Will Smith, Walter and the birds ride above the sea in this quirky little animated attempt!

Akash 

Spies in Disguise starring the animated versions of actor Will Smith and Walter, a super scientist is the latest released fantasy driven sci-fi anime film directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno. Being a movie with mixed genres blended into a fast paced animation based screenplay, what can fans of films expect from this movie?

To start with, Spies in Disguise has a very simple superhero film like line. Only difference is that the characters are very grounded and the fantasy elements a lot more whacky and quirky. Will Smith (Lance Sterling), is the number 1 spy in the world and he has to stop Robo-hand from latching onto the database that can destroy the whole world. There is also the most interesting character of the film, Walter, who is a brilliant prodigy at science and technology. However, ever since his childhood people considered him weird and his experiments a joke. Together the two form a team eventually to stop Robohand. How do they achieve this forms the rest of the story!

Though this may seem like a regular storyline, the secret potion is the element of the birds. As revealed in the trailer, within 15 minutes into the film, Will Smith is turned into a pigeon and is stuck in the bird’s body. From this point, until a particular scene in the latter half, the film is extremely engaging and funny as well as racy. The transformation of Will Smith into the bird, the car chase sequence, the escape scene at Kimura’s residence are to kill for. These are scenes that hold this animated film really high and keep audiences entertained in a very fresh manner.

Some of the best characters apart from the two leads include the two birds that tag along Walter and his pet which is also a female pigeon. The villain is just about apt and some other supporting characters in this anime also seem quite unique. However, it is Walter and his team of birds that steal the show in most sequences.

Technically, Spies in Disguise is as brilliant as top quality animated films like ‘The Incredibles’, ‘Zootopia’ and a few more. In fact, the visuals and edit go hand in hand to provide for a few gripping sequences. Music too blends well in most places and the technicalities are a pass for this film.

Though there are quite a bunch of positives in this picture, the predictability is inert and very much evident in the last quarter. The scenes are not at all surprising, though they are well shot and written. This could be a drawback for some audiences who may expect the same level of suspense that the first half of the picture withheld. Also, the fact that every such film will not have a sad end is predominantly visible in the way some of the last few scenes are scripted and this could have been a little different.

Overall, Spies in Disguise is a very refreshing, well made, predominantly engaging animated film with a good dose of fantasy and sci-fi elements. The bird sequences are very attractive and this is what keeps a large part of the film alive for the entertainment sector. Though it could have had more finesse towards the end, this Will Smith and Tom Holland combination works out well and would come across as a worthy watch for most audiences! Look out for the post climax scene as it has a nice humour quotient added to it.

Bottomline: Spies in Disguise has the ‘spice’ required for a good animated film with enjoyable fantasy elements!

Rating: 3/5