Spy’s comedy is fast-paced, highly entertaining, and numerous in variety. In one intense standoff scene between Susan and some hitmen, an oblivious man comes up to ask her “if there’s a Papa John’s around”—only to immediately flee when Susan pulls out a gun, “ohhh I’ll ask someone else!!!” While the individual jokes are great, Spy’s best comedy comes from its wonderful character interactions between Susan and the film’s crew. Spy contains a wonderful assortment of colorfully entertaining characters—Susan’s CIA monitor Nancy (Miranda Hart) is an entertaining combination of typical sitcom best friend placed in a dangerous espionage genre. Hilarity ensues as Nancy starts standard conversations with Susan during an intense chase sequence or acts frantically wacky while protecting a target from a dangerous shootout (trying to hide the target underneath her coat). Nancy’s fish-out-of-water comedy is amplified by her sincere determination to complete the job and help her partner Susan, making her one of Spy’s many likable characters, which includes the villains as well.
My favorite interactions are between McCarthy, Jason Statham, and Rose Byrne’s characters. Statham plays field agent Rick, who goes rogue from disappointment at Susan’s assignment to the mission; Rick spends the film’s majority informing Susan about the preposterously ridiculous missions he’s survived: “I can survive 107 poisons; I know cause I had to ingest all 107 for a mission…died for five minutes before coming back to life”. A running gag involves Rick continuously screwing up his rogue mission all while maintaining Statham’s signature composed, badass persona. Byrne plays the heartless, “kill a minion for sneezing loudly” villain, possessing a deliciously entertaining love-hate-mostly hate relationship with Susan. SPOILERS BEGIN: In an unexpected twist Susan ends up becoming Byrne’s bodyguard, resulting in a barrage of incredibly profane, back-and forth insults between the two which had me in stiches. By the film’s conclusion I grew attached to their very twisted frenemy relationship. SPOILERS END