| AGENT CODY BANKS |
| Starring: Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff, Angie Harmon, Arnold Vosloo, Keith David, Cynthia Stevenson. Director: Harald Zwart Writers: Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski. Studios: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Maverick Entertainment. Rated: PG (for action violence, mild language, and some sensual content) Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes Year: 2003 If you've already seen Spy Kids, there's really nothing new to offer in the newest kid's offering Agent Cody Banks, which boasts a fine name of executive producers including Jason Alexander and Madonna. This is basically the same sort of thing as the former film, a kid's James Bond. But, even though it has similarities, Cody Banks is still a pretty cool movie. Sure, it's not the best thing out there right now. But it is the best form of family entertainment out there right now. It's got something for little kids, teens, and parents. And it's got cool special effects and other funny scenes to boot. Frankie Muniz of "Malcolm In The Middle" fame plays Cody Banks, a seemingly normal teenager, who, unknown to his parents, is a junior spy for the CIA. After serious training at a facility disguised as a summer camp, Banks gets his first mission from his new assistant, Ronica Miles (Angie Harmon), who doesn't like the kid at first but gets to like him. His mission is to find out what a scientest (Martin Donovan) is doing with an ice cube expieriment, and why he is planning to trade it to Russian criminals (including "The Mummy" Arnold Vosloo, with a very strange haircut). How will he do this, you may ask? Well, he must get close to the scientest's daughter, 15-year old Natalie (Hilary Duff). At first, she thinks he is a freak, but after he shows his real side to her, she begins to take a liking to him. But when she is kidnapped by the Russians, it is up to Cody to save her and keep her father's expieriment from destroying the world. THE GOOD: -- There are some funny scenes and good dialogue. -- Frankie Muniz and Hilary Duff are rising stars, and are good in their leading roles. -- Good special effects, giving off a James Bond-type feel. -- Works for the whole family. THE BAD: -- The villians are very weird and don't have much dialogue. -- All of the parental figures are wasted in very small roles. -- Even though it is a kid's film, there is a lot of sexual material too mature for the youngest, and an onscreen death caused by one of the main characters. Overall, this is an action-packed and funny (if not neccessarily original) film that the whole family is sure to love. ***1/2 stars --Cory Thompson TRAILERS The Lizzie McGuire Movie (Hilary Duff, Jake Thomas, Hallie Tood, Robert Carradine) What A Girl Wants (Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston, Eileen Atkins, Jonathan Pryce) Daddy Day Care (Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn, Regina Hall, Anjelica Huston, Lacey Chabert) Bulletproof Monk (Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, Jaime King, Mako, Marcus Jean Pirae). |