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The Spy Next Door

The Spy Next Door

Action · Comedy · Family · 2010

Former CIA spy Bob Ho takes on his toughest assignment to date: looking after his girlfriend's three kids, who haven't exactly warmed to their mom's beau. And when one of the youngsters accidentally downloads a top-secret formula, Bob's longtime nemesis, a Russian terrorist, pays a visit to the family.

Movie details

The Spy Next Door

“Part spy. Part babysitter. All hero.”

2010 Action · Comedy · Family 1h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

Former CIA spy Bob Ho takes on his toughest assignment to date: looking after his girlfriend's three kids, who haven't exactly warmed to their mom's beau. And when one of the youngsters accidentally downloads a top-secret formula, Bob's longtime nemesis, a Russian terrorist, pays a visit to the family.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Spy Next Door?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Brian Levant

Written by

James Greer · Jonathan Bernstein · Gregory Poirier

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan

Bob Ho

Amber Valletta

Amber Valletta

Gillian

Madeline Carroll

Madeline Carroll

Farren

Will Shadley

Will Shadley

Ian

Alina Foley

Alina Foley

Nora

Magnús Scheving

Magnús Scheving

Poldark

Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus

Colton James

Court is in session

Put The Spy Next Door on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“It owes the canon nothing.”

The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”

It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.