If you (or your kids) enjoyed Spy Kids, then you’ll relish this one too. Pretty much the same material, it’s aimed at a slightly older set and is more loyal to its James Bond roots — namely the comely babe in the lycra bodysuit. In this case the curvaceous form belongs to Angie Harmon’s CIA agent, who "handles" the junior operative (the CIA runs "summer camps" to develop its corps of teen agents) of the title, who’s played by Frankie Muniz of TV’s Malcolm in the Middle.

Cody’s first assignment is to get close to the daughter of a genius scientist (Hilary Duff from TV’s Lizzie McGuire) at a ritzy private school in Seattle. The scientist in question (Martin Donovan) has concocted micro-robots to help clean up the environment, but his nefarious backer (Ian McShane) wants to use the nanotechnology to take over the world. Problems arise when Cody tries to woo his target. He may have Bond gadgets, kung fu moves, and quick wits, but he’s a stuttering fool when it comes to girls — and that’s where the film finds its charm. Under Harald Zwart’s direction, Muniz’s nerdy awkwardness and Duff’s confident effervescence spark a likable chemistry. The cheesy lab-hideaway sets seem gloriously borrowed from Austin Powers, and the team of CIA agents in haz-mat suits who perform Cody’s chores for him are an uproarious pickle on the side.