Spione Undercover - Eine wilde Verwandlung

A spy... who turns into a pigeon? I love it! Blue Sky Studios made excellent use of this idea with great animation, fun characters, exciting action scenes and, most importantly, the dynamic chemistry between the voice actors Will Smith and Tom Holland. These very different characters (one a suave secret agent and the other a meek inventor) interact in very engaging and funny ways. This film exceeded my expectations.

This story is pretty fun and entertaining! The visuals are colourful, the story is light and the jokes are funny. It gives you a smile on your face, both adults and children alike.

Nerdy Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) made gadgets for his hero cop mom until her sacrifice. He spends his time making non-lethal gadgets for a secret spy organization. Super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) is angered by one of his devices and fires him on the spot. Lance wants things that go boom. Then Lance is accused of stealing and goes on the run to clear his name. The only person who can help is the nerd he fired earlier. Walter has a new secret potion and Lance takes it before being told that it would turn him into a pigeon.

I was expecting worst but this is actually fun. Holland and Smith are a good duo. Smith is being a cartoon Smith which is the normal Smith. Holland is a nerdy kid. They're great together. Solid animation is from Blue Sky. I'm happy that the other birds don't talk but Lance can hear them. The last act does go on a bit too long. It's biggest mistake is probably the forgettable title. I'm looking straight at it and I still don't remember it. Call it James Bird. This is good for adults and probably fun for the kids.

I don't usually go watch animated movies - very rarely, but in light of the lack of new releases (at least interesting enough for me...) I decided to tag a long with the kids and watch this one... The first surprise was to see how busy the room was - on Christmas day - that was really a surprise, secondly although a very simple story, the fun is there and I kept on listening to the little ones sending some nice laughters and grown ups as well. Is definitely one with a message that spams generations but, will resonate a lot with the kids of this generation. Is fun, has a message, it's action packed and you know what, with a little more investment this one has the potential to have a part 2...

A fun story and funny characters make this film one that the whole family can enjoy. Be prepared to learn pigeon facts!