Agent Cody Banks
Short description
Agent Cody Banks is a teenager leading an ordinary life of skateboarding and school, with one secret: he has been trained as a CIA operative. His first assignment requires him to pose as a student and get close to Natalie Connors, a classmate whose scientist father is developing a technology with far greater destructive potential than its stated purpose. Cody's difficulty talking to girls complicates the mission, and he must balance being a normal adolescent with the demands of espionage.
The film was directed by Harald Zwart, released in 2003 as his second feature after One Night at McCool's, and written by Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski and Ashley Miller. Frankie Muniz plays Cody, Hilary Duff plays Natalie, Angie Harmon plays his handler Ronica Miles, and Keith David, Cynthia Stevenson and Darrell Hammond appear in supporting roles.
Made on a budget of about 28 million dollars, it took roughly 59 million dollars worldwide, a return that kept it comfortably in profit. On IMDb it holds 5.2 out of 10 from around 39,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.5 out of 10 from about 1,200 votes, while a critics' rating of 5.3 out of 10 from 102 reviews places critics and audiences closely together. Its 102-minute blend of action and family comedy positions it as a modest, widely seen entry in the teen-spy genre.
What's left behind the scenes
- Filming dates: May 27, 2002 – August 15, 2002.
- The character Natalie Connors received her name in honor of Dylan Sellers' daughter, Natalie. It was she who suggested Hillary Duff for the role.
- The film's director, Harald Zwart, who grew up and began his film career in Norway, always includes at least a few items in his projects to remind him of his homeland. When Cody and Natalie meet in the cafe, a brand of the well-known Norwegian ice cream company "Diplom-Is" can be seen on the wall in the background. Also, in Cody's room, you can spot a scarf in the colors of the Fredrikstad football team (red and white), a team Harald Zwart has supported for a long time, and its pennant on the wall.
- The school nurse's name – Sister Ratched – is the same as that of the orderly in the famous film 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975).
- Hillary Duff first learned about the upcoming project from Frankie Muniz when he was a guest on one of the episodes of her series 'Lizzie McGuire' (2001).
- Cody and Natalie attend "William Donovan Preparatory School." William Donovan was the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II, which later became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A promotional photo of Frankie Muniz from the series "Malcolm in the Middle" (2000) is included in Cody's CIA file. The secret organization E.R.I.S., which the heroes fight against, is named after the Greek goddess of discord, Eris.
- Even before filming was completed, the studio announced that the film was turning out so well that work on a sequel would begin immediately after its release.
- When Cody is in CIA headquarters, an announcement can be heard over the intercom: 'Driver of the silver Aston Martin, please move your car.' The famous driver of the silver Aston Martin is James Bond, whose adventures 'Agent Cody Banks' somewhat parodies.
- Scenes inside the CIA headquarters were filmed in the buildings of the Canadian Simon Fraser University near Vancouver.
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