Agent Cody Banks
MGM (2003)
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Thriller
In Collection
#430
6*
Seen It:  Yes
(6/13/2011)
027616887412
IMDB   5.4
102 mins USA/English
DVD  Region 1   PG-13
Frankie Muniz Cody Banks
Hilary Duff Natalie Connors
Angie Harmon Ronica Miles
Keith David CIA Director
Cynthia Stevenson Mrs. Banks
Arnold Vosloo Francois Molay
Daniel Roebuck Mr. Banks
Ian McShane Brinkman
Darrell Hammond Earl
Martin Donovan Dr. Connors
Marc Shelton Surveillance Van Agent
Director Harald Zwart
Producer David Glasser
Andreas Klein
David Nicksay
Jason Alexander
Jennifer Birchfield-Eick
Kerry David
Writer Jeffrey Jurgensen
Ashley Miller
Zack Stentz

A teen learns that all the gadgets in the world can't help him overcome his awkwardness around the opposite sex in this big-budget family entertainment. In Agent Cody Banks, Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz plays a young man plucked from suburban obscurity to be trained as a CIA super-agent. His mission? Get friendly with his classmate Natalie (played by another teen TV star, Lizzie McGuire's Hilary Duff) so that he can uncover her father's diabolical scheme to create indestructible robots. To compound his problems, Cody also has to deal with the same stresses as any adolescent: nagging parents, insufferable classwork, and a fragile sense of self-esteem. Agent Cody Banks was produced by MGM, not coincidentally the studio responsible for another popular spy franchise, the venerable James Bond series. — Michael Hastings
Edition Details
Chapters 32
Release Date 8/5/2003
Packaging Keep Case
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles English; French; Spanish
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Surround
SPANISH: Dolby Digital Surround
Layers Dual Side, Single Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Date 8/15/2004
Owner Thomas Eisenmann
Store Walgreens
Purchase Price $6.50
Condition Excellent
Reviewed Widescreen Review
Bit Rate 448 KB
Anamophic Yes
Links All Movie Guide
DVD Empire
Amazon US
IMDB

Features
Anamophic
Nowhere does the Fully Loaded Special Edition DVD mention that all those features on the jacket are found only on full screen side of the disc. The widescreen side only offers an audio commentary track by director Harald Zwart and actors Frankie Muniz and Angie Harmon. In addition to the same commentary track from the widescreen side, the full screen sides includes several featurettes found under different menus, including the five-minute Developing Agent Cody Banks, the seven-minute Production Design and the four-minute Ronica’s Closet (under Creating Cody’s World), the six-minute A Few Dope Items and the five-minute The Music Of Agent Cody Banks (under the Posting Cody Banks menu), the seven-minute Frankie Muniz Going Big, the seven-minute Agent Action, and a 13-minute Director’s Diary. Brief segments include How To Talk To Girls and Cool Make-Up Tricks By Hilary Duff. Two storyboard-to-film comparisons, three multi-camera sequences, six deleted scenes, a three-minute outtake reel, two photo galleries, and trailers and TV spots round out the supplements.

Widescreen Review
Story Synopsis:
Young Agent Cody Banks (Muniz) knows everything there is to know about gadgets-which helps land him a job as a super-agent for the CIA. After a briefing on “How To Talk To Girls,” Cody must get cozy with his classmate Natalie (Duff) in order to uncover her father’s diabolical scheme to create indestructible robots. As if being a teenager isn’t stressful enough. (Suzanne Hodges)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 DVD exhibits a picture that is sharp and detailed, with nicely rendered contrast and shadow delineation. The color scheme is rich and fully saturated, with bright hues, natural fleshtones, and deep blacks. While the picture is mostly clean and well delineated, some scenes appear a bit plugged-up or smeared. At times the picture can have a gritty appearance, with the source element revealing of some film grain. While edge enhancement and pixelization can be noticed, the movie’s target audience should not be distracted. (Suzannne Hodges)

Also includes a modified 1.33:1 (4:3) full screen version on the flip side (not reviewed).

Soundtrack:
The Dolby® Digital 5.1 audio features splendid fidelity and a consistently active spatial soundstage that is noticeably predominated by the music. The recording of the music is wonderful, with a lush, dimensionally permeating presence. Another contributing factor to the audio’s impressive spatiality is the selected use of acute sound effects, with notable pans and aggressive activity in the surrounds. The low-end is also engaged rather selectively, with the LFE channel not being a significant factor. The dialogue sounds remarkable, with natural tonality and spatial integration. (Perry Sun)

This Disc Contains The Following WSR-Rated Superb Qualities:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality