He prefers Mentos to martinis, and his dad has yet to let him behind the wheel of the family van, let alone an Aston Martin.

But as spies go, 15-year-old Cody Banks (Frankie Muniz) might actually be able to teach a thing or two to James Bond.

"Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London," the second installment in what is clearly meant to be a long-running franchise, finds our CIA hero tracking a trio of madmen who want to implant brain-control chips into various world leaders, including our own.

Going undercover as a musical prodigy training in London, Cody must stop this dastardly plan from happening before an international summit.

Cody's lack of musical talent is a minor distraction. In his favor is a high-frequency dental retainer and a really cute co-operative (Hannah Spearritt) from the teenage division of Scotland Yard.

With lots of cool gadgets, plenty of silliness and a clever concept guaranteed to appeal to preteens, this should be an unflagging, high-octane romp.

Muniz doesn't have much big-screen charisma, but kids who love him from "Malcolm in the Middle" won't notice, and grownups can occupy themselves by analyzing British director Kevin Allen's sly digs at U.S. leaders and cheeky taunts toward his own.