Agent Cody Banks (2003)
Directed by Harald Zwart
Recruited by the U.S. government to be a special agent, nerdy teenager Cody Banks must get closer to cute classmate Natalie in order to learn about an evil plan hatched by her father. But despite the agent persona, Cody struggles with teen angst.
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What critics compared Agent Cody Banks to
There’s good work too from Ian McShane (memorably slimy), Martin Donovan (seriously in danger of being typecast in absent-minded professor roles) and The Mummy’s Arnold Vosloo as McShane’s henchman.
But it was inspired casting to give The Mummy a part as Brinkman’s scarred and shaven henchman.
That terrorist is played by Arnold Vosloo ("The Mummy"), just one of the adults having fun playing second fiddle to the kids.
Whether it’s “Alex Rider,” “Agent Cody Banks” or “Spy Kids,” plenty have tried to adapt the 007 shtick to younger characters, with demonstrably dopey results.
It was the premise for not only the aforementioned " Alex Rider ," but also 2000's " Charlie's Angels ," 2003's " Agent Cody Banks ," and just about every superhero and sports movie in existence.
(Only these offhand gags remind a viewer that the authors of the film’s story, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, wrote not just Agent Cody Banks and That Darn Cat, but also Ed Wood .)
The Goosebumps screenplay by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After, Jack the Giant Slayer) – with Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, Agent Cody Banks) credited for the screen story – borrows story and character elements from many a previous film, especially 1990s kid adventure movies like Hocus Pocus and Jumanji.
Director Harald Zwart's less than inspired resume includes Agent Cody Banks and The Pink Panther 2. However, he does a fine job with Karate Kid, hitting the right beats along the way to make for a suitably easy-to-root for story for kids.
Director Harald Zwart’s resume includes such stellar entries as “Agent Cody Banks,” “The Pink Panther 2″ and now this dreary recapitulation of a movie that was tired when it was new, 25 years ago.
Not only does the new "Karate Kid" capture all the heart and humor of the original, but it does so with a cinematic eye mostly absent from the first one, and almost entirely absent from director Harald Zwart's resume (" Pink Panther 2 ," "Agent Cody Banks").
Although the uninspired resume of director Harald Zwart (whose previous efforts include Agent Cody Banks and The Pink Panther 2 ) might lead one to expect the worst, The Karate Kid falls somewhere in the middle.
The film, directed by Harald Zwart ( "The Pink Panther 2," "Agent Cody Banks" ), was shot in China and makes some genuine effort to make the location part of the story, rather than just a Generic Exotic Backdrop.
Dormant for two decades, the producer of the original films, Jerry Weintraub, opted not to invite Avildsen back for this update, instead going with the Dutch-born lightweight Harald Zwart (“The Pink Panther 2,” “Agent Cody Banks”), who cobbles together this lukewarm edition.
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At the helm is director Harald Zwart, who is best known for the 2010 Karate Kid reboot and his early 2000s film, Agent Cody Banks.
“Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” is two-hours-plus of fantasy literature cliches, CGI action scenes we have seen before and terrible acting that was apparently acceptable to director Harald Zwart (“Agent Cody Banks”).
Director Harald Zwart isn’t a name that would instantly set off your bad movie alert, but he’s had some awful films on his resume including The Pink Panther 2 and Agent Cody Banks.
The next film in the series, “The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes ,” is already set to begin production this fall with director Harald Zwart (“The Karate Kid ,” “The Pink Panther 2,” “Agent Cody Banks”) back at the helm, suggesting a measure of studio confidence that will be adjusted upward or downward depending on how “City of Bones” performs.
Director Harald Zwart , who has flailed away at less distinguished cinema fare as The Karate Kid remake (2010) and Agent Cody Banks (2003), finally has a vehicle that tests his talents.
But under the uninspired direction of Harald Zwart (his resume includes “Agent Cody Banks” and the 2010 “Karate Kid” remake), “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” plays like a “Scary Movie” parody.