Anacleto: Agente secreto

I haven't read the comic, so I can't compare those two. I can say that this is very silly and it makes no excuses for that. It also is pretty violent for a silly comedy. There are consequences (at certain places) that lead to people dying violently. So while this has premature/adolescent jokes, it also has blood in it.

Having said that, it does seem to swerve from comedy to serious action from time to time. If you don't mind that jumping through hoops and didn't want to show it to your kids anyway, you will be able to enjoy it for what it is. It may be mostly predictable but it also has some very interesting choices character wise. The gum joke does not really work as a pay out, the name reference (also in the title) has a slightly better fate. Still there are too many jokes that fall short of their potential, but there's also still a lot that is entertaining for it to have been a complete disaster

The movie is an adaptation of an old Spanish comic which main character is Anacleto, a parody of James Bond. This does not mean that you have to know the comic to understand the movie, it is funny anyway. The story begins when Anacleto's main enemy Vazquez is released from prison. Vazquez tells Anacleto that he knows about his son and he is going to kill them both. Anacleto is going to have to protect his son and friends and try to finish Vazquez criminal activities. Spanish cinema is full of comedies and not all of them are really good but this one is probably the best of the last couple of years, i recommend it to everyone.

Such an entertaining, clever, fun, movie! Has all the elements you want. Good story line, good action scenes, clever lines, surprising plot twists, engaging characters. Great evening's entertainment! The characters work well together and provide compelling interactions. There are a few bloody scenes. Most are such spoofs that it's not at all disturbing. There is one scene that is unexpected, shocking, and really mean-spirited. Even that works well in the movie and doesn't impact the overall fabulous nature of the movie. The quirky nature of the movie reminds me of films directed by Almodovar. And, the ending is clearly a not-Hollywood finale, which is refreshing.

This action comedy set in the spying world comes with an unfortunate handicap right from the start, that being that the spy spoof genre has been done to death for decades, from the Matt Helm movies to the Austin Power series. Actually, I will admit that while most of the gags in the movie (as well as some plot turns) are tired and familiar, there were some giggles here and there, as well as some genuine laughs, my favorite scene being the breakfast sequence. Though the comedy that does work is somewhat hampered by some moments of surprisingly harsh violence. But even though the movie is not as funny as you probably want it to me, it does remain surprisingly watchable. It does move from scene to scene at a quick pace, so it doesn't become boring. And the Spanish cast is very game and likable, giving the movie a buoyant spirit that gives it some spark. Obviously this is not the greatest comedy ever made, but if you are in an undemanding mood and are curious to see an example of modern day populist Spanish cinema, this is a pleasant time waster.

The spoof type of spy warfare movies may be due to the fact that I have seen a similar British ace spy before, which directly leads to the feeling that the film is a little boring, a little scratchy, and not thorough enough to break the rules.