Spies in Disguise / YMMV

Alternate Aesop Interpretation: Killian wants revenge on Lance for killing his whole team on a mission, which is meant to promote the Aesop "don't use violence when there's a more peaceful alternative". However, if Lance hadn't left Killian alive, Killian would never have tried to get revenge, which instead gives the message "Leave No Survivors".
Alternate Character Interpretation:
- Lance in the climax apologizes to Walter for trying to keep him out of the battle, saying they'll take down Killian "The Walter Way". He also calls Marcy for backup support and provides proof that he was framed. Was it just Character Development or also pragmatism in that the James Bond-style way of fighting and taking on Killian didn't work? Killian for a while is overwhelmed that Walter's inventions are actually beating up his drones.
- Lance's response to Marcy's apology (saying she owed him one, then clarifying that her saying that was the apology, to which he says he accepts). Is he satisfied enough that she admitted he was right, or does he take into account that there are bigger things to worry about?
- Killian's position within his former organization is never specified in the movie. It is fairly easy to assume he was the leader, but Lance's inability to recognize him could also be interpreted as Killian having been a low-ranking grunt that Lance wouldn't have spared a glance at. It definitely adds an interesting angle to Killian's Moral Myopia, as this interpretation could mean that he was never in the know regarding the full scope of his organization's plans. All Killian would have recognized was his workplace suddenly getting bombed to hell and his friends getting wiped out in an instant.
Angst? What Angst?: Walter is back to his usual self after having a near death experience with Killian just a few minutes ago.
Anvilicious: The film couldn't be less subtle with the benefits of Walter's pacifism and the importance of protecting people rather than hurting them. It also shows that it's not as simple as it looks to harmlessly neutralize a violent villain when they will use lethal force on you.
Awesome Music: Main theme, "A Freak Of Nature"
Base-Breaking Character: Walter. Some love that he tries to find non-violent solutions to solve the issues that the spies face. Others, however, find his constant insistence that there are no such things as bad guys quite jarring considering the villain has killed many people and plans to kill hundreds more.
Crosses the Line Twice: Lance's Daydream Surprise where he imagines himself launching Walter out of his own plane is simultaneously horrifying and hilarious.
Diagnosed by the Audience: Walter is socially awkward and secluded, is gifted in science, has a bizarre obsession with pigeons (and to a lesser extent, Korean pop culture), expresses his knowledge in pigeons via random facts about them, has strange ideas when it comes to his inventions, and is often considered "weird" by everyone because of this. Obviously, Walter heavily shows signs of being neurodivergent to some degree, although it's never directly stated nor are the movie's intentions clear.
Jerkass Woobie: Killian. Yes, he was evil from the start, and yes, it does not excuse him from trying to kill all the spies at Lance’s organization, but you do pity him for losing his crew, as he truly cared for them and was genuinely saddened that they died.
Just Here for Godzilla: A lot of people were only interested in the movie for having Will Smith and Tom Holland as a duo. Some were only interested in the premise of Will Smith as a James Bond-like spy, and were disappointed to find that he spends most of the movie turned into a pigeon.
Magnificent Bastard: Killian is a cybernetic criminal mastermind who seeks to avenge the deaths of his associates caused by Lance Sterling and the H.T.U.V. Acquiring an attack drone from arms dealer Katsu Kimura, Killian uses a holographic disguise to frame Sterling for the drone's theft, causing the agency to focus their efforts on apprehending him and allowing Killian to take control of their weapons facility and steal their agent database. Capturing Sterling, Killian reveals he has mass produced hundreds of attack drones to take out everyone in the agency at once, his plan nearly felling the H.T.U.V. in one fell swoop and only narrowly foiled by Walter Beckett's intervention.
Memetic Mutation:
- you're* ^Explanation
- “This is a vile waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Moe:
- Walter instantly became this when the character design was revealed, even more so when the film itself released. Aside from being a direct caricature of his actor, Walter is an awkward yet kindhearted Wide-Eyed Idealist who loves pigeons and wants to use his gadgets to protect everyone from harm, including his enemies.
- Eyes is a tall, slender Bespectacled Cutie with big glasses, Youthful Freckles and an endearingly nerdy personality.
Moral Event Horizon: Killian seems to be a Generic Doomsday Villain with framing Lance because that's standard for spy movies. Then when he holds a scientist hostage to make him reprogram the drones, he tosses the man outside on cliff rocks as the latter begs for his life, justifying that the scientist's American bosses made him suffer losses as well. To emphasize it more, when he sees Walter outrunning the drones and calling for Lance, Killian tortures him onscreen by pinning him down, pressing a foot into his face, and threatening to eviscerate him with his claw hands to lure out the agent, as Walter is screaming in pain and fear. By this point Killian already had the database, so he got what he wanted. Note that Walter is only twenty.
Nausea Fuel: Lance, as a pigeon, eating food on the ground and wondering why it's delicious to him. Some more gross things happen there, but no more needs to be said.
Older Than They Think: A few sources (including the actor himself) are saying this is Tom Holland's first animated film. In fact, before his Star-Making Role as MCU Spider-Man, Tom Holland had a role in the UK dub of Arrietty as Sho.
Strawman Has a Point: While it ends up being the wrong thing to do for different reasons, Lance had a legitimate reason to not want Walter to go with him to Killian's base. He saw that Killian was torturing Walter, merely because he was acquaintances with Lance, showing that Killian has no standards about whom he hurts. Walter is also a lover and not a fighter; his inventions can protect him to an extent. The stupid thing about it was that Lance didn't have Walter come to serve as a lookout or make sure the submarine was hidden on the sonar since Lance wouldn't have been caught if he had taken backup with him.
Tainted by the Preview: While a lot of people were excited about an animated spy film featuring Will Smith and Tom Holland together, some people were put off upon finding out that the former would spend a chunk of the movie transformed into a pigeon.
Trailer Joke Decay: "I can see my butt and your face at the same time!" This was even used in radio ads for this film, which makes no sense since it's a visual gag (referencing Will Smith's character's increased peripheral vision after turning into a pigeon).
The Woobie: Walter loses his mother at a young age when she is killed in action, and spends his entire life being dismissed and bullied for being "weird" simply because he wants to make gadgets that protect rather than destroy.

YMMV / Spies in Disguise

Edit Locked