Product Details

• Actors: Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta
• Directors: Brian Levant
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Lionsgate
• DVD Release Date: May 18, 2010
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002ZG99M2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,958 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Spy Next Door" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Spy missions for the CIA may be difficult and dangerous, but they're nothing compared to the challenges of raising a family. Bob Ho (Jackie Chan) is a Chinese spy on loan to the CIA, but to Gillian (Amber Valletta) and her kids Farren (Madeline Carroll), Ian (Will Shadley), and Nora (Alina Foley), he's just a neighbor and pen salesman. Gillian and Bob are attracted to one another, and Bob is ready to tell Gillian what he really does for a living. He's prepared to retire from his career in espionage so they can take their relationship to the next level. Unfortunately for Bob, Gillian's kids are less than impressed with their nerdy neighbor, and that means his relationship with Gillian can't move forward. When Gillian has to leave town suddenly, Bob volunteers to take care of the children in hopes of "making them" like him. Ian inadvertently downloads a secret file from Bob's computer, and suddenly the Russian terrorist Poldark (Magnus Sheving) is bent on destroying Bob and the children. As if Bob weren't having enough trouble negotiating the daily duties of making the children's breakfast, getting them to school, and keeping track of young Nora in the local mall, he unexpectedly discovers that one of his CIA coworkers is working for the Russians (George Lopez and Billy Ray Cyrus play Bob's colleagues). Bob finds himself alone in the fight of a lifetime as he battles to keep the children safe from the violent Russian and his associates. The Spy Next Door is full of action-packed martial arts scenes that highlight Jackie Chan's prowess and will inspire much mock fighting and begging for lessons by school-age children, but it's also a funny take on the very real difficulties of dating and parenting that adults will readily relate to. While there is a fair amount of fighting in the film, it is tastefully rendered and won't upset most children ages 7 and older. --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from The Spy Next Door (Click for larger image)

Product Description

THE SPY NEXT DOOR stars Jackie Chan as Bob Ho, an undercover CIA superspy who decides to give up his career in espionage to settle down with his next-door neighbor and girlfriend, Gillian (Amber Valletta). But Bob has one more mission to complete before Gillian agrees to marry him: winning over her three opinionated kids. When Gillian suddenly has to leave town, Bob volunteers to babysit the children so he can earn their approval. But when one of the kids mistakenly downloads a top-secret formula from his computer, Bob’s archenemy, a Russian terrorist, moves in for the attack, forcing Bob to juggle the roles of spy and prospective stepfather in the most challenging mission of his career!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perspective for conscientious parents: January 17, 2010

By Avid reader

Format:DVD

This movie was pretty funny, the kids were cute, and the overarching themes of telling the truth and protecting your loved ones are great points of discussion with children. For those that love Jackie Chan movies, you might be a little disappointed that there is not as much action in this movie and some of the stunts are obviously on wires. But it is a movie for kids/families, so the level and excitement of the stunts seemed appropriate to me. A few things I would want to be aware of as a parent before watching the movie with my child: 1)the female villain often shows a lot of cleavage 2)The 13 year old daughter seems to get away with being very disrespectful to the mom (though it is kind of explained a little later in the movie) 3)there is a little profanity 4)a college age young man hits on the 13 year old daughter (though Jackie doesn't let him get away with it) 5)the young boy in the movie boasts about watching pornography on pay-per view 6)he is also obsessed with getting older girls to show interest in him and receives some tips from Jackie on how to accomplish it.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Harmless fun! February 4, 2010

By Michael Noga

Format:DVD

If you're looking for a decent, fun little movie you can watch with your family in a relatively painless fashion then you've come to the right place.

For some reason many action stars have supplemented their income by appearing in movies with kids. Maybe they are trying to widen their appeal from the hardcore action audience to the family friendly scene. Maybe they're getting too old to keep up with the pace of a full-on action movie. I don't know why they do it, but it's almost becoming mandatory for these guys to take on a kid or three as a side-kick and attempt to blend action and family fare.

And these attempts almost always stink.

This one is better. It's still "action-light" but I think it works because of the star, Jackie Chan. His character seems like a genuinely nice guy who wants to get along with the mandatory bratty kids. Chan's light presence matches up with the tone of the movie and makes it seem ....hmm...not as weird and patently unbelievable and maybe even patronizing as other movies of this kind.

Basically Jackie plays Bob Ho, a Chinese secret agent on loan to the CIA. He retires so he can marry Gillian, a divorced single mom who is looking for someone reliable. Her kids don't really cotton to Bob though, so she decides to put her relationship with Bob on hold until they're ok with her marrying Bob. Bob is saddened but resolves to win the kids and his girl friend over.

Then, luckily, hijinx ensue. One of Gillian's kids downloads some top secret stuff off Bob's computer and before you can say Boris and Natasha some evil Russians are in hot pursuit. After a variety of PG style mishaps Bob captures the bad guys and wins the day, the girl friend and the family. And like I said, it works because Jackie Chan doesn't seem shoe-horned into the role.

The action is lighter than most Chan movies but it is inventive and fun. The kids act a little more like real kids than Hollywood Central Casting pods. The youngest kid in particular seems like real 4 year old, goofy and light hearted. When she delivered the line" I don't wanna be a princess, I wanna be a cyboooorg!" I cracked up. I actually laughed more than a few times, which surprised me. As long as you realize going in that this is just very light family entertainment I think you'll be pleased

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Puts a Jackie Chan Smlle On May 23, 2010

By A Customer

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

Good natured Spy vs. Kids action flick is a low-cal twinkie even by family film standards. The critics liked to play rough with it; and if you feel snooty about it, better stay away. Cute is its stock in trade and there are no disappointments if expectations remain logical: PG Jackie Chan suburban domestic comedy with mild action. Wacky Russian mobsters and their dominatrix-babe leader wear leathers and generally show bad taste as the foil in the spy plot, which follows Jackie home to his family to be.
Good for kids or adults like me who need a balance from the heavy stuff.
Blu-ray makes the grade for sight and sound.