Spy Hard (1996)

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

I don't recollect much of this film simply because Leslie Neilson has been in some much better efforts than this- airplane, the police squad and the naked gun series to name just a few. Spy Hard may have tried to cash in on Leslie's name but the fact that I cannot remember anything about this movie says everything. To be fair I am rating it a 4 meaning there has to be some redemption factor, probably a few scenes. I will watch it again but I feel that you can give this one a pass if you have better comedy films around.

RELEASED IN 1996 and directed by Rick Friedberg, "Spy Hard" is a spoof of James Bond flicks with Leslie Nielsen as Agent WD-40 and Nicollette Sheridan as Agent 3.14. Stephanie Romanov plays a dual role while Marcia Gay Harden is on hand as the agent's dubious secretary. Andy Griffith plays the main heavy. The first 15 minutes are hilarious, but from there the movie settles down into quietly amusing. The tone is akin to The Naked Gun franchise with its silly humor. The movie coulda done better on the female front, but Sheridan is likable and Harden has a couple worthy scenes. Additional movies are spoofed, like "Pulp Fiction." Overall, it's a throwaway comedy, but it has its goofy charm. THE FILM RUNS 81 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles and Burbank. WRITERS: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer, Dick Chudnow & Friedberg. GRADE: B

Spy Hard is a decent film with an enjoyable but in no way memorable or original,with a good comedic cast.The movie is nothing spectacular and it is easily forgetful,but Leslie Nielsen certainly makes it a lot better,the character was clearly written for him,he was very similar to Frank Drebin from the Naked Gun movies,but certainly didn't have dialogue that was as funny as Drebin has.My favourite part was definitely Weird Al Yankovic's song about the movie in the opening and ending credits,they were both the funniest and the most enjoyable.Its certainly nothing hilarious or an outstanding comedy,but if your a fan of Leslie Nielsen you myth want to watch it just for his sake.Secret agent Dick Steele (Leslie Nielsen) is given a mission to stop General Rancor (Andy Griffith) from destroying the world with a deadly missile.

I saw this originally on cable and thought, given its limited aspirations, it wasn't that bad. Thirteen years later I still feel that way--25% is actually funny as hell, which is 24% more than most comedies of the last thirteen years. Originally I was most taken by Harden, then unknown. Who knew she'd win an Oscar a few years later? Anyway, the comedy in this film is hit and miss but sometimes very clever, such as a flashback to an encounter just seconds earlier. Sure, the pop culture references of '96 are quite dated now, and the whole film ends up as eminently disposable, but it >does< deliver some solid laughs.