Agent Cody Banks was a lighthearted, fun adventure that the whole family can enjoy.

Cody Banks is your typical American teenager. He likes riding a skateboard, gets picked on in school, has a hard time talking to girls, and is a CIA agent. The CIA has a new program for younger operatives and Cody is one of the best. His job this time is to get close to Natalie Connors because her secretive father has invented something that could dismantle every weapon in the U.S. Assisted by his handler Ronica Miles, Cody must first get invited to Natalie's birthday party, then, when his cover is blown, save her and her father from the evil clutches of Brinkman and Molay. Using the latest in CIA technology, Cody manages to save the girl, her father, and the rest of the world.

Before I say anything else, I have to say that Jason Sehorn is the luckiest bastard in the world. He got millions to 'play' football (and I put 'play' in quotes because we all know Sehorn hasn't done anything the last few years besides getting beaten by every receiver in the league), and he's married to Angie "Hot in Herre" Harmon. Damn. Anyway, the movie revolved around the trio of Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff and Angie Harmon. That's something for the teenage girls, something for the teenage boys, and something for every male above the age of 12. So the eye candy was more than enough to make this film worth seeing. The plot, as it is, was nothing special. Nothing more out of the ordinary than a James Bond film or Spy Kids. In fact, Agent Cody Banks was pretty much an amalgam of those two films. A lot of cool gadgets and the idea of kids being spies. The nice thing is, the story didn't get bogged down into two or three story lines. It followed one path and never got sappy or unnecessary.

Muniz, best known for his work on Malcolm in the Middle, has the right look and attitude for a teenage spy. Not overly good looking, not some over-steroided freak, just a regular teenager who happens to be a CIA agent. Hilary Duff, best known for her own popular show Lizzie McGuire is your typical girl-next-door whose scientist father seems to have more money than any scientist I've seen before. His house is out of this world large. When did scientists make that much money? Then of course there is Angie Harmon, best known for being the best Assistant D.A. Law and Order ever had. The movie producers had it correct when the first time you see her, it's accompanied by Nelly's Hot in Herre track. Arguably the sexiest character I've seen since Elizabeth Hurley in Bedazzled. So between the three of them, it made for an enjoyable afternoon.

The special effects in the film weren't top notch. Certain scenes, while impossible to film on a normal budget, obviously had to be shot in front of a green screen, but the good special effects studios can at least make it look decent. A couple of the shots with Banks and Miles flying in the mountains looked horrible. The explosions were handled well however, and the make-up job on The Mummy himself, Arnold Vosloo, was pretty good. I also liked the fact that it was a kids movie, so there was never any gun play. Yes, there were fight scenes and as I said earlier, explosions, but no guns, which I was happy to see (or not see as the case may be).

So overall, I enjoyed Agent Cody Banks. The main trio of actors was likeable and appealing, the plot was simple and didn't let itself get bogged down and it's something the entire family can enjoy together.

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