Agent Cody Banks Details

Take the traditional plotline and gadgets of a James Bond movie, add a teen heart-throb from American TV, throw in some cheeky laughs and you've got a tasty recipe for a boisterous and enjoyable family romp. More reality-based and character driven than its closest equivalent, the SPYkids franchise, this action-packed tale focuses on Malcolm in the Middle's Frankie Muniz, here playing a high-school student who's also an undercover CIA agent. Grabbing the attention from the outset with a dramatic skateboard chase involving a runaway car, the film continues to pick up pace as Muniz gets his first assignment — to befriend class cutie Hilary Duff and spy on her scientist father (Martin Donovan). Though some of the story elements are a little hard to swallow (particularly Lovejoy's Ian McShane as a psychotic villain), there's enough humour and excitement to carry the picture.

Given that the Bond films are aimed at a teen audience, is there room for a teenage version? It may appeal to ten-year-olds, if they've tired of the better Spy Kids movies.