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A graphic novel alternative WWII history thriller, this has some disturbing elements which may not be for every reader, but do add to the realistic element that these things would have happened. This first part of the story takes its reader on a grand journey which leaves the reader wanting to continue in the next part to find out what will happen to its characters. I can easily see this as a blaxploitation-style film, the spies, hitmen and nazi give you a real idea of what to expect.
  
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David McK (3425 KP) rated Johnny English Strikes Again (2018) in Movies

Dec 14, 2019 (Updated Nov 20, 2020)  
Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)
Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Third outing for Rowan Atkinson's Johnny English, still just as incompetent as before in another James Bond style spoof outing.

This time, he is pulled out of retirement after a cyber attack reveals the identities of all of England's active spies, with Johnny (and his sidekick Bough, again played by Ben Miller) thus a 'low tech' solution to a high tech problem.

Rowan Atkinson does his usual rubber-faced buffoonery throughout, with a bit of glamour provided by Olga Kurylenka in a film that, while inoffensive enough, never really seems to 'catch fire'.
  
Spies in Disguise (2019)
Spies in Disguise (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Animation
I’m not exactly complaining, but Tom Holland does seem to literally be in everything right now. As I sat ready to watch Spies in Disguise, which features the voice of Tom Holland, there was a trailer for upcoming Pixar movie Onward, featuring the voice of Tom Holland. Then a trailer for Dolittle, starring Robert Downey Jr and featuring the voice of Tom Holland as loyal dog Jip. On top of starring in 2019s highest grossing movie, as everyone’s favourite neighbourhood webslinger, he’s certainly having quite the year right now. And well deserved it is too.

But before we get to his voicing of Walter in Spies in Disguise, we meet much younger Walter, 14 years earlier, building gadgets and being branded a weirdo at school. His police officer mum comforts Walter, telling him that weird is good and the world needs weirdos. And that one day, the invention he’s just tested on his unsuspecting mum - a grenade which explodes into glitter and projects cute kittens - might just come in handy...

Will Smith on the other hand, hasn’t had quite as great a year as Tom Holland. Ridiculed for his blue genie in the run up to the release of Aladdin, he actually wasn’t too bad when the movie came out. But then came the disaster that was Gemini Man. Hopefully though, the upcoming sequel ‘Bad Boys for Life’ will be a return to form for Smith, but for now, starring as the voice of Lance Sterling, the worlds greatest spy, has certainly landed him a winner. A suave, charming, one man operation, we’re shown just how cool and impressive Sterling is as he single-handedly and effortlessly takes out dozens of bad guys using combat skills and a variety of spy gadgets. But Lance is suddenly caught off guard when, instead of releasing a more traditional explosive to take out some goons, he releases a glitter-kitty explosion.

Returning to headquarters a hero, we discover that Walter is now working in the gadgets department, where new tricks and toys for spies are designed and tested. Lance is not impressed with Walter messing up his operation and the pair don’t exactly hit it off on the right foot. But when Lance is wrongly accused of committing a crime, he must go on the run and reluctantly team up with Walter to get the bad guy and clear his name. And how is he going to do that without being seen and caught? Well, just so happens that Walter has invented a way of turning humans into pigeons!

There’s nothing particularly new about the main plot of Spies in Disguise, aside from the pigeon aspect of it all of course. But it’s the fast paced action and humour that really sets this apart from the crowd and quite often reminded me of The Incredibles - great characters and great ideas all mixed together with some impressive visuals and slick action. Both Tom Holland and Will Smith are perfect in their roles and, aside from a bit of a mid-movie dip, Spies in Disguise actually proved to be hugely entertaining.
  
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    A smart and provocative thriller about spies, double agents, and the opaqueness of the human soul. A...