Deal: Spies in Disguise for $9.99

Need something to entertain the kids during quarantine?  For a limited time Spies in Disguise is $9.99 on digital.  This is a fun kids movie that we called "a beautifully animated adventure featuring two leads with great chemistry . . . and a fantastic soundtrack to entertain both young and old."

It is available in 4K or HD depending on which retailer you go with.  But it is also Movies Anywhere, so it will port to your linked iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, FandangoNOW, and Vudu accounts.

Links for Spies in Disguise:

• Apple (4K)
• Amazon (HD)
• Google Play (4K)
• Vudu (4K)

Note: It is also available at FandangoNOW but is currently $19.99.  We will update if that changes.

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What to Watch This Weekend: March 13, 2020

In Theaters: First Cow

First Cow is an udderly charming film; those hoping for something wonderfully different will enjoy the fantastic characters, writing, and setting, as well as how the film milks each and every shot.  For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Uncut Gems

Adam Sandler's fantastic return to serious roles is a diamond in the rough!  Uncut Gems is complex, with enough facets to allow its fantastic characters to sparkle brightly.  For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Spies in Disguise

Spies in Disguise should not be pigeon-holed into a second tier animated film.  It is a beautifully animated adventure featuring two leads with great chemistry, some truly impressive animation, and a fantastic soundtrack to entertain both young and old.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (HBO): Yesterday 

Yesterday is a film that can be enjoyed even if you are not a Beatles fan!  It has a decent number of funny scenes and solid musical performances by the cast.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Netflix): All The Bright Places

All The Bright Places was recently released on Netflix, and is an emotional film with solid performances by its two stars, Elle Fanning and Justice Smith.

Streaming (Cinemax): The Dead Don't Die
Since it is Friday the 13th, here is a zombie-related movie.  I wanted to love The Dead Don't Die so much more than I did, but now that it is streaming it is a good candidate to enjoy at home.  It has great performances by Bill Murray and Adam Driver, but the story is slow and some of the humor is hit or miss.  

What to Watch This Weekend: December 27, 2019

In Theaters: Spies in Disguise

Spies in Disguise should not be pigeon-holed into a second tier animated film.  It is a beautifully animated adventure featuring two leads with great chemistry, some truly impressive animation, and a fantastic soundtrack to entertain both young and old.  For more information, check out our review!

In Theaters: 1917

1917 uses impressive camera work and Hollywood magic, booming special effects, and impressive sets to tell an authentic, dramatic war story.  For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Ad Astra

Ad Astra is a slow burning near future space journey that will take you to the stars and beyond if you give it the time.  It is a slower watch. but it rewards you with a fantastically realized world and some pretty amazing special effects.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Amazon): Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhall's dark and surprisingly well reviewed movie follows a reporter who breaks into the world of Nightcrawling, i.e., following police sirens in the hopes of getting a scoop on a crime story.  This movie received positive reviews for its dark setting, comedy, and scathing commentary on popular culture! 

Streaming (Starz): Men In Black: International

The series reboot did not get good critical reviews, but has decent audience reviews.  It is a harmless and forgettable member of the series, but one that has two starts with great chemistry in a fun summer adventure through the galaxy. 

Review: Spies in Disguise

Release date: December 25, 2019
Running time: 101 minutes
Starring: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan, Rachel Brosnahan

Spies in Disguise is a new animated film by Blue Sky Studios, the Sony animation studio that is most well known for the Ice Age films.  Spies in Disguise follows super agent Lance Sterling (Smith) when he is forced to team up with brilliant, but kind of bumbling Walter Beckett (Holland) to stop a major threat.  The two have very different strengths and styles, but will have to work together and learn from each other to have any hope of fixing the situation.  Oh, and Lance Sterling spends much of the movie as a pigeon, which further complicates things.    

Spies in Disguise is inspired by 1960s-style action movies and it definitely shows throughout the film.  Lance is the suave, always on top of it spy who wears a tuxedo in the field and sips martinis--basically an animated James Bond.  And the film has beautiful animation with bright colors (when needed), some pretty amazing glitter and other effects, and a variety of locales.  The style is carried over into the sound as well, which has an awesome modern take on 60s style music; the film blends 60s sounds with hip hop artists and some other appropriate sound effects.  It gives the film a unique sound that accentuates the wonderful animation.

Because the two main characters are required to work together, the chemistry between them could make or break this film.  Thankfully, Will Smith and Tom Holland are perfect as an unlikely duo: Smith as a debonair, confident super agent and Holland as the nerdy, awkward, but brilliant scientist.  They play off each other perfectly and have some very funny dialog as they learn to cooperate.  Spies in Disguise's humor follows a trend with animated movies, by making jokes that both kids and adults can enjoy.  There are some references that only the parents will get, which keeps the film interesting for young and old audiences.  In this vein, much of the dialog also has double meaning to keep adults and kids entertained.

However, Spies in Disguise is a much darker movie than I expected for a kids film.  The directors said that the did this to help balance some of the inherent silliness of the movie.  The gritty style helps to ground the movie despite some of the wacky events happening throughout.  My child didn't mind, but if you have small children this movie might be a little scary even for them.  

Spies in Disguise should not be pigeon-holed into a second tier animated film.  It is a beautifully animated adventure featuring two leads with great chemistry, some truly impressive animation, and a fantastic soundtrack to entertain both young and old.

Watch It

BONUS: Check out a Q&A with Directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane.  They talk about the movie, the stars Will Smith and Tom Holland, and the directorial process and how they came up with some of the wacky gadgets.  Warning, this contains spoilers from the film.