Agent Cody Banks
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Teen spy spoof with gadgets, girls is fun for tweens, teens.
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Agent Cody Banks
Community Reviews
Based on 12 parent reviews
Lots of sexual references
Not at all appropriate for kids
What's the Story?
Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle) plays Cody Banks, a 15-year-old who has been attending a CIA-sponsored summer camp that has given him all the training he needs to be a junior secret agent. But when he gets his first assignment, to get close to Natalie (Hillary Duff, TV's Lizzie McGuire), the daughter of a scientist, it turns out that $10 million of training that covered every detail of combat and espionage left out one detail -- how to talk to girls. So, Cody gets some quick and confusing lessons and then finds himself in a new school, trying to make friends with Natalie. He finally gets the hang of it just in time to save the day when she is kidnapped and taken to that most popular of spy movie destinations, the bad guy's arctic secret lair.
Is It Any Good?
AGENT CODY BANKS seems like a combination of the James Bond movie Dr. No and 2002's Clockstoppers. Kids and teens will enjoy it, but it's not as imaginative and funny as the first two Spy Kids movies. Muniz and Duff are always fun to watch, and there are some nice stunts, especially a skateboard rescue of a toddler in a runaway car and a snowboard entry into the bad guy's arctic lair. Saturday Night Live's Darryl Hammond is a lot of fun as the equivalent of James Bond's "Q" character, the guy with all the gadgets. Angie Harmon does not have much to do except show up in a series of outfits more appropriate for Spy Barbie. And the movie wastes the time and talents of two of Hollywood's best actors, Martin Donovan and Cynthia Stevenson, as parents of the teens in the lead roles.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Agent Cody Banks compares with other spy movies -- both silly and serious ones.
Do you like Freddie Muniz as much in movies as you do on TV?
Have you ever thought about being a spy? Do you think it would be fun? Dangerous? Both?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 14, 2003
- On DVD or streaming: August 5, 2003
- Cast: Angie Harmon , Frankie Muniz , Hilary Duff
- Director: Harald Zwart
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: MGM/UA
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Adventures
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: action violence, mild language and some sensual content.
- Last updated: September 30, 2023
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