But when it appears he has died on the job, Cooper’s exasperated boss Allison Janney (somewhat channeling her “ Juno” hubby J.K. She yearns to go after the bad guys herself, but for now she is satisfied with assisting smug undercover dandy Bradley Fine (a very-fine-indeed Jude Law, clearly enjoying a contact high from being in such a free-wheeling ensemble romp), especially since she harbors a not-so-secret crush for him. She’s basically a human GPS who warns of impending threats and wrong turns into danger. She is equally at ease with posing as a Midwest cat lady or engaging in hand-to-hand battle a la Jackie Chan against a female assailant in a confined kitchen space by employing baguettes, frying pans and lettuce as lethal weaponry.īut when we first meet Cooper, she is performing her duties as a field agent’s “earpiece” while live-monitoring his whereabouts via satellite images and a body cam. Most of the pleasure is derived from observing McCarthy’s sweet if insecure Susan Cooper grow from CIA analyst stuck working in a dank vermin-infested bunker to a highly skilled undercover sleuth seeking the whereabouts of a stolen nuke. Feig also provides a decent if convoluted espionage plot-complete with tense action sequences, a surprising twist and 007-inspired opening credits-while spiked with a high percentage of gags that actually succeed. He doesn’t just shoot off a random round of in-jokes and sight gags “Austin Powers”-style. The man behind her breakout in “ Bridesmaids” and her blockbuster pairing with Sandra Bullock in “ The Heat” also steps up his game. Vincent” provided some solace), it is gratifying to see her back in the arms of her best collaborator-director Paul Feig. After her misbegotten turn last summer as a down-on-her-luck sadsack in “ Tammy” left even the most fervent “Mike & Molly” fans worried that the actress had lost her mouthy mojo (although her supporting part in “ St.
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