(Originally seen many years ago) Jackie Chan's worst film would be an understatement, it's also the one and only Chan outing that has not a single good stunt, the stunts here could have been done by anyone, he was needed. The humour is horrible, there is nothing funny, nothing bearable and nothing free of embarrassment in this dreadful piece of garbage that features god-awful acting, an abysmal screenplay and atrocious fight scenes. Spy Next Door is absolutely horrendous. 0/10

Once again universally acclaimed helmer Brian Levant, who brought upon us modern classics such as "Are We There Yet?" and "Jingle All the Way," does what he does best. And that's to deliver an intricate plot in a fun and jam-packed thrill ride that you'll likely to never forget. The movie's lead, Jackie Chan, provides the charisma and on screen presence rarely seen these days, and I'm almost certain the academy will take notice. The supporting roles filled in by George Lopez, veteran Billy Ray Cyrus, and Amber Valletta are all wonderfully developed and fleshed out. The child actors on display here also do a fantastic job, and I see nothing but a bright future in front of them. I have never seen such true raw emotions evoked in a film before. Truly unprecedented work here. I don't intent on overselling this film, since my review is written right after watching it at an exclusive premier in Canada, but this movie is truly a gem. From the very first lines to the last, the movie never lets up and doesn't get clogged up in any flat jokes (thanks to writers James Greer and Jonathan Bernstein who have previously collaborated on "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector" and "Max Keeble's Big Move"). The transitions are smooth, and the pacing is unrelenting. Never before has a family comedy been this effective. The new year has barely begun, and we've already had our first masterpiece of the new decade.

Possibly due to the box office success of movies like "Kindergarten Cop" and "The Pacifier", action star Jackie Chan decided to do a family movie of his own. Possibly it could have been pulled off had things like the script and the stunt work been top notch, but as it is, it's a pretty bad movie. The first problem (and one of the biggest in the movie) are the characters of the kids. They are shown to be a very unlikable bunch, mouthing off and giving anguish to their mother and Chan's character. And they stay that way for most of the movie! Eventually they come around, but it comes as too sudden and not believable. I wanted to strangle those kids!The other big problem with the movie are the action sequences. The first two-thirds of the movie are largely free of action. Yes, this is a Jackie Chan movie where there isn't emphasis on the action! And when the action does come, it's pretty flat, far from the great action found in his Hong Kong movies. I don't know if the poor quality of the action is due to Chan's advancing age, or the poor choreography by the American crew, but the action comes it's far from spectacular. I think even kids will feel cheated.To top it off, the movie ends with outtakes that are not very funny, unlike Chan's Hong Kong movies. You know, having brought up Chan's Hong Kong movies twice, I think I'll say you and your family would be better off watching one of Chan's Hong Kong movies. Yes, some of them are rated "R", but the interesting thing is that even those "R" movies are considered family entertainment in Hong Kong. If I had kids, I'd be showing them those movies instead of "The Spy Next Door"!

This is a very silly movie, but I quite enjoyed it. Jackie Chan doesn't do the crazy dangerous stunts he used to, but his brand of comedic martial arts is still entertaining. The kids are reasonably realistic, with only one being somewhat annoying precocious. There are some nice bits, like a running joke involving a criminal's wardrobe. The story doesn't make a lot of sense, especially since the McGuffin of the film would probably be far more lucrative in cleaning up the environment than for the impractical purpose the bad guys have in mind, but this movie isn't supposed to be anything more than a cute silly movie, and I thought it succeeded in that admirably.