A
breakout
anime’s
first
movie
often
falls
into
one
of
two
categories.
Either
it’s
a
showcase
of
the
source
material
that
feels
like
a
stretched-out
arc
of
the
anime
itself,
or
it
attempts
to
fill
in
some
backstory
and
set
up
some
dominoes
for
the
season
to
come.
In
the
case
of
the
former,
the
question
of
whether
it’s
good
or
not
ultimately
boils
down
to:
do
you
like
the
anime
it’s
born
from?
Then
you’re
sure
to
like
this!
Our
newest
addition
to
that
category
is
Spy
x
Family
Code:
White,
which
is
finally
hitting
the
states
after
it
premiered
in
Japan
at
the
end
of
2023.
Based
on
Tetsuya
Endo’s
espionage-comedy
manga,
the
anime
took
off
big
in
2022
thanks
to
its
premise
of
superspy
Loid
Forger
roping
four-year-old
telepath
orphan
Anya
and
assassin
Yor
Briar
into
his
mission
of
world
peace,
neither
adult
knowing
the
other’s
true
profession
or
their
daughter’s
ability,
while
Anya
often
uses
her
power
to
cover
for
either
or
both
parent.
(When
she’s
not
comically
reacting
to
them.)
That’s
a
great
premise
for
a
weekly
series,
and
as
a
film,
Code:
White
knows
how
to
show
off
the
charms
of
Spy
x
Family
and
have
some
fun
with
its
extended
runtime.
Image: Cloverworks/WIT Studio.
Chiefly,
the
film
takes
the
Forgers
on
a
weekend
trip
to
find
the
recipe
for
a
meal
that’s
sure
to
impress
Anya’s
school
principal.
Within
moments
of
getting
on
the
train,
things
start
to
get
out
of
hand
thanks
to
Anya’s
overeagerness,
Yor
misreading
her
and
Loid’s
relationship,
and
Loid
himself
being
largely
oblivious
to
their
turmoil
while
trying
to
stay
focused
on
the
task
at
hand.
It
takes
some
time
before
the
stakes
are
clear,
but
once
they
do,
it’s
when
the
film
is
at
its
funniest.
While
it’s
no
surprise
things
escalate
to
the
family
having
to
thwart
someone’s
plans
to
start
another
world
war,
the
way
they
get
looped
into
it
all
is
incredibly
silly,
and
leads
to
one
of
the
film’s
best
visual
gags.
Despite
its
PG-13
rating,
it’s
pretty
family-friendly,
and
even
in
moments
where
Anya’s
put
in
peril
or
the
story
shifts
to
talk
about
infidelity
or
childhood
trauma
from
war,
it
still
maintains
its
upbeat,
goofy
attitude.
Spy x Family has always been a deeply unserious series, a sensation heightened even further by the theatrical film. The visual and slapstick comedy is consistently funny, and Code: White’s third act is determined to top anything the series has done so far in terms of sheer ridiculousness. Seeing Loid and Yor lie to each other about how they both ended up on an airship to save Anya is hysterical; ditto Anya’s face when she knows she can’t call them on it. By this point, the Forger actors—Alex Organ, Natalie Van Sistine, and Megan Shipman—have settled comfortably into their roles, and even if you’ve missed some episodes, the movie shows how they’ve come to resemble an actual family as they bounce off each other and their odd quirks come to the surface.
Image: Cloverworks/WIT Studio.
As
for
the
“action”
part
of
the
action
comedy?
Part
of
the
anime’s
fun
is
watching
Loid
and
Yor’s
real
selves
come
through,
often
to
everyone
else’s
utter
bewilderment.
(The
Forgers,
who
all
have
their
own
individual
threshold
for
what’s
weird
in
the
world,
don’t
realize
how
weird
they
are.)
Code:
White
gives
Loid
and
Yor
plenty
room
to
strut
their
stuff
in
its
action
scenes
that
are
a
joy
to
see
and
as
absurd
as
the
characters.
Naturally,
the
best
of
these
for
both
characters
comes
in
the
third
act,
with
the
standout
being
Loid’s
one-on-one
that’s
visually
styled
like
the
show’s
original
opening.
Whatever
flaws
Spy
x
Family
has,
it’s
so
damn
charming
and
funny
enough
to
let
those
issues
skate
by.
Code:
White
isn’t
a
massive
game
changer,
and
it
doesn’t
reveal
any
hidden
depths
for
anyone
involved.
But
it’s
adorably
goofy—
and
whatever
else
you
can
say
about
it,
it
definitely
wants
you
to
come
away
with
a
big
smile
on
your
face.
Spy x Family Code: White opens in theaters today, April 19.
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