While this very mild film has more to do with the fine points of an amateur stakeout than actual espionage, its given title--ADVENTURES IN SPYING--betrays the filmmakers' juvenile approach to their subject.
The story takes place in fictional Rockwater, where young, handsome Brian McNichols (Bernie Coulson) runs across a mysterious man (G. Gordon Liddy). Convinced he has just faced dangerous killer Al Dorn--presumed dead in a car explosion--and lured by a $50,000 reward for his capture, Brian stakes
out the house where the man is being sheltered by an older person. Simultaneously, police detective Ray Rucker (Seymour Cassel) suspects Dorn is still alive and conducts his own zealous investigation. Invited by his new friend Julie Converse (Jill Schoelen) to a college reception, Brian realizes
that Professor Hardwick (Michael Emil), a respected chemistry professor, is the person hiding Dorn.
Brian follows Hardwick after the reception and watches him transport what looks like cocaine to a nearby boat. Meanwhile, Dorn kidnaps Brian's kid brother when he steps too close to the house, just as detective Rucker's search brings him to Rockwater. Brian and Julie follow Dorn's car as he takes
Brian's brother into the boat where Hardwick's powder is being shipped. Rucker answers their call for police help, quickly taking charge of the situation. It turns out that Rucker is a crooked detective, tracing Dorn for back bribes owed him. As Dorn lures Rucker into his own racket--ripping off
the big drug cartels with fake cocaine--Bernie summons the Rockwater and federal police. The bad guys go to jail, Brian's brother is saved and Brian and Julie enjoy their just rewards.
Made for the pre-teen market, ADVENTURES IN SPYING is a light, predictable action comedy which is not meant to be taken seriously. Accordingly, more time is lavished on its photogenic teen heroes than on the plot's crime angle, forcing writer-director Hil Covington to resort to the tried-and-true
stylistic trope of the "incredible coincidence." Brian just happens to run into America's most wanted killer, who has a deal with the town's revered chemistry professor, who's honored at the very same party Brian is invited to attend. While this lightness of tone is harmless enough, ADVENTURES IN
SPYING's overall mediocrity of screenplay and direction--punctuated by an irritatingly tacky musical score--prevents even the mindless enjoyment of an unpretentious movie.
Appealing leads are crucial in the success of movies like this. Unfortunately, Bernie Coulson and Jill Schoelen are just pretty faces, too bland to hold any enduring interest. G. Gordon Liddy proves to be no actor, his only expression being a menacing glare in his best "Watergate" fashion, which
wears thin after ten minutes. Only Seymour Cassel--an interesting actor too often wasted in silly roles--and Michael Emil perform with any sense of professionalism. ADVENTURES IN SPYING is recommended only to those in search of inconsequential, unoriginal entertainment. leave a comment
