The Spy Next Door

Plot synopsis:
The movie starts off with a montage of fights and stunts from Chan's older movies including The Tuxedo and Operation Condor and then cuts to Bob Ho (Chan) waking up. The next shot features his next-door neighbors waking up, with Gillian (Amber Valletta) and her three children, Nora (youngest one and very girlish; played by Alina Foley), Ian ('geeky' and intelligent, played by Will Shadley) and Farren (stereotypical teenager and the oldest, played by Madeline Carroll) all experiencing a normal morning. The family has three pets which consists of a pig, turtle and a cat.Gillian strolls outside with her children to take the two older kids to school and Bob Ho, who supposedly works as a pen importer, spots her and helps her push down the trash can to the sidewalk. The two are shown to be romantic and the three kids are shown to be against it, due to them thinking he is nerdy and uninteresting. Later at night, Bob and Gillian are on a date celebrating their three month anniversary and although Bob tries to tell her that he's a CIA agent, his cellphone receives a message and he has to leave right away.Bob and Colton James (Billy Ray Cyrus) sneak into an American oil refinery and Bob catches the villains, who were trying to put a liquid into the oil supply. After returning to his work station, he informs he is retiring from being a CIA agent to finally settle down and live with his soon to be family. Bob begins removing his spy gear, but Glaze (George Lopez) tells him to keep his watch. Later, through the phone, Colton informs Bob that he sent files found in the Russian base to his computer.The following day, Gillian and the children visit Bob and informs him that her father was injured and needs his hip replaced so she'll be out of town and needs Bob to take care of the children for a few days. Though the children try anything to get out of the situation, Bob believes it'll be a great time to get the kids to like him. While Bob packs his items to go to Gillian's home, the children snoop around the house. Ian runs to Bob's Macintosh and finds a file he believes to be a pirated concert; using his iPod, he downloads it but it turns out to be the files that Colton had sent earlier, a formula to turn oil into dust.Meanwhile, Poldark (Magnus Scheving), the villain caught by Bob, escapes jail and returns to his minions. Poldark discovers his files have been taken and he tracks down the location to Bob's residence. Poldark and his minions set out to recover the files downloaded into Ian's iPod and to kill them all. While at a restaurant, Bob and the children are attacked by Larry (Lucas Till), a Russian spy, who attacks them with a knife, after having lied about going to university and being a poet. Bob fights him off and explains to the children about his true self and that he's a former CIA agent.Leaving the restaurant, Glaze appears and demands for the files with a gun. Bob knocks him out and runs away with the children in the car. In it, Bob discovers that the villains must have traced him with the watch Glaze told him to keep earlier and he leaves it in a rock in a desert. They escape into a hotel where Farren calls Gillian and tries explaining about who Bob really is and all the danger they've been in. Bob tells her to come pick up the kids right away. The next morning, all four go back home and Gillian yells at Bob and exclaims that their relationship is over.As he has unfinished business to take care of, Bob walks off being watched by Ian. Ian dresses up in a spy gear and runs out of the house on his bicycle preparing to assist Bob. Farren watches him go. Bob retrieves the watch and allows the villains to trace him to where he is, in an empty factory-like area. Ian shows up and due to him, the villains catch Bob and tie him up in a chair with Ian. The villains then remove the cameras placed around the place and Farren shows up tied up by Larry.After being interrogated, Bob discovers that it was Ian who had downloaded the files into his iPod at home. Most of the Russians hop on their vehicles to get the iPod, while Bob, with his spy ring with a razor blade, unties the three. The kids run to safety while Bob fights Larry, Glaze and Poldark with Ian's bicycle. After defeat, the two kids and Bob run into the car, take off and drive back home as fast as possible. After arriving, they discover Halloween is taking place.The three run home as the enemies run into the house from the windows and doors. Bob calls the CIA for help while he fights off all the villains, with help from the children. The CIA and Colton arrive right after everyone is defeated already and Ian gives his iPod with the files to Colton. After they all leave, Bob prepares to go home but after the children grow very upset, Gillian decides to stay with Bob. The two are later shown being married and Bob tells Gillian during the wedding that he has another secret to inform her; his real name is not Bob

Tags: violence, action, entertaining

Review:
If you're looking for a decent, fun little movie you can watch with your family in a relatively painless fashion then you've come to the right place.For some reason many action stars have supplemented their income by appearing in movies with kids.
And like I said, it works because Jackie Chan doesn't seem shoe-horned into the role.The action is lighter than most Chan movies but it is inventive and fun.
Chan plays a spy on the verge of retirement because he wants to settle down with his girlfriend Gillian (Amber Valetta) and her annoying kids.
Before taking the kids to see this, I read through some quick reviews online (such as RogerEbert.com, etc.), and groaned thinking about the 90 minutes or so I'd have to sit watching this...not to mention the annoying ads stuffed down your throat before the trailers even start.You know, I'm not going to spend time trying to justify why I liked it, laughed at the corny scenes and dialog, slapstick, etc.
I spy a cute, cute family film.....the latest Jackie Chan movie!.
Still, like I said, Chan provides the main reason one would watch and enjoy this movie and it's nice to occasionally see the supporting cast also get in on the action.
While we anticipate Jackie Chan's Asian production with Little Big Soldier this Lunar New Year, he continues his journey in the West with yet another kid and family friendly production with The Spy Next Door, which would fit into the Disney Channel stable given Chan's penchant to appeal to the lowest denominator to draw in the family crowd, and you know just how safe the stunts of Hollywood tend to be when appealing to this demographic.Which leaves The Spy Next Door pretty much a departure from contemporary adventure flicks which tend to draw upon violence and gore in its action sequences, to keep it within a safe, acceptable rating.
Then there's even some drawing from Chan's own real life experiences in his character's monologue about love and family, exploited to add certain emotional gravitas in an otherwise empty film that spends fleeting moments in its underdeveloped subplots about the adventures in parenting/babysitting, from the youngest daughter with a fetish for anything pink, the only son who's a school-bully fodder trying too hard to be cool in school, and an eldest daughter with the usual rebellious teenage attitude problem.With Jackie Chan growing older and slowing down, this shows up in the carefully crafted action sequences, which while I didn't notice any obvious signs of a stunt double, the stunts performed here are quite the walk in the park for Chan many years ago, where I remember being thrilled by the money-shot stunt sequences that each of his films would highlight.
If anything, there's a number of obvious wire-work that you know Hollywood would dabble with, either for stunt safety reasons, for laughs, or just to plain exaggerate.The Spy Next Door works as a family popcorn movie, keeping a lot of things safe and will entertain any 5 year old kid.
He works with Billy Ray Cyrus playing himself badly and some agent man who is clearly a double agent as he gives Bob a watch as a memento for leaving the service, presumably with 'plot device' inscribed on the back.Bob attempts to look after Gillian's kids for a week.
Jackie Chan supports the whole thing and it cannot be said that his lovable antics are not suited to a kid's movie.
I promise you I'm not harmful and I will be over before the stupidity gets the better of your suspended disbelief.'The film rests on Jackie Chan's shoulders and there's no denying that he is a very charismatic man, very good with physical comedy and at 55 and after all those injuries, still impressively fit.
Poor Jackie Chan needed some money, that is the only reason he was in this - and not to entertain your little dimbulb rugrats who couldn't tell the difference between a good movie and static in the first place.
Thus, we changed for this one because the kid likes very much Jackie Chan and as it involved kids, I knew that mine would feel related.As the movie started, I thought that Chan was already an icon in my teens so this guy is really tireless and he worths an official recognition for his dedication toward world cinema.However I felt a bit disappointed because the story didn't take place in Asia but in a deep American suburb.
Even as a nanny, Chan had to fight and I'm dubious if it was really him in certain sequences (I would need a frame to frame analysis to judge).At the end, it was cool to see the bloopers, to notice that the mother was Amber Valetta (who seems to have aged for 20 years since "Hitch") and the kid liked the movie!
It says something when you watch a film that makes the previous middling likes of THE MEDALLION look good.THE SPY NEXT DOOR is a children's comedy that stars Jackie as an ordinary guy who just happens to be a spy.
Every Action Movie Stars make at least one bad Kids film in their career.
Chuck Norris made "Top Dog", Arnold Schwarzeneger "Jingle All the Way", Silvester Stallone "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over", Vin Diesel "The Pacifier", Dwayne Johnson "Tooth Fairy", Bruce Willis "North", Kurt Russell "Sky High" and Jackie Chan "The Spy Next Door".Its like an unwritten law that Action Movie Stars make at least one bad Kids film in their career.
It truly brings me back to the days when I enjoyed family movies as much as any other genre (it has been quite some time).*For any Jackie fans out there, yes, the usual outtake real does come before this one just like all of his other movies and as allows its a must watch..
Even before the credits from the beginning, The Spy Next Door had already made a very big mistake: showing us some of the best scenes in Jackie Chan's career, something which reminds us of this actor's tremendous courage...and makes us suspect we are never going to see it in this movie.But well...Chan (as an actor) has a reputation for never bowing down or surrendering himself, something which is clear with his participation in The Spy Next Door, a new addition to the list of horrible North American films he has been involved in.The sporadic action sequences and Chan's stunts are not enough for compensating the pathetic "funny" scenes and the vomiting screenplay.I spent every second from The Spy Next Door wishing to go back to my home in order to watch my DVDs of the Police Story trilogy, Armour of God or Drunken Master 2 again, with the intention of cleaning the bad taste and reviving my appreciation for Chan.As for the performances, Chan and Amber Valleta (one of the few "models-actresses" with a genuine histrionic talent) are wasted on their roles, while George López and Billy Ray Cyrus make a fool of themselves with their pathetic work.In summary, I suggest you not to waste your time and money with this genuine atrocity called The Spy Next Door.If you wanna see a good family action film, I recommend you Spy Kids; and if you wanna see a good family comedy, I recommend you School of Rock..
If you consider this as entirely a kid's movie, along the lines of the low budget Disney live action films of the late 60s and 70s like Herbie Goes Bannanas, then you've got a rating of at least 8.
These stereotypes include (1) All Russians are evil; (2) the female love interest always finds an implausible reason for dumping Bob Ho (Jackie Chan)before she later reconciles with him; (3) If you want to gain the respect of bullies, you have to beat someone up - preferably an evil Russian who is storming throughout your house looking for a secret formula; (4) If you have Jackie Chan in your film, give him lots of choreographed karate or agile tricks to do; and (5) If you want to win over kids who are not your own, you better be a great action hero.
I don't understand how Disney Pixar or DreamWorks can make animated films adults and kids enjoy alike (such as Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon, and Shrek for example), but somehow no one has come up with a solution to making an entertaining live action family movies (Marmaduke, Cats and Dogs, and now this).
Gregory Poirier was also hired to help improve the script, but he was the director of Tomcats, so as you can see there wasn't much talent behind the making of the film, except perhaps the actors.Jackie Chan is Bob Ho, a Chinese Spy who is working for the CIA.
Bob will have to find a way to befriend the kids: The oldest is Farren (Madeline Carroll), an adolescent teenager who wants to dress as she pleases, next is Ian (Will Shadley), a very smart kid who gets beat up in class and tends to lie a lot, and the smallest is Nora (Alina Foley), a very cute and adorable four year old girl who likes pink very much.
Little does he know that the kids are planning on making his experience a nightmare, and at the same time Poldark has escaped from prison and wants something from Bob.The only entertaining value I got from this film was from Jackie Chan, whose stunts are always fun to watch.
The kid actors were actually pretty good and I thought Alina Foley was very cute in the film (too bad they didn't have the right material to work with).
I wouldn't recommend this film, although I know some kids might enjoy the silly comedy, and Jackie Chan fans might want to check it out as well as he plays his usual self.
Any long time Jackie Chan fan will not like this movie out of several reasons; first and foremost because of the character Jackie plays - Bob Ho - who is made of paper-mâché.
And the fact that he somehow has managed to entice a woman's heart and being her lover, well, that is ridiculous.There is no doubt in my mind that kids will love this movie, but even so, we should not encourage them to see such poorly done films, especially not when there are CGI-movies that are so much better and done with passion and love for the craft; like many of Jackie's previous films.Whether we like it or not, Jackie is not 25 years old anymore, neither is he inclined to risk his own life to make us gasp in front of our LEDs, LCDs, Plasmas or worn out silver screens, but rather intent on entertaining us with projects that he hopes are as fun to watch as they are stimulating for him to make.
Whatever we feel about some of his movies, we should not forget that Jackie Chan is a big hearted man, if you know anything about him, you know he is philanthropist, people like him love to make other people smile, and from what I've gathered throughout the years, that is the essence of his being.
I wasn't disappointed.The best thing about the film was the "pitch": Jackie Chan playing a good spy who tries to win over his girlfriend's mostly spoiled children.
At the end of the day, there are some moments of humour, but as a 23 year old, the jokes, the lame action can only go so far.The movie is basically about a Chinese spy who is on loan to the CIA.
Jackie Chan plays Bob Ho, a man with as much personality as his any of his past heroes, which tend to be cop / secret agent belonging to the Hong Kong / Chinese police / spy agency, and here he's on loan to the CIA because of warming Sino-US relations.
Jackie Chan plays Bob Ho, a man with as much personality as his any of his past heroes, which tend to be cop / secret agent belonging to the Hong Kong / Chinese police / spy agency, and here he's on loan to the CIA because of warming Sino-US relations.
For years he's been helping out and solving what the Americans cannot, keeping in line with Hollywood's trend of putting China in good light, and he does so undercover and under fake glasses, living next to a divorcée (played by Amber Valletta) whom he fancies, and her three kids.They do not know his identity as his cover is as a geeky pen salesman, and like any super- hero film, has to keep his identity, abilities and tools a secret, which you know will be threatened for exposure as he grows closer to the family, wanting to take his relationship with Valletta's Gillian to the next step, and working toward seeking acceptance from her children, only for a Russian criminal to escape and threaten the world's oil reserve, and having to grapple with a mole within the CIA.
For years he's been helping out and solving what the Americans cannot, keeping in line with Hollywood's trend of putting China in good light, and he does so undercover and under fake glasses, living next to a divorcée (played by Amber Valletta) whom he fancies, and her three kids.They do not know his identity as his cover is as a geeky pen salesman, and like any super- hero film, has to keep his identity, abilities and tools a secret, which you know will be threatened for exposure as he grows closer to the family, wanting to take his relationship with Valletta's Gillian to the next step, and working toward seeking acceptance from her children, only for a Russian criminal to escape and threaten the world's oil reserve, and having to grapple with a mole within the CIA.
Then there's even some drawing from Chan's own real life experiences in his character's monologue about love and family, exploited to add certain emotional gravitas in an otherwise empty film that spends fleeting moments in its underdeveloped subplots about the adventures in parenting/babysitting, from the youngest daughter with a fetish for anything pink, the only son who's a school-bully fodder trying too hard to be cool in school, and an eldest daughter with the usual rebellious teenage attitude problem..
If it is possible to age gracefully – and it isn't really – Jackie Chan makes a pretty good case for it in The Spy Next Door.
The scene of Chan trying to take down the bad guys with a four year old wrapped around his leg is parenting in a nutshell.The Spy has delightfully subtle jokes throughout that entertain the grown ups without interfering in the kids' experience.
Possibly due to the box office success of movies like "Kindergarten Cop" and "The Pacifier", action star Jackie Chan decided to do a family movie of his own.
But i hope that doesn't stop you.Bob Ho(Jackie Chan) is a spy, and want's to retire, and marry his girlfriend Gillian.
i had some great expectations on this movie starring one of the greatest hero we have ever seen - Jackie Chan.i loved his movies since i was a kid, and i love his cartoon shows even now in my Twenties.The Forbidden kingdom was awesome.But in this movie, really somethings missing, A Villain who does unwatchable silly comedy Scenes,Not so great Jackie stunts,silly Screenplay, and unrealistic direction.It doesn't make so good of an impression.Common Jackie, don't sign up for such movies.The only reason i saw this movie or rated it for 5 was because of Jackie.
My daughter was watching the movie and I noticed a scene where Jackie Chan was trying to dress the little girl on the floor as she struggled with him.At one point (while she was in her underwear) she is laying directly in front of him on her back and begins kicking him.
I realized that Jackie Chan was such a good actor as I had never watched a movie where I could see his acting.
Jackie Chans movie The Spy Next Door has the Wilhelm Scream in it.
Things get even hairier when his nemesis escapes and comes looking for him.Simply a family vehicle for Jackie Chan – who performs his stunts admirably – The Spy Next Door is utter dreck: the narrative is familiar, the child actors are abnormal looking and Billy Ray Cyrus' turn as CIA tech-operative Colton James may cause Crohn's disease.As for dating a spy, just make sure to swallow all your top-secret microfilm before they come over.
Don't you want your child to know what a real Russian accent sounds like, instead of the horribly overdone accents that were featured in The Spy Next Door?The movie starts out with some shots of Jackie Chan doing some action stunts.
It is slapstick comedy at its finest, with a bit of family values thrown in while Russian gangsters are after Ho.Jackie Chan, getting very close to 60, is still his youthful self as secret agent Bob Ho. He is retiring from the business, but as we know from watching many TV shows and movies, it is almost impossible to just retire from that kind of business.
Jackie Chan stars as a spy named Bob Ho. Bob is dating his next-door neighbor Gillian who has three kids that don't like Bob, because they think he is incredibly boring.
The Spy Next DoorWhen I first heard of this movie, I thought "is this a remake of the Pacifier with an Asian guy?" Jackie Chan was in it and I wanted to watch it, despite negative reviews.
(needed more originality)Overall, The Spy Next Door is a great family flick for those who love Jackie Chan.
What I love about this movie is we see Jackie Chan in a father type role which we aren't used to seeing in his films.
THE SPY NEXT DOOR turned out to be a very family friendly action comedy featuring an adorable cast of kids and a perfect role for Jackie Chan.