DVD REVIEW

(out of 4) Equal parts parody, espionage thriller and lethal skewering of sexism, Spy is Melissa McCarthy’s wicked take on the 007 persona.

She commands the screen in a role both comic and dramatic, a welcome change from the single-note tedium of most of her assignments since her Oscar-nominated breakout with Bridesmaids.

Reuniting with her Bridesmaids and The Heat director Paul Feig, who also wrote the screenplay, McCarthy gives free rein to every aspect of her personality.

She’s Susan Cooper, a brainy but timid CIA analyst who troubleshoots for brash field agent Bradley Fine, played by a game Jude Law with a knowing wink from the James Bond playbook.

A mission to wrest an atomic bomb from a Bulgarian arms dealer goes disastrously awry, exposing the CIA’s top agents. The only thing left to do is to send in an unknown one, the untested Cooper, much to the chagrin of the agency’s brass (Allison Janney radiates authority) and fellow spies (Jason Statham amusingly sulks). There’s more to McCarthy this time than her familiar wisecracks and pratfalls.

Turns out she’s Cooper, Susan Cooper, but to prove it, she’ll have to take on not only ruthless terrorist Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), but also the sexist culture of the CIA.

The laddish antics of Austin Powers, Johnny English and the original Casino Royale seem downright juvenile by comparison.

Extras include an unrated cut, 18 deleted/alternate scenes, a gag reel and making-of featurettes. Peter Howell

There’s more to Melissa McCarthy this time than her familiar wisecracks and pratfalls