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A Comedy That Almost Worked

Summary My Spy The Eternal City lacks comedy and struggles to balance action, sentimentality, and humor effectively.

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Summary

  • My Spy The Eternal City lacks comedy and struggles to balance action, sentimentality, and humor effectively.
  • The film features improved production values but falls flat in terms of comedy, despite a talented cast.
  • My Spy The Eternal City explores the evolving relationship between JJ and Sophie but fails to bring genuine laughs to the table.

The sequel follows JJ (Dave Bautista) as he takes on a more relaxed role at the CIA and becomes a stronger father figure to Sophie (Chloe Coleman), now a moody teenager. Sophie is both a protégé and surrogate daughter to JJ, which can sometimes be conflicting. With Sophie getting older, things aren’t as smooth sailing as they once were.

The sequel, My Spy the Eternal City, is definitely showing off its budget increase in a myriad of ways, with bigger set pieces and more special effects. However, it struggles to balance sentimental messaging, action, and comedy. Sophie is older now, but the humor hasn’t matured with her. If director Peter Segal and co-writers Jon Hoeber and Eric Hoeber are still trying to entertain audience members below the age of 13, then some more teen-friendly jokes and comedic moments are needed.

Furthermore, the "villain" reveal is beyond obvious, the crisis is cookie-cutter material for this subgenre, and the stakes aren’t truly important. I hate to harp on this, but all could be forgiven if the film was genuinely funny. With a star-studded cast and a silly premise, what is the film even doing if there aren’t any lung-bursting laughs? The Eternal City struggles with finding the tonal balance between a child-friendly action-comedy and an adult-appropriate action-comedy. There is a reality where Sophie’s story can be spun off as a Kim Possible-like teen adventure. The Eternal City toys with this idea, but JJ remains at the wheel instead of in the backseat, and I don’t think it was the right choice.

My Spy the Eternal City is available to stream on Prime Video July 18.

A sequel to the 2020 film, My Spy: The Eternal City is an action-comedy film starring Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman. CIA operative J.J. is coerced into following Sophie on a school trip to Italy that goes south when terrorists attack.

Pros

  • Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman are great together
  • The father-daughter storyline is intriguing
Cons

  • The film isn’t at all funny despite a star-studded cast of comedians
  • The story beats are predictable and not fun
  • This sequel is dull

Conclusion: While My Spy the Eternal City attempts to bring a fresh take to the franchise, it ultimately falls short due to a lack of comedy and a struggling balance of tone.

FAQs:

  1. Why is My Spy the Eternal City not funny?
    The film tries to cater to a younger audience, but the humor seems to be stuck in a younger audience. With a star-studded cast of comedians, the film should have been able to deliver on laughs, but it falls flat.

  2. Why is the story predictable?
    The film follows a predictable formula, and the crisis is cookie-cutter material. This leads to a lack of surprise and suspense, making the story feel stale and boring.

  3. Why is the sequel considered dull?
    The film lacks an exciting and engaging storyline, and the father-daughter dynamic between JJ and Sophie, while interesting, is not enough to save the film from its overall dullness.

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