Spy x Family Code: White review – Anime caper that’s worthy of True Lies

Spy x Family has always played like a True Lies TV show with more madcap elements, and the new anime movie makes that comparison even truer in wholly entertaining fashion.

In Spy x Family Code: White, the Forger family attempt to take a peaceful overnight getaway. As usual, it’s in service of Loid’s mission of getting closer to his six-year-old adopted daughter Anya’s principal, the target in Operation Strix, on which the entire Spy x Family premise pivots.

He’s been threatened with losing the assignment, and thus the second life he’s built with Yor, his assassin wife, and their dog, Bond. Over the course of the anime show’s two seasons so far, we’ve seen Loid gradually come to care for his family as more than mere cover, and Code: White deepens those bonds.

Spy x Family Code: White re-introduces the cast

A preamble establishes everything for newbies among the audience, a safe bet since Anya’s a telepath and Bond can see the future. One being a child and the other a dog means Spy x Family only becomes funnier; both are as likely to cause more trouble as they are to fix anything. Case in point: Anya incidentally threatening national security by eating a delicious chocolate treat. She becomes the subject of a military manhunt that inevitably spurs Loid and Yor to take up arms as well.

The timing is especially unfortunate since their relationship is under strain due to suspicions of infidelity. Screenplay writer Ichirō Ōkouchi also oversaw Season 2 of the TV series, and his finesse in balancing the intermingling of personal and broader stakes carries a particular confidence.

Likewise the direction from Takashi Katagiri, who takes every opportunity to display the budget and scale of this cinematic outing, without ever losing touch with the foundation of a young family figuring life out. Despite a burgeoning war, Anya’s sudden disappearance causes the most upset, invigorating the ensuing shoot-outs and fiery showdowns.

Production houses Wit Studio and CloverWorks are in their element with Loid and Yor, both of whom can take down multiple opponents on a whim. Each gets several moments to shine, in distinct settings that highlight their efficiency and ruthlessness.

Spy x Family Code: White embraces laughs and thrills

© 2023 SPY x FAMILY The Movie Project © Tatsuya Endo/Shueisha

Spy x Family has a somewhat precarious narrative due to two of the lead characters being trained killers. Our empathy should come with the awareness of what they’re capable of, and Code: White establishes that effectively, framing them as heroes thanks to a cartoonish baddie, a sociopathic general who’s all too eager to torture young prisoners.

It’s a pulpy setup, and one that takes shape around halfway through when the subplots converge. This isn’t a surprising thriller in any of the twists and turns, but through its execution. A hostage situation becomes a gorgeously rendered, utterly delirious daydream whose subject matter left me aghast and giggling.

More than anything else, Spy x Family Code: White is a comedy. Occasionally a caper, sometimes a rom-com, with excursions into action and more fanciful storytelling, before reverting to heartfelt familial love. That’s what’s made this franchise such a hit in manga and on television, and it translates staggeringly well to the big screen.

Frigis, the town they visit, is a snowy delight full of winter markets and local cuisine. There’s a spinoff waiting to happen between Bond and Anya and the silly trouble they get into, and Yor’s insecurities over partnership and motherhood make her perhaps the most relatable hired gun this side of Bill Hader’s Barry.

Spy x Family Code: White review verdict: 4/5

It all coalesces in Spy x Family Code: White for a highly entertaining watch. Knowledgeable fans may find some frustration in all the explanations, but it’s a worthwhile sacrifice to widen the Forger family’s audience.

One could quibble that Yor’s slightly underdone subplot about seeing Loid with another woman, and the status quo remains largely unchanged. But that leaves some intrigue for Spy x Family Season 3, and when the foundation is still this enjoyable, there’s no need to alter course just yet.

Spy x Family Code: White is in US cinemas now and the UK on April 26. Check out our lists of the best anime on Crunchyroll and the best anime movies for more thrills.