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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Spy Next Door, The

EMAILPRINTLionsgate

Spy Next Door, The reviews
27
7.2 User Score:

Generally unfavorable reviews

Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 7 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Action  |  Comedy  |  Family/Kids

Written by: Jonathan Bernstein
Jim Greer

Directed by: Brian Levant

Release Date:
Theatrical: January 15, 2010

Running Time: 92 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: PG for sequences of action violence and some mild rude humor

Starring Jackie Chan, Madeline Carroll, Alina Foley, George Lopez, Billy Ray Cyrus, Amber Valletta, and Katherine Boecher

When Gillian suddenly has to leave town, Bob volunteers to babysit the children so he can earn their approval. But when one of the kids mistakenly downloads a top-secret formula from his computer, Bob’s archenemy, a Russian terrorist, moves in for the attack, forcing Bob to juggle the roles of spy and prospective stepfather in the most challenging mission of his career! (Lionsgate)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

63

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

The plot may be forgettable, but the execution is frantic and funny. The Spy Next Door is a movie that will bring smiles to kids - and their grandparents.

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50

The Hollywood Reporter Daniel Eagan

Most of The Spy Next Door is pretty tired stuff from "Pacifier"-style slapstick to comic relief delivered by, of all people, erstwhile country star Billy Ray Cyrus.

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50

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

There's nothing wrong with Chan's making a silly comedy for kids. But he's got more in him than grinning, nodding and falling down a lot. All he needs is a filmmaker who's ready to let him to make that leap.

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42

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

Chan’s anything-goes affability keeps the film from scraping bottom.

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40

The New York Times A.O. Scott

The outtakes are not all that great but still better than anything else in the movie.

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40

Village Voice Melissa Anderson

Immediately forgettable family entertainment, suitable for release only in the dung-heap month of January.

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40

Variety Lael Loewenstein

Chan struggles gamely to charm, but the picture's cartoonish jokes and misfired gags are likely to elicit more eye rolls than laughs.

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40

Boxoffice Magazine Wade Major

While it never quite rises above the problems inherent in the material, The Spy Next Door does shine in those moments when Jackie and his stunt crew are permitted to do what they do best.

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38

Boston Globe Ty Burr

The film’s so formulaic your 6-year-old will be ticking off the plot points as they lope by.

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38

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Everybody knew to wait for the outtakes during the closing credits, because you'd see him miss a fire escape or land wrong in the truck going under the bridge. Now the outtakes involve his use of the English language.

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38

USA Today Claudia Puig

Chan has more chemistry with the kids than with Valletta, but the story is so insipid that it's likely to only sadden fans of the martial-arts icon and offer little enjoyment to its young audience.

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38

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

This is “True Lies” without the striptease or the Arab-maiming.

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30

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

In middle age Jackie Chan can't keep coasting on boyish charm, as evidenced by this dreadful family comedy that does him no favors with its opening title sequence.

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30

Time Richard Corliss

That imperishable affability, that eagerness to please his Hollywood bosses, allows Chan to elude many of the indignities thrown his way in The Spy Next Door. It may also be the reason he says yes to a junky movie like this.

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25

Orlando Sentinel Roger Moore

Limp and lifeless, this Next Door neighbor should be evicted to DVD.

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25

New York Post Kyle Smith

The makers of The Spy Next Door should give 50 percent of their profits to James Cameron for ripping off "True Lies." Let's see, what's 50 percent of nothing?

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25

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jennie Punter

Chan's comedic gifts and still-nimble moves are wasted in a string of unimaginative household calamities and practical jokes.

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25

San Francisco Chronicle Amy Biancolli

A mostly inoffensive nothing of a film with one or two mild chuckles and lots of chop-socky commotion.

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20

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

The movie even has the nerve to start with a montage of moments from his better films, a bad idea that sets off an escalating tumble downhill.

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20

Time Out New York Joshua Rothkopf

The little action here will disappoint fans; it’s way too choppy.

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0

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Nobody of Chan's legendary stature should ever have to play second banana to George Lopez, and certainly not in a film that was already made five years ago with Vin Diesel (see: The Pacifier).

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.2 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sam K. gave it an8:
Another good movie from Chan. I love Chan's movies and love to watch it again and again.

Rusty S gave it a10:
This movie had a lot of potential. And it lived up to it. Great job!

Eggy G. gave it a7:
Really silly & mindless plot...but surprisingly entertaining. It's like reading a funny comic book. Perfect popcorn movie for whole family.

minh gave it a10:
I do not know what's wrong with you critics. You critics are boring. The movie is very enjoyable, funny and the plot is predictable but so what? It was made to make you laugh, to forget your stressful day and in that sense the movie succeeds in every way. Oh don't lie i bet you all laughed your a** off watching it. Probably the job of criticism is too stressful that you can't enjoy a lighthearted movie. Take off your mask! Jackie Chan is awesome, the youngest kid (Alina Foley) is too adorable.

Chad S. gave it a5:
Bob(Jackie Chan) and Jillian(Amber Valetta) are an item, lovers, to the utter dismay of the divorced woman's children, who complain that their neighbor is "boring", a "geek". To them, the mother could do a lot better, since this suburban mom is a total milf, and obviously, "so far above [Bob]." Conspicuous in its absence, as the kids read Jillian the riot act concerning her latest beau, is any mention of Bob's ethnicity. Since they don't address the very pertinent fact about this bespectacled man being Chinese, the moviegoer is left to interpret their bias against Bob as either being racially-motivated or not, since the "The Spy Next Door" is too innocuous to acknowledge this rupture in the film text. "The Spy Next Door" treats Bob's Chinese heritage like a secret identity, like Clark Kent keeping Superman under wraps until the time is right to tell Lois Lane. Chan, sporting black horn-rimmed glasses, in fact, resembles Kent, and quite pointedly, during a dinner scene with Jillian, takes them off when he attempts to tell her about his secret life as a spy. Also, this moment doubles as a reflexive move for the moviegoer, because it alludes to Chan's past glory as an action hero(practically a superhero of sorts to his fellow countrymen), a persona that eventually emerges from the trappings of this domestic comedy. It's no accident that Bob reveals himself at a Chinese restaurant, in which Jillian's kids are explicitly confronted by his true identity as a spy, and minority. Earlier in the film, they go through Bob's personal belongings at his home, but find nothing that addresses his otherness. The DVDs, the clothes, the overall decor of Bob's lair, confirm his "boring"-ness, and the post-colonial construct of the screenplay is preserved, for the time being. As a romantic lead, Chan does nothing more than trade chaste kisses and a brotherly hug with Valetta, which has the effect of making Bob seem vaguely asexual. Jillian's actions, are like the children's actions, which seem to be quietly dictated by Bob's nationality. The kids can't hate him because he's Chinese, and also, Jillian can't really kiss Bob for the very same reason.

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