MovieFreak.com - "Agent Cody Banks" Special Edition DVD Review by Dennis Landmann

Ronica Miles, a CIA agent (Angie Harmon), selects a young CIA trainee, Cody Banks (Frankie Muniz), to assist in an important mission; befriend Natalie Connors (Hilary Duff), the daughter of a famous engineer. Dr. Connors (Martin Donovan) is developing nanotechnology, which a group of bad guys want to go their hands on. This the CIA can’t allow, and it is up to Cody Banks to save the world, stop the bad guys, and get the girl.

Agent Cody Banks, directed by Harald Zwart (One Night at McCool’s), wants to be a hip kiddie James Bond type of film. Things don’t turn out the way as planned. However, as the script is nowhere near as original, fun, and inventive as Spy Kids, which was written and directed by the talented Robert Rodriguez, a film about a brother and sister who become spy kids, essentially, after finding out their parents are spies.

Okay, so Agent Cody Banks is different, but the differences are what make all the difference. Yeah. First, the film takes itself a little too serious, evident in the basic plot. It’s right from the start the viewer can gather this—Cody Banks witnesses a child trapped behind the wheel of an out of control car going down a very long street. He takes his skateboard and chases down the car, climbing on top and inside of it, and finally clutching the brake just in time to stop in front of an oncoming train. The effect plays somewhat like the one at the end in The Fast & The Furious, and you know it’s a staged event using special effects. By taking itself too serious, Agent Cody Banks loses the effect of being funny. There aren’t any jokes here, just some small humorous scenes. I think for a film like this, the word “funny” needs to be a primary mission objective.

Also, the film tries to come up with original material not present in any of the James Bond films, although it fails at that. As much as it wants to distance itself from Bond, it can’t. For example, the gadgets, the hot car, a snowy mountain top chase, and the obligatory climax inside the bad guys’ secret lair. Similarities exist, and while the film acknowledges some of them, the rest is just plain and silly. Cody Banks is a shy and reluctant 16 year-old, but he still is the CIA’s best hope to infiltrate the home of Dr. Connors. There needs to be a better plan that this, right? Well, considering this is mainly a Frankie Muniz vehicle, and is it really anything else, Agent Cody Banks squeezes by for making certain decisions to fit the profile. One thing I couldn’t figure out is the ridiculous CIA recruiting program for its younger agents, referred to in the film as a summer camp where attendees participate in rigorous exercises and hardcore training. Talk about being far-fetched.

Moreover, the film suffers mostly from its cardboard characters, from the silly gadget engineer (a funny Darrell Hammond, SNL cast member) to the grumpy CIA Director (Keith David), and from the cute girl (Duff) to the cliché bad guys (Ian McShane and Arnold Vosloo). Cody Banks himself is a flawed character—he can’t talk to girls—although that makes his appearance a little better than those of the other characters. At one point in the film, a set of characters (Army colonel, psychologist, and a cynical agent) belabor Cody at a debriefing of his mission, talking some seriously strange rubbish—this scene is freaking odd.

Additionally, the script is sometimes good, but tired also, and it’s interesting to note The People vs. Larry Flynt screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are credited as two of the four writers on the film. The action is moderate, at times looking pretty good, however, considering the film’s relatively low budget of roughly $35 million. Frankie Muniz does a pretty good job here, although Hilary Duff is underwritten and underused, rendering her good looks and charm pretty much useless. Some good points here is the film’s smooth pace, some fun action scenes, and some small workable humor.

Overall, Agent Cody Banks is just a little too silly and plain to be anything more than a decent-at-best kid’s adventure flick. Take a look at it if you like the two main stars, or want to see people playing grown-up James Bond characters. Other than that, this film is a missed opportunity.

MGM presents Agent Cody Banks both in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 fullscreen pan & scan (on side B). This transfer offers a slightly dark and sometimes soft appearance, while pixelation occurs in some of the film’s darker scenes. Colors are bright at times, but on the whole seem a little subdued. This could be due in part by the slightly dark video presentation. Print quality is pretty adequate as only a few minor specks occur. There are also a few instances of edge enhancement visible. Overall, MGM’s video transfer is surprisingly only pretty decent and average.

MGM presents Agent Cody Banks in English 5.1 Digital Surround Sound. This presentation could be a lot better considering the type of material present. While dialog scenes are clear and easy to understand, the sound effects of the action scenes, and so forth, could’ve been nicely situated to emit from the rear speakers—although this is not the case. However, the soundtrack does offer some good bass for the sound effects occasionally. Surround usage is mainly perceptible by the film’s score (by John Powell), which is also overused, I might add. You can also select to view the film in French and Spanish Stereo Surround.

MGM is pretty generous in terms of the extras, including various amounts in this special edition. Aside from a few generally informative discussions in the audio commentary by Director Harald Zwart and actors Angie Harmon and Frankie Muniz, the DVD features some interesting featurettes and other supplements on the pan & scan side of the DVD.

First up is the 4-minute plus Developing Cody Banks, a brief featurette on casting, story ideas and the various meetings and discussions that needed to happen before the movie could be shot. This is somewhat enjoyable, and explains the process of making films to even the smallest of viewers. Next is Creating Cody's World, a featurette split into two segments, one entitled “Ronica's Closet” (Harmon's costume designs) and the other “Production Design.” Then there is Posting Cody Banks: A Few Dope Items, providing a look at Cody's gadgets and the special effects of the film. The next featurette is The Music of Agent Cody Banks, showing the creation of John Powell’s film score. Directory’s Diary lasts roughly 12 minutes and is a more candid featurette that follows Harald Zwart as he prepares for some of the film’s important scenes, gives an insight into the editing process, and reveals aspects of the film’s release.

The next three featurettes focus on Frankie Muniz and Hilary Duff specifically. Frankie Going Big shows the young actor’s development during the film’s production, both on and off screen. Next up is the 7-minute Agent Action, which offers some insight into the frequent stunt sequences in the film. How to Talk to Girls sees the cast and crew giving Frankie Muniz some mock pointers on how to talk to Hilary Duff. Lastly, the content of Makeup Tricks by Hilary Duff is pretty obvious with Duff offering some beauty tips. On a site note, there is no “play-all” function for these featurettes, which would have been really practical here.

This is not all, as you’ll also get the following: Storyboard-to-film comparisons (skateboard chase and the film’s finale), 3 multi-angle featurettes, a Photo Gallery, the film’s Theatrical Trailer, an exclusive sneak peek at the Cody Banks sequel, and bonus trailers for other MGM films(Legally Blonde 2, Uptown Girls, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Special Edition DVD).

You can select to view the film with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. The DVD’s menus are interactive, but not animated. The 102-minute feature is organized into thirty-two chapters.

Agent Cody Banks is a so-so adventure. It’s got action and some thrills, but the humor never really gets out. The video/audio transfers are pretty decent, but not great, and the assortment of special features is pretty big and fun to watch. Make this special edition of Agent Cody Banks your next rental.

THE MOVIE	4
THE VIDEO	7
THE AUDIO	7
THE EXTRAS	7
OVERALL (not an average)	5