(spoiler free)
Spies are cool, we all know this, just look at James Bond, Jason Bourne and the Kingsmen. We are a culture that loves spy movies so when comedies like to use this premise to get laughs there is so much potential. Melissa McCarthy did a pretty good job of this with last years ‘Spy’ which combined comedy and action well, so could this years spy spoof ‘Keeping Up with the Joneses’ offer a similar level of fun?
Premise aside is the film funny? Definitely not. The audience are left waiting for the first laugh so long that it becomes awkward, you’ll have to accept that it’s just not coming for some time. I only laughed twice during this film. For a comedy this is just not enough. I have laughed so much more in many other films this year which aren’t even devoted to comedy. The script doesn’t connect with the audience on a comedic level which is a massive problem. The film has plenty of funny people in it too which only goes to show the weakness of this element. Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher play the stereotypical suburban couple but are unfortunately quite unbelievable in their role as a husband and wife. Separately they do ok but I just never bought their relationship. Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot do slightly better as their super spy neighbours but struggle with the attempts at comedy the script offers. Not enough was made of the spying premise, there was scope for some really fun action sequences but the film only offers up one real action set piece. This is easily the highlight of the film and offers an essential change of pace but it’s too little too late when it finally arrives.
The script isn’t just devoid of laughs and action though as there isn’t an ounce of originality to be found in it either. This has to be the most predictable film of the year, after you watch the first few scenes unfold you can easily piece together what is going to happen. As a result of this lazy attempt of writing the film is painfully dull. This is not a word that should be used in relation to a spy comedy but there isn’t any other way to describe it. All the flaws amount to a level of boredom that should never be experienced whilst watching a ‘comedy’. This is quite possibly the worst of the genre in recent months and that is saying something as 2016 has not been a pretty year for comedies. The crux of it is ‘Keeping Up with the Joneses’ is an unoriginal wasted opportunity with minimal fun and almost no laughter, not worth seeing on any level.
Rating – 1/10
Question: What is your favourite spy comedy movie?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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