Spies in Disguise: A Fun, If Forgettable, Family Movie with a Moral

Will Smith plays a top spy that, of course, is super cool. Smith sometimes hams it up for the camera in other movies, but that over-the-top cool guy shtick works well for this role. He’s the best spy in the world.

Tom Holland, though, is a befuddled mess. He works as one of the agency’s gadget inventors. Only, he continuously tries to make gadgets where no one gets hurt. To Will’s character, this is a problem as he’s constantly dealing with very dangerous, gun-toting criminals. Holland gets fired for not following orders.

However, Smith gets framed for something by the movie’s main villain and goes on the run. With no one to turn to, he goes to Holland. Holland was trying to create a formula to disguise spies as pigeons, which Smith accidentally drinks. So, he’s a pigeon.

He, as a pigeon, and Holland go on an international mission to clear Smith’s name. First, they have to stay ahead of the police trying to capture him. Also, they have to prove his innocence by capturing the real culprit. Meanwhile, Holland gets to prove himself by using his inventions along the way.

Spies in Disguise makes for a decent family movie. It’s fun, funny, and exciting. With the exception of the spy being turned into an actual pigeon, the plot reads like a blockbuster action movie. Throw Will Smith in a live version and, surely, it’d be just that.

As the duo country hop, they get in chases, shootouts, and scale the sides of extremely tall buildings. The main villain, played by Ben Mendelsohn, has a cybernetic claw for a hand and utilizes drones for his attacks. It’s truly edge of your seat action. It just happens to be comedic and family friendly because it’s animated and stars a pigeon!

Holland’s character drives the moral of the movie along. When the movie starts, you see him as a young child with his police officer mother. He longs to keep her safe, so his inventions all revolve around keeping everyone safe no matter the situation. Smith, meanwhile, approaches the world with a shoot first, ask questions later attitude. So, of course, these two characters make an Odd Couple pairing with polar opposite ideals.

I think Will represents most people in the world in that it seems so many people lean towards arguing and violence today. However, by keeping an open mind, he slowly sees the benefit of Holland’s creations. The movie essentially pushes the idea that an eye for an eye leaves the world blind. The moral of peace and harmony isn’t relayed in a way to suggest it’s easily accomplished but rather that we should all at least try.