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Parents' Guide to

The Spy Next Door

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Jackie Chan family flick high on stunts but low on laughs.

Movie PG 2010 92 minutes
The Spy Next Door Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 37 parent reviews

Catherine S.
Catherine S. Adult
November 27, 2020
age 9+

My son loved it

This is a silly movie, not to be taken seriously or judged harshly. Villains are comically cheesy. Jackie Chan is enjoyable, as always, great screen presence and amazing martial arts. There’s some funny slapstick. My son loved it, and I liked it. We’ve watched it several times.
1 person found this helpful.
Rodrigo A.
Rodrigo A. Parent of 5-year-old
November 29, 2020
age 6+

The perfect choice for the first Jackie Chan movie

This title has:

Great role models
See all 37 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Bob Ho (Jackie Chan) is a Chinese operative who works for the CIA, but he's retiring in order to settle down with his attractive neighbor, Gillian (Amber Valletta), a single mom with three kids, who all think that Bob's a boring, bespectacled pen importer. To prove himself to Gillian, who's reluctant to get serious unless her kids approve, Bob offers to babysit her children -- angsty 13-year-old Farren (Madeline Carroll), precocious 11-year-old Ian (Will Shadley), and adorable 4-year-old Nora (Alina Foley) -- while she visits a hospitalized relative. Meanwhile, a Russian criminal escapes from prison and goes after a secret file in Bob's possession, forcing Bob to reveal himself as a spy to keep the kids safe. George Lopez and Billy Ray Cyrus co-star as Bob's former CIA handler and colleague, respectively.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (37 ):
Kids say (70 ):

Eight-year-old boys aren't a picky lot; any movie with stunts, a few silly jokes, and kids who get to play heroes is going to appeal to them. Parents of 8-year-old boys, however, know that they deserve better than formulaic action comedies about a spy-turned-babysitter who can "take down dictators" but can't make a bowl of oatmeal. We've seen this all before (The Pacifier), and while it passes for mild diversion, a truly compelling movie it isn't. Chan is no doubt a gifted martial artist, and in buddy adventure-comedies, he shines. Unfortunately, he's too much of a goofball to make him a believable love interest (we heard audible "eewws" when he and Valletta kissed).

Even if you forget the romance (since it's just a device to get Chan into babysitting mode), the gags with the kids are all so predictable and corny that only the aforementioned third-graders will laugh; everyone else is more likely to roll their eyes. Lopez has very little to do, and Cyrus is in all of three scenes. Instead, a group of Russian villains (with awful accents and even worse jokes) is relied upon to provide the (faux) drama. Chan's stunts as he holds off the Russians are impressive, but they always are with him, and a few well-executed stunts just aren't enough to make a movie worth your time and money.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's messages about honesty and family relationships. What does Bob mean when he tells Farren that family isn't about "blood" but "love"?

  • The movie's violence is pretty mild, but there are still several characters that use guns. Is this OK for a family movie?

  • Is Jackie Chan believable as a romantic lead? Why or why not?

  • How are the Russian villains portrayed? Are Russians still considered a threat to America?

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