Review: 'Spies In Disguise’ reveals itself to be a wonderful film

The film stars Will Smith and Tom Holland as the main characters Lance Sterling and Walter Beckett

Will Smith does a James Bond impersonation as Lance Sterling. Courtesy 20th Century Fox

After 20 minutes of Spies In Disguise there's a good chance you'll be decidedly unimpressed. Worryingly, there's not only one issue that blights the computer-animated spy comedy from Blue Sky Studios, which had huge success with the Ice Age and Rio films. Not only does the cartoonish animation of Spies In Disguise not seem to suit its plot or characters, but pretty much all of its visual jokes and quips repeatedly fall flat, while its action and emotional heft all feel contrived and stale.

Even Will Smith being given a chance to do an impression of James Bond – something that should be infinitely enjoyable and entertaining as he voices the world's most decorated spy, Lance Sterling – doesn't add the energy and enthusiasm the actor ­usually brings to every film he's a part of.

But then something strange happens that helps to perk Spies In Disguise up after a shaky start. After inadvertently drinking an experimental concoction made by young scientist and inventor Walter Beckett, voiced by the MCU's Spider-Man Tom Holland, Sterling turns into a pigeon.

It couldn't have happened at a worse time either, as Sterling is being hunted by his own agency for a crime he didn't commit and he has to find the real culprit before he's arrested. Luckily, though, the fact he has transformed into a small bird means he is now deep, deep undercover and can escape his adversaries and get across the world undetected quite easily.

But while this plot might sound overly goofy and wacky, it is only at this point that Spies In Disguise starts to find its own voice and originality and build some momentum. That's no more apparent than in the scenes after Sterling's transformation, when latent pigeon DNA in the experiment forces him to start spontaneously acting like a bird. Not only does he instinctively eat discarded food off the ground, much to the chagrin of a disgusted Sterling, but he even becomes part of his own flock alongside some hilariously deadpan and decrepit members of the species. All while he is simultaneously trying to investigate, fight and act like a spy.

Spies In Disguise is undoubtedly silly, but it's only once directors Troy Quane and Nick Bruno, and writers Brad Copeland and Lloyd Taylor, embrace the weirdness of the premise that it becomes warmer, more enjoyable and a lot funnier. Thankfully, instead of this lasting for only a couple of scenes, Spies In Disguise maintains this momentum all the way to the end.

So much so, that while children are likely to embrace the film from the beginning, by its conclusion adults will have grown to enjoy it, too, as it blossoms to become a genuinely crowd-pleaser.

Another key reason why Spies In Disguise starts to click is the rapport and patter between Holland and Smith, as Beckett's arsenal of increasingly bizarre and surreal weapons provide some much needed assistance for Sterling. This is when the cartoonish animation of Spies In Disguise really comes to the fore, too, because it not only makes the sight of Sterling as a pigeon more palatable, but the pace and fluidity it provides compliments the film's increasingly absurd plot, jokes and visuals.

Plus, any James Bond fan who has ever wanted to see 007 spend more than one scene in a film with his dependable quartermaster Q will undoubtedly get a kick out of watching Beckett and Sterling working in tandem. That is especially since, most of the time, they're on completely different wavelengths.

Meanwhile, the use of Ben Mendelsohn's deep and trembling dulcet tones as the villainous Killian, who uses his bionic arm to control and weaponise hundreds of terrifying drones, injects the necessary terror and dread required to keep Spies In Disguise a captivating watch.

Even when the film tries to pull at the heartstrings, it stays on the right side of melodramatic. It also has a good chance of actually making an impact on younger viewers too, as it covers some pertinent social themes and has an undercurrent of kindness that is both resonant and easy to digest. That mostly comes from Beckett, who despite being one of the smartest inventors at the agency doesn't make any weapons that are designed to maim or kill. Instead, he wants to tackle villains with kindness, which is an approach the reckless and destructive Sterling, who insists he works alone, wholly disagrees with.

The result of their disagreements is probably predictable, but the journey Spies In Disguise takes to get there is definitely unique and exactly why this very weird, surprisingly wonderful and genuinely touching film the whole family can enjoy deserves to be celebrated.

Spies In Disguise is in cinemas across the UAE from Thursday, December 26