Spies in Disguise Article

Spies in Disguise: How a kid’s film tackles violence/friendship

The 2019 animated film Spies in Disguise already had a lot going for it: a talented voice cast and the James Bond meets Mission Impossible style plot. But here’s the surprising part; the film talked about how fighting fire with fire (aka violence) is not the answer to solving problems. Indeed, Spies in Disguise delivered on that message pretty darn well.

The main plot of Spies in Disguise is this; super spy Lance Sterling (voiced by Will Smith) is the agency’s greatest spy. But when he is accidentally turned into a pigeon, he must rely on Walter Beckett (Spider-Man star Tom Holland) in order to stop a nefarious plot by Killian (voiced by Ben Mendelson). Can the polar opposite duo learn to work together and thwart his evil plan?

Now you may ask “How are Walter and Lance polar opposites?” Well, Lance would rather get the job done in a quick fashion and come out appearing on top. He is debonair and self-absorbed in his own way of thinking. Lance wants to use grenades and violent techniques to knock out bad guys. He tells Walter (rather humorously) “I’ve got to fight fire with fire. Because if I try to fight fire with glitter, I could get my face burned off.”

Walter on the other hand, knows violence isn’t the answer. He creates gadgets that are destined to keep his fellow agents safe. His soft-spoken demeanor makes him different from the others, but still phenomenal on many other levels. For instance, Walter states “You can do a lot more by bringing people together than blowing them up.” He believes there are other ways to solve problems instead of using violence to end them once and for all.

I’ve seen some movie franchises like Mission Impossible, Terminator, and Transformers that glorify violence to the extreme. Many characters are hit, shot, punched and kicked, then retaliate back on the bad guys who did this to them. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like some of these movies. However, it’s jarring to watch good guys get pummeled by bad guys and never receive any consequences for their actions. In other words, the characters don’t think before they act. “Every man for himself” is the common slogan for survival in action movies.

Spies in Disguise flips the contradiction “Violence is the best answer” on its head and suggests violence creates more harm than good. For instance, Walter declares “When we fight fire with fire, we all get burned. There are no good guys or bad guys, just people. People are worth saving. Isn’t that our job?” What he’s saying is, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a good guy or a bad guy, you will get hurt. The people are hurting too, shouldn’t we try a different approach?”

On Killian’s side of the matter, he believes in a similar way on violence as Lance does. He’s hurting no doubt because of a past situation. Though Lance justifies his actions: “You were a bunch of bad dudes about to hurt a lot of innocent people. And it’s my job to keep everyone safe,” Killian isn’t buying it.

“Everyone?” Killian presses. “I watched every single one of my people die as your agency’s weapons rained down on us. You took everything from me.”

Lance’s facial expression transforms from anger to guilt within seconds. When I first saw this scene, it hit me like a speeding bullet. Lance now realizes how his actions that day hurt Killian. In a way, it reminds me of how my selfish actions hurt other people too. As Lance reflects on this, Killian drops a bombshell: “And you know the rules. You hit me hard, Sterling. I hit back harder.”

Yikes, talk about hitting a sore spot. Nonetheless, the scene teaches viewers that actions speak louder than words. Jesus commands us in Matthew 5:43-44; “You have heard it was said ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” He is absolutely right.

The world lies to us, saying that we have to fight back when someone hurts or takes something from us. In other words, it believes like Lance: “Fight fire with fire.” The world demands when we don’t fight back, it’s a weakness. But if we are Christians, God commands us to love each other and give mercy to one another. Revenge (fighting fire with fire) doesn’t solve any problems, instead it results in bitterness and anger. It takes a toll on us because anger slowly multiplies into full festered hatred.

Spies in Disguise is authentic in how it displays this anti-violence message. Unlike many kid’s movies who have the typical formula (follow your dreams is one example), the film heads in a different direction. It’s refreshing to notice this.

The film also reminds us how good friendships are worth having. Though Lance is initially annoyed with Walter and treats him cruelly, he starts to realize that good friends are a part of life. For example, Walter reappears, much to Lance’s surprise. “I’ll always have your back, Lance. That’s what it means to be a team,” Walter states. A few moments later, Lance declares “You’re a good friend, Walter.” Walter then envelopes Lance in a bear hug.

This scene reminded me of how God is with us. Even though we (like Lance) push Him and others away, they continually pursue us in a genuine fashion. Walter is a true replicate of this; he challenges Lance on his perception of violence and never gives up on him. In return, Lance calls Walter “buddy,” and even saves his life.

As a warning, Spies in Disguise has some content problems such as toilet humor, brief animated bare skin and perilous scenes. That said, the messages on violence and friendship still shine through the negatives. Please talk with your kids and teens about how the movie portrays these two messages. I highly recommend Spies in Disguise for everyone.