Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- breezy
- nostalgic movie night
- teen movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film slick and energetic but thin and tiresome, though some recognized its exaggerated goofiness as an intentional spoof of the spy genre.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Michael Corben is mistaken for the similarly named secret agent Michael Corbin and pursued by competing intelligence factions.
British Intelligence supplies James Bond-like gadgets while the villain, assassins, and world-domination scheme heighten genre clichés.
Michael travels to France with his high-school French class while being forced to respond to international agents and assassins.
The production uses a big, bright, fast-moving style for gadgets, pursuit sequences, and exaggerated spy encounters.
Films like If Looks Could Kill, and why
Agent Cody Banks
teen-centered spy spoof combining gadget-driven action, broad comedy, and international intrigue
Spies Like Us
playful espionage adventure built around adolescent identity confusion, comic gadgets, and villains seeking global power
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
comedic subversion of polished spy-film conventions through exaggerated action, gadgets, and absurd villains
Movie Details
- Director
- William Dear
- Release Date
- 1991-03-15
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (183)
Cast
- Richard Grieco
- Gabrielle Anwar
- Roger Rees
- Linda Hunt
- Robin Bartlett
- Carole Davis
- Geraldine James
- Michael Siberry
- Roger Daltrey
- Frederick Coffin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is If Looks Could Kill about?
- A carefree high-school traveler is mistaken for a dead secret agent and thrust into a gadget-filled battle against a would-be European conqueror.
- What is If Looks Could Kill like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of If Looks Could Kill as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is If Looks Could Kill violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in If Looks Could Kill as mild.
- What did critics think of If Looks Could Kill?
- Critics generally found the film slick and energetic but thin and tiresome, though some recognized its exaggerated goofiness as an intentional spoof of the spy genre.
- Which films are like If Looks Could Kill?
- Films with a similar feel include Agent Cody Banks, Spies Like Us, and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
- How long is If Looks Could Kill?
- If Looks Could Kill runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch If Looks Could Kill?
- In United States, If Looks Could Kill streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
