Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London Movie Review:


Children and family audiences are supposed to be the main target ticket buyers for Agent Cody Banks: Destination London. It is hard to find a way that this film will please either of its intended audiences, since it is too complicated for children and too derivatively dry for adults. After a splash last year with the original Agent Cody Banks, it seems that MGM just threw together a sloppy sequel that is more or less like watching a blank wall.

The film once again follows the teenage CIA agent Banks (Frankie Muniz) and his adventures as a teenage James Bond. In the first film, Banks’ character is too busy with work for girls, and this time around he older and even more lost. The film opens at Camp Woody, where Banks among other young agents are training while their parents believe they are at summer camp. Banks learns that his training commander (Keith Allen) is a rogue CIA agent and has stolen a mind-control device from the U.S. government. His director (Keith David) assigns Banks to the mission of retrieving the device and his work quickly lands him in London. Undercover as a talented American clarinet player, Banks soon meets up with his handler, the loud Derek (Anthony Anderson). While tracking his target, Banks learns that the device is planned to be used to take over the Royal Family and then the rest of the world. A teenage British Secret Service agent named Emily (Hannah Spearritt) also joins team to attempt to save the world.

This film just offers really nothing but pure staleness. The story of the mind-controlled root canal device is so far-fetched that even kids will think that it is absurd. Yes, Cody does get some new gadgets such as explosive Mentos and a self-playing clarinet, but none of these elements are anything we have not seen before. The direction and script are so lame that the film does not seem to have a soul or a body. Though Spy-Kids 3-D was not that great of a film either, at least it was creative in some aspects and it had elements to win over kids. To be honest, this quickly banged out sequel may have more kids snoozing than cheering.

Muniz is a charming young actor, and he is the perfect choice to play Cody Banks, but this time around he seems to just be in the role because he has to, there is not much enthusiasm at all in his performance. Anthony Anderson is an annoyingly over the top actor that does not help this film any by playing Banks sidekick Derek. Like always, Anderson’s high-pitch whining and complaining gets old very quickly. Hilary Duff opted out of this sequel, but is replaced by another up and coming blonde teenager named Hannah Spearritt, who at times acts like she is Banks age, but at others seems like she is close to twenty.

There is not much else to say about Agent Cody Banks 2, except that it is a quickly thrown together project by MGM to try and ride off the success of the first film. The film ultimately fails, which is unfortunate, because with more patience and time Agent Cody Banks could have been a stellar family film franchise. Now we will never know. Will kids watch it, sure they will, but in comparison to the original they will be vastly disappointed.

Grade: D+

Joseph Tucker

The first Cody Banks adventure was one of those guilty pleasures, a kids' movie intelligent enough for adults to enjoy as a spy movie spoof. Alas, this sequel has a new crew sadly lacking in that level of inventiveness or energy. As the title states, this adventure takes place in Britain, where teen CIA agent Cody (Muniz) is summoned from summer camp to track down a rogue operative (played by the director's brother Keith) who has stolen some mind-control software. Cody's UK handler is the goofy Derek (Anderson), and his cover is a musical workshop hosted by the wealthy Kenworths (Chancellor and Faulkner). Can Cody stop the bad guy from taking over the brains of the world's top leaders?

There's nothing wrong with the plot, and the London setting is great. But British filmmakers should know better than to fall for every stereotype, not to mention placing a London landmark improbably in the background of virtually every shot. If this had been done with a whiff of charm or wit, we wouldn't mind. But the film does the unforgivable, condescending to its audience as if the kids wouldn't get it unless everything was laid out on a plate. This is something the first film smartly avoided; this sequel is virtually unwatchable for grow-ups.

Fortunately, Muniz is a thoroughly engaging young actor, and Anderson obviously enjoys his zany sidekick role. There's a number of cameos by gifted British comics who are high-profile back home but unrecognisable in the States. So it seems strange that all of them (except perhaps Williams) are lost in cliched, uninteresting roles. And the returning cast members are wasted as well--David's CIA director isn't nearly as oily, parents Stevenson and Roebuck just seem dopey now. Even the budding romance between Muniz and English rose Spearritt feels undercooked and predictable. This is a huge shame, since the first film was both smart and hilarious. It's far too soon to cash in on the franchise.

Rich Cline

When rebel agent Diaz (Allen) steals the prototype mind control software from the CIA right under Cody Banks’ (Muniz) nose, the Director (David) sends the teenage super spy on his trail. He manages to track him down to London and goes undercover as a musical prodigy at Jo Kenworth’s (Chancellor) school for gifted musicians, who’s husband might just be Diaz’s UK contact. It is now up to Cody to get the software back as all the world leaders will become targets when they meet at Buckingham Place in three days.

The teenage CIA agent returns but is this sequel going to buck the trend that the second movie isn’t as good as the first. Not in the slightest.

The first Agent Cody Banks adventure was quite a fun take on the Bond franchise. With lots of stunts, gadgets and girls Frankie Muniz was the American version of James Bond Jr. His second adventure seems to lose most of these aspects. Usually when a movie is a success the second film has a slightly higher budget but this movie just comes across as cheap. Yes Cody’s new mission is in London, so the added cost of a location shoot comes into account but everything is a decidingly average and uninventive. The gadgets are dull, there is only one possible love interest and stunts are lacklustre.

The story doesn’t fare any better either. Setting the film in the UK just gives the lazy screenwriters the chance to use up the clichéd English jokes that grace all mainstream American movies. Everyone is ridiculously posh and pompous with us Brits not able to solve anything without the help of the Yanks. The plot is also far too over the top, with the whole mind control element stinking of unoriginality.

What the film does have going for it is Frankie Muniz. It is impossible not to like this young actor and he does his best with the limited material. The real shame is that his character had some real potential but this dreary second outing could easily put an end to the franchise. Former S Club member Hannah Spearritt is OK as love interest Emily and hopefully this project won’t damage her fledgling movie career. Anthony Anderson is his usual annoying self however; playing the same part he plays in every movie he ever appears in, the irritating sidekick. The support isn’t much better. Keith Allen is far too over the top as villain Diaz, James Faulkner is so stereotypically British that it is embarrassing and the same can be said for Anna Chancellor.

The first Agent Cody Banks adventure showed some promise but the sequel is a giant step backwards. Kids will still enjoy the exploits of the boy spy but if you really want to watch some good mini-secret agents, watch the Spy Kids movies.

Star Rating = * *

Jamie Kelwick

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