Review: Jackie Chan pulls his punch with 'The Spy Next Door'
Posted Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 1:48 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 1:52 PM Central
by John Couture
It's a tale as old as time itself. Some huge action star makes millions of dollars killing bad guys and then some studio exec comes up with a "brilliant" plan to cast him in the classic fish-out-of-water tale where he's suddenly thrust into suburbia and hilarity allegedly ensues.
Sylvester Stallone had his Over the Top. Arnold Schwarzenegger had his Kindergarten Cop. More recently, Vin Diesel had his The Pacifier and The Rock had his Tooth Fairy.
And now, Jackie Chan has his The Spy Next Door.
In compiling this Blu-ray review, it's impossible to not review and/or comment on the movie itself (especially when the bonus features are sparse but we will get there). But, it's entirely unfair to compare The Spy Next Door to something like The Hurt Locker. There's just no comparison.
However, if you compare it to these other movies in the same niche genre, then it's closer to comparing apples to apples. And how does The Spy Next Door compare to these other "action heroes in a family comedy" movies? It actually compares pretty favorably.
In fact, I would say that with the exception of Over the Top which while yes more family centric than any other Stallone movies, it still delivers a punch in true 1980s fashion, it's the best of the bunch. And the main credit for this goes to Chan's trademark stunts that while tailored for a family audience, still show a "holy cow" factor that shows why Jackie Chan was once (if not still) the best stunts/kung fu man in the business.
The Spy Next Door casts Chan as a Chinese agent working with the CIA to apprehend a dangerous bad guy. While living undercover he develops a relationship with his neighbor who has three "charming" children who are skeptical at best about their neighbor Bob. When his girlfriend is unexpectedly called out of town to care for an injured relative, Bob steps up to watch the kids while she is away, figuring that the time alone will give them time to bond so that he'll feel more secure in proposing.
Naturally, the kids get into something that they're not supposed to and Bob is forced to reveal his true identity which kick starts the action of the plot (literally and figuratively).
The movie is at times predictable and safe, which is precisely what you would expect from a movie that earns the Dove Foundation Seal of Approval. However, the stunts and action sequences that Jackie Chan put together definitely bear his signature. In particular, the mall sequence when he devises an alternative way to use an escalator to catch up with the youngest child who had forged out on her own is indicative of some of Chan's early work.
Also, the montage at the beginning of the movie in which real clips are spiced together from some of Jackie's earlier movies give his character instant credibility and really separates The Spy Next Door from other movies in this niche genre.
As for the specifics of the Blu-ray itself, since it's mostly a family film it's not immediately apparent if the higher resolution and quality is worth the extra dollars, but the action sequences certainly benefit from the format.
The Blu-ray version is a combo disc with a "free" DVD also in the package which is nice as it gives you some flexibility on wear to watch the movie. I'm a big fan of the combo Blu-rays especially with family films because it allows the kids to take the movie on the road with them on DVD and still have a Blu-ray copy to watch at home on the big screen.
The one thing the is sorely lacking on the Blu-ray (and DVD for that matter) is a decent accompaniment of special features. There are two featurettes and a blooper reel. Sadly, most of the bloopers from the blooper reel appear during the end credits. The featurettes are nice, in particular the one entitled "Jackie Chan: Stunt Master and Mentor" provides a nice look behind the man himself and truly reflects just how genuine of a person that he is.
Overall, The Spy Next Door isn't going to garner any major hardware or even hold your attention span for the entire 95 minutes, but if you have kids, they will be highly entertained. Also, it would seem that the movie would hold up to repeat viewings which makes it a must own in a household with young children.
For the rest of us, if you're a huge Jackie Chan fan or just really dig this small niche genre, then I would definitely recommend renting it.
The Spy Next Door is currently available for rent and purchase.
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