"It's a paint by numbers actioner, with plenty of gags and gadgets"

The Spy Next Door is a fun filled, family action comedy, which sees Bob Ho (Jackie Chan) a secret agent trying to get out of the game and retire with his new girlfriend Gillian (Amber Valletta) and her three children. Unfortunately for Bob, his arch nemesis; Poldark (Magnús Scheving), a Russian terrorist has escaped and is planning to cause chaos to the world.

It's a paint by numbers actioner, with plenty of gags and gadgets - it does what it sets out to do - entertain. It doesn't have any huge set pieces and the plot is easy to follow with no political stuff shoved down your throat; perfect for kids!

Glaze and Colton James (George Lopez and Billy Ray Cyrus) provide memorable performances as CIA agents and the kids act like real kids too, most notably the talented Madeline Carroll (Farren) as the bratty eldest child who shows an immediate dislike to the lovable Bob Ho.

The Russian accents from the villains were a bit hit and miss, which resulted in some cringe worthy moments from Magnús Scheving as Poldark but found Creel (Katherine Boecher) much more convincing.

All in all the films entertaining, it shares some similarities with The Pacifier starring Vin Diesel (another film that I enjoyed for what it was - family fun). The action scenes are lighter than the usual fare from Jackie Chan, but are still brilliant, they are slapstick in humour and fun for kids, like the garden fight, where Bob utilises every day objects to thwart the enemy - a classic move from the one and only Jackie Chan.