If you’ve ever wondered what a James Bond movie for kids looks like, look no further than Spies in Disguise (sorry Agent Cody Banks).

Spies in Disguise is an animated adventure film that tells the story of super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and a young scientist named Walter (Tom Holland). Lance is suspected of stealing a top secret drone. Lance finds himself on the run from Internal Affairs while trying to clear his name,  Lance begrudgingly  teams up with Walter and accidentally drinks an experiment that transforms him into a pigeon. Stuck in a pigeon’s body, Lance teams up with Walter to stop a super villain known as Killian (a character that looks A LOT like Vincent Cassel but is voiced by Ben Mendelsohn), avoid Internal Affairs agent Marcy (Rashida Jones), and clear his name. It’s a very familiar spy movie plot – clear your name + catch the bad guy = save the day.

The film is perfect for an age group that doesn’t want to watch anything too “kiddy” – its action packed and hilarious. Its wildly entertaining throughout but doesn’t take itself too seriously.  Like other great animated films, Spies has some eye popping animation  paired with cool animation and witty dialogue. Underneath that is an earnest story about being yourself and the benefits of working as a team. The script doesn’t beat you over the head with these Mr. Rogers moments, they’re organically introduced in the story and help move the plot forward.

Will Smith and Tom Holland are fantastic voice actors but none of the amazing storytelling is possible without Blue Sky Studios. Their animation is top notch and responsible for bringing this absurd animated story to life. Even the pigeon scenes look cool.

Spies in Disguise is the perfect family movie for the holidays. It has intrigue, suspense, and action all bottled up in a PG animated film. If you like James Bond and silly animated films, you can’t go wrong with Spies.

Grade: B+