Agent Cody Banks *** (2003, Frankie Muniz, Ian McShane, Arnold Vosloo, Hilary Duff, Angie Harmon, Martin Donovan, Cynthia Stevenson, Daniel Roebuck, Keith David) – Classic Movie Review 1916

Director Harald Zwart’s 2003 teen comedy is a pleasant vehicle for TV’s Malcolm in the Middle’s Frankie Muniz , who stars as a spy kid CIA agent hired by a slinky sexpot (Angie Harmon) to protect a teenage girl (Hilary Duff) whose father (Martin Donovan) has been abducted by an evil villain (Ian McShane) and his henchman (Arnold Vosloo). Cynthia Stevenson and Daniel Roebuck also star as Mrs and Mr Banks.

As junior James Bond capers go, this is no Spy Kids, but Muniz is a little star, who is game for anything, and the action is pretty entertaining. The script is lazy, the direction slack, and, apart from the amusing Vosloo, the other actors are not much help. But it is still a reasonable fun, daft caper, enjoyable for its high spirits and for Muniz as agent 0031⁄2.

Also in the cast are Keith David, Darrell Hammond, Connor Widdows, Eliza Norbury and Andy Thompson.

There are 16 credited producers, among them Madonna: what the heck were they all doing? The GB 12 certificate release is a cut version. A hasty sequel Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London followed in 2004.

Muniz was paid $2 million and an even happier-making $5 million for the sequel.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1916

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