| 80 |
Los Angeles Times
A clever and lively action-adventure with a warm sense of humor and smart dialogue that allows for an affectionate and fleet-footed satire of the classic elements of the Bond franchise.
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| 70 |
Variety
As a spy pic, it has more pizzazz than the last few Bond adventures, "The Sum of All Fears" or "The Recruit."
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| 63 |
Chicago Sun-Times
A high-speed, high-tech kiddie thriller that's kinda cute but sorta relentless.
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| 63 |
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Stephen Cole
Of course, none of the film's geopolitical subterfuge will matter a whit to Agent Cody Banks's audience: adolescent boys in need of a surrogate hero. They will respond enthusiastically to this boisterous, well-carpentered kiddy-flick.
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| 63 |
USA Today
As thrilling as the adventure sequences might be for kids, the better scenes take place on the high school campus.
|
| 63 |
New York Daily News
While Duff is fairly flavorless, Muniz proves that four seasons of "Malcolm" have made him a pro at navigating surreal silliness. Even when the script fails him, his well-honed instincts save the day.
|
| 60 |
Chicago Reader
Though the film lacks the frantic imagination of its inspiration, Robert Rodriguez's "Spy Kids" franchise, grade-schoolers should still enjoy its fresh-scrubbed humor and fantasies of youthful omnipotence.
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| 60 |
LA Weekly
Unfortunately, two separate screenwriting teams...send Cody away from kid-resonant environs and off to exotic locales, culminating in an overproduced mountain-lair finale.
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| 58 |
Entertainment Weekly
Scott Brown
The real mission is product placement, of course: The movie seems to be set against the silvery backdrop of the Sharper Image catalog.
|
| 50 |
Wall Street Journal
It's going to be a hit with libidinous boys, and their parents could do worse (see first review) than to watch the lavish, James Bondish gadgetry and cheerful anarchy of an action-adventure that's been made with all the finesse it needs, though not a jot more.
|
| 50 |
Boston Globe
The premise of Agent Cody Banks is more than a little bizarre.
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| 50 |
TV Guide
The young stars have considerable natural chemistry and do their best to make the rehashed material approachable and entertaining while maintaining their kid-friendly images.
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| 50 |
Dallas Observer
Essentially the movie's an excuse to show off cool gadgets and co-star Angie Harmon's cleavage.
|
| 50 |
Chicago Tribune
Allison Benedikt
With her low voice, jumpsuits, cleavage and Segway, Miles (Harmon) is all satire all the time, and we love her for that.
|
| 50 |
The New York Times
This Frankenfilm comes lumbering out of the laboratory of the Danish director Harald Zwart, any trace of personality surgically removed and replaced by a fully road-tested cliché.
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| 50 |
San Francisco Chronicle
An entertaining film for kids and young teens. It's also a product of the era in which we're living, and weird times make for weird movies.
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| 42 |
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Paul West
Everything in Agent Cody Banks, from tacky special effects, inscrutable action scenes and drab visuals (including substituting Vancouver for Seattle), panders to its audience.
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| 40 |
The Onion (A.V. Club)
The generic intrigue and chase scenes take over, leaving poor Muniz at the mercy of stunt doubles and chintzy special effects.
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| 30 |
Washington Post
This movie is so wearying in its mediocrity, the inappropriate Ronica almost registers as dramatic relief.
|
| 30 |
Washington Post
If you only live twice, spend both lifetimes avoiding it.
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| 25 |
Christian Science Monitor
The repetitious script -- cobbled together by no fewer than five writers -- shows interest in nothing beyond action-centered plot gimmicks and tame romantic shenanigans.
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| 25 |
Philadelphia Inquirer
Karen Heller
Written and directed on autopilot, containing every cliche endemic to these movies: clueless parents, bratty brother, nasty rich kids, pool fight, food fight, girls who can't drive.
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| 12 |
New York Post
The cheap-looking special effects, embarrassingly clunky attempts at humor and one-dimensional characters are bad enough, but the PG-rated movie's most offensive crime is its uncomfortably lewd interactions between adults and kids.
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| 0 |
Austin Chronicle
Cody Banks would probably be appropriate for the 13-and-older crowd, but it’s far too dopey for teenage sophisticates.
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