AGENT CODY BANKS (2003)

MORGAN'S RATING

To his family and friends, Cody Banks is a typical teen -- he loves to skateboard, hates math, and feels like a complete idiot around girls. But Cody's got a secret -- he's actually part of a secret teen CIA program. Cody's living every boy's dream life -- he can drive like a stuntman, he has an incredible arsenal of cool gadgets, and his agency mentor, Ronica Miles, is totally hot. But Cody's training is put to the test when he's sent to pose as a prep school student and befriend fellow teen Natalie Connors in order to gain access to her father, a scientist unknowingly developing a fleet of deadly nanobots for the evil ERIS organization.

Frankie Muniz (Cody Banks), Hilary Duff (Natalie Connors), Angie Harmon (Ronica Miles), Keith David (CIA Director), Cynthia Stevenson (Mrs. Banks), Arnold Vosloo (Molay), Daniel Roebuck (Mr. Banks), Ian McShane (Brinkman), Darrell Hammond (Earl), Martin Donovan (Dr. Connors), Marc Shelton, Chris Gauthier (Surveillance Van Agents), Harry Van Gorkum (Double Agent), Connor Widdows (Alex Banks), Eliza Norbury (Mom), Justin and Saul Kalvari (Baby), Andy Thompson (CIA Assistant), Andrew Johnston (Paranoid Agent), Benjamin Ratner (McAllister), Stephen E. Miller (Army Colonel), Miriam Smith (Cynical Agent), Alexandra Purvis (Amy), Chad Krowchuk, Jeffrey Ballard, Shayn Solberg, Anthony Quao (Jefferson Buddies), Dee Jay Jackson (Helicopter Agent), Peter New (Rosychuk), Jared Van Snellenberg (Earl's Intern), Natalie Sellers (Young Girl), Noel Fisher (Fenster), Andrew Francis, Brendan Nadon (Fenster Droog), Jessica Harmon, Haley Bouey (Natalie's Friends), Chang Tseng (Mr. Yip).

SAVE THE WORLD. GET THE GIRL. PASS MATH.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Harald Zwart. WRITERS: Jeffrey Jurgensen, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. PRODUCERS: David Glasser, Andreas Klein, David Nicksay, Guy Oseary and Dylan Sellers. ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Tom Gulbrandsen and Veslemoy Ruud Zwart. CO-PRODUCER: Robert Meyer Burnett. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jason Alexander, Jennifer Birchfield-Eick, Kerry David, Danny Gold, Michael Jackman, Madonna, Mark Morgan and Bobi Yari. ORIGINAL MUSIC: John Powell, James McKee Smith and John Ashton Thomas. DISTRIBUTOR: MGM

FACTS

RELEASE DATE: March 14th, 2003 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: August 5th, 2003 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $14.0 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $47.8 million (USA) BUDGET: $25 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: May 2002 -- August 2002 - Cody and Natalie attend the "William Donovan Preparatory School". William Donovan was in charge of the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in World War II. The OSS eventually became the CIA. - At the very end of the film, Cody's hologram-projecting phone rings. It's the ring from Our Man Flint (1966), and the Austin Powers movies. - The photograph of Frankie Muniz that accompanies Cody's CIA profile is a "Malcolm in the Middle" publicity still. - Followed by a sequel: Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004)

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"Just too familiar and unimaginative to be anything more than a forgettable time-waster for undemanding family audiences." -- Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion

"A mundane, kid-empowerment fantasy distinguished only by Frankie Muniz's agreeable blend of haplessness and heroics." -- Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

"Agent Cody Banks may be targeted at teens, but even their grandparents might consider it fun." -- Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

"This elaborate and good-natured entertainment is never as funny as it should be it's also never wanting for energy." -- Jan Stuart, Newsday

"Agent Cody Banks has a TV-movie feel to it. The special effects are kind of hokey, the jokes pretty lame and the stunts looked like they're performed by stunt performers."   -- Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper