CODE WHITE is a wacky family vacation

Spy X Family by Tatsuya Endo is one of Shonen Jump’s most visible success stories of the last 5 years for the weekly manga anthology. Centering on the adventures of the Forger “family,” the manga and anime’s combination of comedy and action set in a world of espionage makes it a unique story for readers and viewers regardless of age. Spy x Family: Code White is the first big-screen adventure for the franchise and seeks to capitalize on that surge of mainstream success.  

For anyone new to the series, Code White provides a decent enough catchup for folks in its opening action sequence. Loid, a spy, and Yor, an assassin, are married but neither knows the other’s real job. Adopted daughter Anya knows their secrets because she’s secretly a telepath. To round out the nuclear found family, they also have a dog named Bond who can see into the future and interact telepathically with Anya.

If that setup doesn’t clue you into the tone, the rest of the movie will. Spy x Family: Code White is a comedy first and action/adventure film second. Code White sends the Forgers off to a northern country in search of… the perfect dessert recipe. The precarious balance of peace hinges on Anya being able to make a tasty dessert for school. The script, penned by Ichirō Ōkouchi doesn’t take itself very seriously otherwise. Anyone expecting a high-octane spy film with quips is in for a surprise once the actual plot kicks into gear.

Unsurprisingly, most of this movie focuses on Anya’s interpretations of what happens in the world around her. Seeing the world through a child’s eyes is an evergreen source of comedy and Anya, as hilariously voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, is no exception. Anya may understand her parents are black ops agents but she has no context or understanding of the complexities of their jobs. For her, the film centers a plot around devious chocolate thieves and the possible dissolution of her family.

However, the film doesn’t make room for every member of the Forger family and as a result, Loid’s need to complete the important Operation Strix means that his actions move the plot forward. He gets a few scenes where his spy skills get displayed in fine comedic fashion and there’s an especially funny sequence where he needs to find an ingredient for the all-important recipe that does not end successfully. Added humor also comes from any time he covers for his expertise learned from being a spy, leading to some excellent comedic dialogue that existing and new fans will appreciate.

Disappointingly for those looking forward to Yor getting some serious focus and screen time, the international assassin seems to be an afterthought in the script and film. Other than a funny scene at the beginning where she spots Loid talking to a fellow agent and thinks that he’s having an affair, the whole subplot gets resolved midway through and Yor spends the rest of the movie mostly worrying about Anya. An action sequence at the end meant to give her character a purpose and screen time comes across as obviously forced instead of being integral to the plot, but the movie throws Yor fans a slight bit of fanservice when she gets to kill a man in a fun way.

The imbalance of comedy and spy thrills is also a problem for anyone coming in blind to the film and the series in general. Spy x Family: Code White isn’t a spy-centered political satire along the lines of Burn After Reading or the deft mix of comedy and thrills of a North by Northwest, not by a long shot. The elements of spy craft, action, and comedy feel very compartmentalized, leading to an inconsistency in the film’s overall tone. The three elements exist side by side as individual elements but rarely blend into each other. When the filmmakers do try to blend elements, it becomes a tonally jarring experience. 

The comedy of Spy x Family is at its best when it displays its trademark comedy of errors, whether it’s Loid trying to get the ingredients to the dessert using his spy skills and having to explain why he’s so good at things or why he’ll be away for a bit. Yor worrying that this family trip is a sign that he’s cheating on her and Anya thinking in her own way that the concept of divorce means a literal bloodbath. This is when the comedy in Code White is at its most satisfying when characters drive the comedy rather than the plot itself.

Spy x Family: Code White is a very fun diversion for the Forger family, a family vacation entwined with a kooky adventure that works well both as an introduction to this series and as a film in its own right. The filmmakers don’t always successfully balance the comedy with the spy craft or the action, yet the dynamics between all of the characters are strong enough that the movie can coast on those unique charms alone.

Spy x Family: Code White is currently in theaters.

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