Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London

Without even an infinitesimal hint of the clumsy junior-James-Bond charm that got 2003's kiddie spy movie Agent Cody Banks though its trite save-the-world plot, this slapdash sequel couldn't be more insipid and transparently uninspired. Teen CIA agent Cody (Frankie Muniz) has been assigned to stop a madman's plan to remote-control the minds of world leaders through implanted-microchip molars (apparently they all use the same evil dentist) by going undercover at a prestigious London music academy, where his performance anxiety becomes a hackneyed plot point because nobody's bothered to tell him that his gadget-clarinet plays itself like a virtuoso. The movie is positively swimming in such apathetic, nonsensical screenwriting, and director Kevin Allen (The Big Tease) cynically assumes kids won't notice the endless, inept machinations as long as they get a gratuitous fart joke from time to time. But "it's just a kids' movie" is no excuse for such a cursory effort. Clearly nobody involved with Agent Cody Banks 2 cared if it was any good at all; they just cared about cranking it out before the first movie's shelf life expired. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include both widescreen and full screen versions, an “Agent Mode” interactive quiz viewing mode with popup “secret agent skills” questions, a spy on the Set” visual cast commentary featuring costars Frankie Muniz, Anthony Anderson, and Hannah Spearritt as they occasionally “walk into the film” (using blue screen effects), an eight-minute “Back in Action” making-of featurette, six deleted/extended scenes (7 min.), a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: more effort went in to making the extras than into making this tired film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—May 31, 2016—Olive, 100 min., PG, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London sports a great transfer and DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Extras include a “Back in Action” behind-the-scenes featurette (9 min.), outtakes (4 min.), extended scenes (4 min.), and deleted scenes (3 min.). Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing workmanlike sequel.]