Tweens rejoice

By Ben Hoffman

I’m a moron, what can I say.


Never in my wildest dreams could I have expected Jeff, the cruel Entertainment Editor, to take me seriously when I sarcastically offered to review Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London. I realized my first judgment of him as a human being was incorrect when he handed me the ticket and told me to do it.


So, the following weekend, ticket in hand, teeth gritting and cynicism raring, I entered Chinook Mall, ready to watch a movie aimed at audiences with an average age of 13. Then, I read the ticket again and saw the movie was indeed playing in Eau Claire.


A short transit ride and a few more tears later, I was in the proper theatre, surrounded by the aforementioned young’uns. Words can’t express the feeling I had. It may even be some new unclassified high. I recommend trying it. Really.


Hence, the movie began.


I hated it, at least up until the part where Cody (Frankie Muniz) arrives in London under the ridiculous pretext that his CIA summer camp director was a total dick. It was after his landing that Cody met his new handler, Derek (Anthony Anderson). After leading Cody into a car and a short argument about the car’s music being too loud, Derek gave some advice that really got me thinking.


“You know what your problem is, Banks?” he asked.


Without waiting for a reply, he answered “you’re too old. You need to act like a kid.”


I decided to follow this advice and try to enjoy the movie for what it was, abandoning all of my hostilities toward the situation. Amazingly, from that point, the movie began to pick up.


Cody and Derek went to their assignment, a music boarding school full of interesting personalities the likes of which can only be found in kids movies. Among them, the love interest–if she can even be called that–Emily (Hannah Spearritt).


Once the plot began to pick up, so did the humour. Sprinkled in amidst the comic mischief, Derek made some jokes that could only have been aimed at older teens. More wacky characters were added, and some even appealed to my more adult sensibilities. The movie seemed to have decided to play to its ridiculous premise, and it was all the better for it. I actually kind of enjoyed the movie, after all.


What can I say, I’m a moron.

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