I Spy (2002)

REVIEW
In this by-the-numbers, rather boring remake of the popular 1960s TV series, Murphy plays a profoundly obnoxious professional boxer who's teamed with government agent Wilson to prevent a top-secret military jet from falling into the wrong hands. Once again, Murphy commits the comedy-killing error he's made in a couple of films before this (Pluto Nash, Showtime): he confuses strident screaming and braying with comic energy. The end result is the impression of desperation on his part. Faring a little better is Wilson, who merely comes across as a charmless jerk. Watching this poorly written exercise in retro chic, it's difficult to believe that the TV show, starring Bill Cosby and Robert Culp, was any good at all — let alone groundbreaking.