Things That Parents Need To Know
Parents need to know that this spy spoof stars Jackie Chan, which will immediately make it a choice for dads (who grew up with the martial arts star's earlier movies) and kids. The film for the most part relies on its' messages of the importance of family, and accepting oneself for who they are. Parents however should use some mild caution at infrequent negative content, including a couple of innuendos, a few toilet humor gags, brief mild language and some action violence (mostly cartoonish though). Kids may also be confused by the fact that Farren calls her step-mom by her real name, and the fact the kids don't have a father.
Review
I am a HUGE fan of spy flicks, such as Spy Kids, Cats & Dogs, and the like. But since I haven't really seen any Jackie Chan movies, would this live up to those titles?
In this film, Jackie Chan plays a penmaker named Bob Ho (yeah right), who really is a secret agent hunting down Russian criminals. Wanting to get married and be a dad, he decides to put up his tools and his gear and retire. When Gillian (Amber Valetta) is called to go somewhere immediately (family emergency), Bob volunteers to watch her three kids Farren (Madeline Carrol), Ian (Will Shadley), and Nora (Alina Foley), all of which dislike him. Winning over three kids is a huge challenge, but it all starts to go haywire when the russian terrorist escapes and plans to do evil things, including getting revenge on Bob. What will it all turn into?
The film shares some positive messages on the importance of family, as well as honesty, being truthful, accepting oneself for who they are, as well as minor morals for bravery and self-sacrifice. Bob would do anything to make sure Gillian and her kids are safe, and wins over all of them by the time the film is over. Chan, alongside George Lopez, Billy Ray Cyrus, and the others do a fine job with their characters. The references to past spy movies are easily seen by those who watch other spy films (including myself). The gadgets are cool, the action scenes are thrilling, and there are a few funny parts with the pig, the cat, and the bloopers at the end credits.
While it certainly has good intentions, there's some infrequent negative notes. The action violence is mostly cartoonish, humorous and bloodless, but probably not appropriate for a 3 or 4 year old. But there are a few toilet humor gags (including a brief bullying moment), and some disrespect by the kids to Bob. Farren shows interest in today's fashion, which Gillian labels as "inappropriate dressings", and I was disappointed to see Ian talking (briefly) about watching Adult Swim and other inappropriate material, as well as talking rudely to a teenage girl. Language is fairly mild and minimal, with one use each of "heck", "freakin", and perhaps one mild curse word (it's hard to tell with his russian accent) and an inappropriate acronym. Also, the youngest kids watching this may be concerned by the fact of Farren calling her stepmom by her real name and the fact that the kids don't have a dad.
It's nice to see Jackie Chan in something family-oriented, and Spy Next Door certainly does give him a fine entrance into that genre. I personally enjoyed all the slapstick action and the positive lessons the film displayed, but some parents may not quite enjoy the fact that the kids, mostly the older two, sometimes act in a manner that is way over their age. But, it still manages to keep it's cool throughout most of the way, and kids and action fans will get a kick out of it.
The Spy Next Door is rated PG for sequences of action violence and some mild rude and mature humor.
POSITIVE VS. NEGATIVE Summary
Positive Negative
--Some positive lessons on the importance of family, --Cartoonish action violence
honesty, being truthful, accepting oneself for the way --Rude and disrespectful behavior
they are, bravery, and self-sacrifice. --Brief mild language
--Bob is a strong role model.
--Exciting spy-spoof moments.
Outcome: Mixed
