Although last year's Agent Cody Banks was a tad thin and predictable, I had some fun with its kid-friendly riff on the James Bond series. I found the film more of a sly, semi-spoof of spy flicks than a goofy kid's movie. Behind a plot where the hero was too young to be mixing martinis and had no skills at wooing women, something more intelligent was going on. Sadly, whatever charm that existed in the first movie has been sabotaged almost entirely in its repetitive and wholly unnecessary sequel. 

To bring up to speed anyone who passed on Agent Cody Banks (in which case, why are you reading a review for the sequel?), Cody Banks (Frankie Muniz) is a 16-year-old kid who was recruited, along with other children, and trained as a skilled CIA agent. After saving the world from near destruction in his first outing, Cody is plucked from CIA summer camp to do it again. The mission: stop disgruntled agent Diaz (Keith Allen) and the wealthy Kenworth (James Faulkner) from perfecting mind-control technology, which they plan to use on the world's leaders. With a new array of gadgets (including an explosive version of those Mentos mints) in tow and goofy handler Derek (Anthony Anderson) keeping close watch, Cody heads off to London, impersonating a clarinet prodigy and, trying to hide his real identity from the other musical geniuses, sets out to infiltrate Kenworth's organization and save mankind once again.

Many sequels are mostly the first movie wrapped up and presented as a different package. If sequels were wedding gifts, then Agent Cody Banks 2 would be the Salad Shooter a bride and groom pawn off on one of their friends as a birthday present the next year. Indeed, this picture follows in the footsteps of MGM's new habit of quickly making follow-ups to surprise hits that made them some unexpected cash. Just like February's Barbershop 2 and Legally Blonde 2 from last summer, Destination London displays little in terms of imagination and doesn't show much that its predecessor hadn't already shown. Cody's little brother still rags on him for thinking he's in the CIA. Henchmen and various flunkies 
prove how ill-qualified they are to be in the world-domination business by easily being taken out by a short, 16-year-old kid. Another blonde-haired cutie pie (Hannah Spearritt, playing one of the prodigies who suspects Cody is up to something) represents Cody's semi-love interest. And Cody's parents are once again oblivious to the fact that their son is a secret agent (you'd think the CIA would trust them enough to say, "We want your 'ok' to go ahead and put your son through bomb-disabling classes and send him halfway across the globe whenever we need him.").

Aside from a different location and another goofy plan  villains have for taking over the world, Agent Cody Banks 2  feels like the director is paraphrasing the first film, only without as much success. The jokes are a little more tiresome (the exploding Mentos gag runs out of steam shortly after
it's introduced); the production looks a bit more blah, despite all the slick gadgetry and espionage-related goings-on; and Frankie Muniz is starting to look like he'd rather be sitting at home watching people on TV make fun of the movies he's in. With a near-dire lack of spark, energy, and imagination, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London is an example of the money-hungry Hollywood machine at its most obvious.

Nevertheless, there are a few saving graces that salvage as much of this sequel as they can. Muniz makes the most out
of his return role and attempts to play a slightly more grown-up, mission-minded Cody Banks instead of the relatively wet-behind-the-ears newcomer he was in the first film. Replacing Angie Harmon as Cody's handler is Anthony Anderson, a decent comic actor who's either on (Barbershop) or off (Kangaroo Jack) as far as performances are concerned. Here, he rests comfortably at a midway point, often bumbling for the sake of a cheap laugh now and again but remaining a character who's never boring and kind of admirable for trying to get off of CIA probation and back into action. Spearritt is fairly likable as a musical genius with a secret of her own, and so is the charming young actress (her name escapes me) who pops up every once in a while to call Cody her "woodwind buddy."

Will kids enjoy Agent Cody Banks 2? Sure, I have no doubt about that. But Destination London ends up forgetting to add an adult quotient to the formula, providing little to interest parents while their children delight in the occasional explosion and food fight. Still, there's one thing most parents will probably be thinking throughout this picture: "At least it's better than Catch That Kid."

MY RATING: ** (out of ****)

(Released by MGM and rated "PG" for action violence and some crude humor.)

Review also posted on www.ajhakari.com.