan (McKinnon). From start to finish we see these two women support each other against many trials and obstacles one can have thrown at them when taking on the mantle of Spy. McKinnon is the shining star of the film, who due to the fact her character is an actor with many feathers in her cap, can pull off some great lines and work through a bevy of difficult situations. The mark of a decent comedian is when the audience take something away from their performance and for us it was a couple of lines uttered by McKinnon throughout the film. Her delivery was just brilliant and her character work was so well developed. I could see the passion and sheer joy in her eyes when she came face to face with a trapeze bar.
I was also quite surprised with Sam Heughan who fit into the role of Sebastian quite well. Another agent who you (along with Audrey and Morgan) don’t know whether to trust or not. His skills working on the fight sequences were quite something to watch. Every now and then I’d see a Jamie Fraser (Outlander) move thrown here and there, but ultimately I found myself thinking could Heughan be a new action star? Overall his interaction with the ladies complimented their performances well. The fight sequences in TSWDM were pieced together quite well, and the audience responded well to the action. The car chase scene was also received well, with the fast paced scenario complimented by the house music courtesy of the drivers mix.
The places where the film lacked for me were the parts where we would have flashbacks to Audrey’s life a year ago. The first scene where we’re introduced to her boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) was just enough of the backstory we needed to understand Audrey’s connection to ‘the spy who dumped’ her. Yes, the spy, Drew, who dumped her via text. Another point that’s pushed just a bit too much. The nudity in the film was also quite random. It didn’t seem as though it helped the story line in any way, but did get some laughs from the audience at points.
I’m always worried when it comes to actors and comedians I enjoy seeing on the big screen, sometimes humour doesn’t translate to on screen. However, I have to say I really enjoyed the elements of comedy within TSWDM. If you’re looking for a film where you can just sit back, relax and enjoy a few laughs with friends check out The Spy Who Dumped Me in cinemas now.
3/5
☆☆☆
INKWELL CO. 