My Spy: The Eternal City Review

My Spy was a theatrical release relegated to streaming with little fanfare because of COVID lockdowns. The generation that grew up with such gems like The Game Plan, The Pacifier, and The Spy Next Door may have been prone to share the Dave Bautista-led movie with their children or younger relatives, but the former athlete/action star meets precocious child actor formula wasn’t enthusiastically welcomed in 2020. This was also the sentiment shared about My Spy, and yet it got a sequel with My Spy: The Eternal City, an unnecessary follow-up that struggles at every turn.

The sequel follows JJ (Dave Bautista) as he takes on a more relaxed role at the CIA and becomes a stronger father figure to Sophie (Chloe Coleman), now a moody teenager. Sophie is both a protégé and surrogate daughter to JJ, which can sometimes be conflicting. With Sophie getting older, things aren’t as smooth sailing as they once were. Things come to a head when Sophie’s school choir is invited to Italy, providing an opportunity for her to get closer to her crush, but JJ and Sophie must work together to prevent a catastrophic nuclear scheme aimed at the Vatican.

My Spy: The Eternal City’s Action Is Fine, But Where Are The Laughs?

My Spy: The Eternal City is definitely showing off its budget increase in a myriad of ways. From the locations, action, and casting, the sequel has definitely been amped up. Bautista is charming as a lovable, goofy, lethal human weapon, and Coleman continues showing signs of being a breakout star. But aside from the amplified production and the leading performances, the Prime Video movie is practically a snoozefest.

For The Eternal City to have worked, it should’ve had several hearty laughs and jokes that felt natural and fit the over-the-top action sequences. I cannot recall a single moment when I had a genuine laugh, which is quite upsetting as the overall plot and performances fall flat too often.

From Kristen Schaal, Ken Jeong, Craig Robinson and the unrecognizable Anna Faris, this cast should be brimming with golden comedic moments, but it seems every one of these comedy legends is sleeping through their performances. Farris, in particular, is saddled with audaciously lousy writing and direction despite being one of the best comedic actresses of her generation. She is better than this!

My Spy: The Eternal City Never Finds The Right Balance

The film’s central narrative is about JJ and Sophie’s evolving relationship as JJ comes to terms with Sophie not needing him as much as she becomes more independent. The story is sweet, and the two actors have lovely chemistry. When we reached the conclusion and the two inevitably reconciled, it was strong enough to bring a tear to my eye. It’s a satisfying arc and emotional throughline, which is at least worth watching if you enjoyed the first film.

But The Eternal City struggles to balance sentimental messaging, action, and comedy. Sophie is older now, but the humor hasn’t matured with her. If director Peter Segal and co-writers Jon Hoeber and Eric Hoeber are still trying to entertain audience members below the age of 13, then some more teen-friendly jokes and comedic moments are needed. Furthermore, the “villain” reveal is beyond obvious, the crisis is cookie-cutter material for this subgenre, and the stakes aren’t truly important.

I hate to harp on this, but all could be forgiven if the film was genuinely funny. With a star-studded cast and a silly premise, what is the film even doing if there aren’t any lung-bursting laughs? The Eternal City struggles with finding the tonal balance between a child-friendly action-comedy and an adult-appropriate action-comedy. There is a reality where Sophie’s story can be spun off as a Kim Possible-like teen adventure. The Eternal City toys with this idea, but JJ remains at the wheel instead of in the backseat, and I don’t think it was the right choice.

My Spy: The Eternal City is available to stream on Prime Video July 18.