Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- breezy
- witty
- casual movie night
- action comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the remake formulaic and lacking effective humor, with the mismatched central performances failing to give its spy adventure much energy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Secret agent Alex Scott must work with cocky boxing champion Kelly Robinson despite their conflicting skills and personalities.
The mission to recover the Switchblade is repeatedly framed through humor and the contrasting comic performances of Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.
The Switchblade stealth fighter is stolen from the government and becomes the central object of the espionage mission.
The protagonists pursue an illegal arms dealer through an international top-secret operation involving Budapest and hostage liberation.
Films like I Spy, and why
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Shares the buddy spy comedy format, mismatched partners, international espionage, and broad comic action.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Shares irreverent secret-agent humor, globe-trotting missions, gadget-driven action, and comic misunderstandings.
Rush Hour
Shares the action-comedy blend, mismatched male leads, undercover danger, and pursuit of an arms-dealing villain.
Movie Details
- Director
- Betty Thomas
- Release Date
- 2002-10-31
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (1081)
Cast
- Eddie Murphy
- Owen Wilson
- Famke Janssen
- Malcolm McDowell
- Gary Cole
- Phill Lewis
- Viv Leacock
- Keith Dallas
- Tate Taylor
- Lynda Boyd
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is I Spy about?
- A swaggering boxer and a tightly wound government agent collide on a globe-spanning mission to recover a stolen stealth fighter.
- What is I Spy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of I Spy as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is I Spy violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in I Spy as mild.
- What did critics think of I Spy?
- Critics broadly found the remake formulaic and lacking effective humor, with the mismatched central performances failing to give its spy adventure much energy.
- Which films are like I Spy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and Rush Hour.
- How long is I Spy?
- I Spy runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch I Spy?
- In United States, I Spy streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
