Team Weird Rules! Spies In Disguise Parent Movie Review

Think Daniel Craig’s James Bond: but as a pigeon. Oh- who also has the eyebrows of Will Smith. That’s just a smidge of the weird that the newest movie from 20th Century Fox brings to Spies in Disguise. But does it work? And is Spies in Disguise safe for kids? Here’s what you need to know from the Spies in Disguise Parent Movie Review before you take the kids – and trust me, they will be quoting Spies in Disguise all holiday break long!

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What’s Spies in Disguise About?

Spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and brilliant scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are total opposites in pretty much every way. Except that they work for the same super-spy agency, they’d probably never have met. Where Lance is smooth, suave and debonair, Walter is…not. But events transpire that require this odd couple to team up for a mission to save the world. The only problem? It requires Lance to go undercover as a pigeon. Yup, a pigeon.

Rated: PG

Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes

Spies in Disguise Review

Last month I had a chance to speak with the Spies in Disguise directors who shared 007 weird but fun facts about the making of this movie. Check that post out if you want some behind the scenes stories and a peek at the movie-making magic.

We also screened the movie and saw an early viewing of all the spycraft coming to theaters on December 25th. Is Spies in Disguise family-friendly and safe for kids? Mostly… there are some minor concerns.

Let’s Get Weird

I wasn’t sure what to expect, exactly, but I’m a fan of both Tom Holland and Will Smith’s work, so I was hopeful. Would this movie be fun for the whole family (adults included?) or was this one aiming for the under 12 crowd only?

I’m happy to report that it spans all ages with smart visuals, banter, and actors that will keep everyone smiling.

Spies in Disguise doesn’t shy away from the tropes of a Spy movie: think James Bond, think Mission Impossible but with Will Smith.

And birds.

Think buddy cop movie with opposites attracting.

But with Tom Holland as the awkward one (I mean, that’s a stretch but okay, I can suspend disbelief here!).

While it’s pretty much what you’d expect as far as the gizmos and gadgets, where Spies in Disguise is different is the message pointed at children. And that was by design.

Spies in Disguise wants to bring to the table the discussion of how we save the world- not just that we do it, but that the manner in which we go about it should be factored in.

Can Glitter Kitties actually make a difference? In Spies in Disguise, we find out that maybe, just maybe, a kinder and gentler approach to the world issues might just work.

If you think about it, this is probably the first spy movie many kids will see since it’s an animated PG-rated movie.

The message of “Team Weird” (ie- Being weird is good! Be yourself! Don’t let society change you!) is shared loudly from some of the opening scenes is something parents can get behind.

It didn’t feel overdone or forced, either, and made for an enjoyable movie that most everyone in your family can enjoy.

When Can You Pee During Spies in Disguise?

This is something parents are always asking- and I’ve got that covered for you.

If you have young ones that need to know, check out this post about when you can pee during Spies in Disguise.

Spies In Disguise Parent Movie Review

This movie had me laughing out loud a lot- and I kept thinking how loud the theater will be when packed with kids.

Will Smith and Tom Holland are delightful together and the chemistry works well with these characters.

Is Spies in Disguise Safe for Kids?

That’s the big question: is Spies in Disguise safe for kids? For the most part, yes.

But there are some moments that more conservative parents should know about when deciding how kid-friendly Spies in Disguise is for your family.

Spies does have some adult jokes (as Lance Sterling is shrinking into a bird, he looks down his pants to see if all his parts are shrinking) that kids will pick up on.

There’s also one pretty lengthy scene involving a pretty big naked booty. And as far as animated butt scenes go, this one went on for a long time.

Your kids? They will double over and laugh- you, maybe not so much.

You also have the usual potty humor that you can expect in a movie trying to pull in that pre-teen audience to contend with.

Somewhere, somehow, it has been determined that butts are hilarious and therefore they must be included in all animated shows these days.

I don’t remember any profanity or huge language issues on this one, so it’s pretty clean on that scale.

Another point to note: the death of a parent is discussed in the movie and this could be a concern for children who have recently lost a parent. While it’s not a huge focus of the film, it is apparent that it happened and you should be aware of it.

To wrap up the Spies in Disguise parent movie review, I’d say this is likely something your whole family will love- and the kids will probably be asking to download the Agents on the Run video game after the movie. (and totally do it- it’s a lot of fun!)

Spies in Disguise is in theaters on December 25, 2019!