Movie Review ~ My Spy The Eternal City

I’ve seen films with odd pairings that became unexpected hits, but few were as surprisingly charming as 2020’s My Spy. Initially set for a theatrical release by STX Entertainment, when the pandemic hit and theaters closed, the distributor offloaded the project to Amazon, who made room for it on their Prime Video channel.  This was excellent news for the film and the streaming service because more people than ever would now see the movie.  Did I mention the film was good, too?  It was better than I had imagined it would be, even.

Set against a backdrop of espionage with a heaping dose of heart, the movie put WWE star-turned-actor Dave Bautista into the realm of family-friendly action-comedy, and he earned high marks in my book.  Working alongside the precocious Chole Coleman was a delightful combination I didn’t know I needed.  Fast forward to 2024, and we find ourselves hoping for that same magic on the streets of Rome in My Spy The Eternal City (no colon, why?).  Cue the “whomp whomp” music because this sequel (again arriving straight to Prime Video) exchanges the original’s big-hearted core for a formulaic and far less engaging (and lower budgeted, by the looks of it) escapade.

Returning under the direction of Peter Segal (Second Act) and penned by the Hober brothers (Erich and Jon), My Spy The Eternal City reunites us with J.J. (Bautista, Skyfall), a veteran CIA operative, and his young protégé, Sophie (Coleman, Pain Hustlers).  Over the last four years, J.J. has gotten used to being Sophie’s stepfather while continuing to offer her tips and tricks only the best operatives know about.   His days of hunting the globe for bad guys are over, and now he’s more focused on full breakfasts and teenage curfews than the latest poisons and midnight stakeouts.

However, there are growing pains when Sophie realizes she’d rather be a kid and have J.J. return to being the spy she knew him as.  J.J.’s co-workers Bobbi (Kristen Schaal, Toy Story 4), Connelly (Craig Robinson, Songbird), and the head of their division Dave (Ken Jeong, Fool’s Paradise), also miss the secret agent they looked up to.  They’ll all see their spy guy in action when a school choir trip to Italy for Sophie inconveniently turns into an international incident targeting the Vatican.  Pursued by a skilled assassin (Flula Borg, The Suicide Squad) while avoiding a rule-abiding chaperone (Anna Faris, The Dictator), J.J. and Sophie must put aside their family dispute and reclaim their bond if this late-breaking mission is to succeed.

Thwarting a catastrophic nuclear plan is a setup that promises an intriguing mix of high stakes and light-hearted chaos. Yet, the execution feels more like an obligatory paycheck than a genuine effort to recapture the first film’s charm.  Where the original movie was a pleasant surprise that brought unexpected joy during a challenging time, The Eternal City comes off as coasting on the coattails of its predecessor’s success.  It lacks the infectious energy and a large chunk of the warmth that made the first outing memorable, leaning heavily on recycled gags, Jeong’s obnoxious antics, and slapstick humor that quickly wears thin.

The Eternal City shares one element with the previous entry: its indecisive tone. Skirting the edges of a PG-13 rating, it sits in a no-man’s land between gritty action and the life lesson learning accompanying family-friendly entertainment. It’s both too mature for young viewers and not quite right for Bautista’s adult fanbase, who prefer him in all blue as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. The result is a film that pleases no one fully.

The performances, too, are a mixed bag of nuts.  I’m still a strong supporter of Bautista when he’s paired with suitable material, and though he exudes the same rugged charm as he did in the first round, his chemistry with Coleman’s Sophie feels forced now.  To that end, Coleman seems to have outgrown her endearing sidekick phase as quickly as it began, and she struggles to regain that sparkle. I’m not sure what transpired with Schaal’s role between the films, but she’s gone from a standout to a dud, sleepwalking through her scenes.  It’s growing increasingly frustrating to see Jeong, whose popularity in Hollywood remains a head-scratcher, do nothing but bring an exhausting level of clowing around that detracts rather than adding value to any film he appears in.  Poor Faris never seems to realize what film she’s acting in, and she clashes rather jarringly with the rest of the cast.

My Spy The Eternal City (really, does it bother anyone else that there’s a colon missing from this title?) had the potential to cement the continuation of a fizzy franchise (this was written by the brothers who wrote The Meg and it’s crazy sequel for goodness sake!).  Instead, like composer Sean Segal’s generic spy score (yes, he’s the director’s son), it is uninspired and underwhelming.  There’s nothing original about the movie, including sets that look hastily repurposed, and it lacks the visual flair an action film set in the splendor of Rome deserves.  It’s less of a grand adventure and more like a hurriedly assembled sequel that never reaches its intended destination.   Say goodbye, er, ‘ciao’ to this Roman holiday.