Reel Rating: 2 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG for sequences of action violence and some mild rude humor.
Released in Theaters: Jan. 15, 2010
Genre: Family, Action
Runtime: 92 minutes
Directed by: Brian Levant
Cast: Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta, Madeline Carroll, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Lopez
Sex/Nudity: A few kisses and hugs between Bob and Gillian. A 13-year-old girl wants to wear inappropriate clothes to school (her mom doesn’t let her) and flirts with an older boy.
Violence/Gore. Lots of action, including a hostage situation, some gun wielding, martial arts fighting and stunts. Most are played for laughs, and no blood is shown. No one gets seriously hurt.
Profanity: Some name-calling, including “idiot,” “loser” and “hillbilly.”
Which Kids Will Like It? Kids 10 and older who like action comedies with lots of stunts and family scenes.
Will Parents Like It? Overall, it’s just not a great movie, although it does contain a few good messages about honesty, family and taking care of each other.
Review: I'll tell you right off the bat that this story’s been done a thousand times before. Tough guy ends up getting involved with kids one way or another, and the kids are brats who end up having to be knocked down a notch or two.
And do all action stars end up in family movies sooner or later? Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vin Diesel and The Rock are just a few off the top of my head. Now we can add martial arts guru Jackie Chan to that crowd.
Chan plays CIA spy Bob Ho, who begins romancing the girl next door, Gillian (Amber Valletta). Only in this case, she has three kids, none of whom think much of Bob. In fact, they think he’s a dorky pen salesman. Little do they know that he’s a top spy at the CIA, working with Billy Ray Cyrus (horrible casting!), with George Lopez helming the agency (ditto).
While Gillian is away taking care of an ailing parent, Bob steps up to look after the kids, one of whom accidentally downloads a top-secret formula onto his iPod from Bob’s computer. When a longtime nemesis—a Russian terrorist—finds out about it, he makes a visit and puts the kids in danger.
Well, there’s no secret as to where this is heading. Sometimes these movies work—my kids and I really liked The Pacifier—but sometimes they just fall flat, like The Spy Next Door. Although he plays a decent man who treats Gillian very well, Chan isn’t really believable as a romantic lead. He and Valletta have absolutely no chemistry.
And while there are plenty of action scenes–lots of chasing and martial arts stunts between Bob and the other thugs–the jokes aren’t very funny and the dialogue is just, well, lame. However, there are a few good messages in the movie; namely, that family isn’t just about who your blood relatives are, but who you love and who loves you. Also, that you can’t judge people by how they look. The kids never in their wildest dreams would have imagined Bob as a spy.
Still, I would probably skip this in theaters and wait for the DVD.
Jane Boursaw is a family entertainment writer specializing in movies and TV. Visit her at Reel Life With Jane; follow her on Twitter; become a friend on Facebook; email jboursaw@charter.net.
