Spy x Family Code: White Review — Forger Family Vacation

Sometimes when a popular anime gets a movie we get weird side stories that can’t possibly be canon to the main storyline, and sometimes it just perfectly slots right into the show. Thankfully, Spy x Family Code: White achieves the latter and captures most of what makes the anime special. Code: White was directed by Takashi Katagiri, with the main cast of the anime coming back to voice their characters for both the Japanese voice cast as well as the English version. The film follows the Forger family on a family trip.

What starts as a ploy to get Anya another Stella Star so Loid can continue with Operation Strix, ends up dragging the entire family into an extremely dangerous situation. Luckily, Loid’s skills as a spy, Yor’s assassin abilities, Bond’s foresight, and Anya’s dumb luck manage to see them through it. Code: White starts amazingly, with an exciting recap of Loid’s and Yor’s secret lives. There’s an exquisite spy sequence with Loid, and a beautifully bloody sequence with Yor, reminding us how awesome these characters are right from the start. 

More Than a Spy x Family Side Story

The plot soon falls into the classic Spy x Family tropes, with Yor wanting to be a better wife and mother so she doesn’t lose her cover. Loid’s spent so long on Operation Strix that he doesn’t want to give up to an inferior replacement, and Anya doesn’t want to get sent back to the orphanage. So, when a Stella Star is up for grabs during a cooking competition at Anya’s school, Loid takes the family to another region to try and reverse engineer a specific meal to impress the principal, the competition’s judge. 

Unfortunately, Anya accidentally foils the plot to start a war between Westalis and Ostania, becoming the target of some quirky and evil members of the military. Most of the story is great, as it is filled with action and suspense. The real shining light of the movie – just like the series – is how funny it is. The dynamics between the main three characters are explored so well in the film, with Yor thinking that Loid is cheating on her with another woman, and Anya desperately trying to keep her parents together. 

The voice cast delivers on the awkwardness or earnestness of their characters. Alex Organ (Loid), Natalie Van Sistine (Yor), and Megan Shipman (Anya) nail the comedic beats, and of course, the more emotional moments as well. What surprised me most is how you could take this movie, put it in the middle of the series and it would stand up shoulder to shoulder with it. Everything is consistent with the show, except for the animation and scale, both of which have been raised.

The Bad Guys

Unfortunately, because the movie is like the series, the plot is too familiar and ultimately too predictable. There are still moments of suspense, but for the most part, you’ll be able to guess what happens next. The film’s main villain is a Colonel named Snidel. He is played by John Swasey, who manages to give a memorable performance as the cocky veteran. From the moment Snidel is introduced, it’s clear he’s going to be the bad guy, and you’ll love to hate him. 

There are, however, a few minor bad guys that aren’t too memorable and they drag the film down a little. One of them had a recurring horoscope gag that just didn’t land for me. Most of the memorable side characters from the series appear in the movie, although some don’t get much screen time. This is one of the plot’s main problems. The setting means most characters wouldn’t be able to appear, and the story forces them to. It would’ve worked better not to include characters like Yuri because the cutaways took away from the main story. 

Although, that’s not to say that the editing isn’t great. Again, it just adds to the overall humor of the film. The action scenes were both well-edited and animated too, with one of the final fights truly maximizing the scope of the movie. While Code: White is otherwise well-edited, the sound mix could get a little distracting towards the end. But, the sound design is good and the score is outstanding. (K)now_Name’s score guides the movie – as well as the show – highlighting those comedic moments and surrounding some of the more tense ones. Although, there’s no beating the “Strix” theme.

Stella Stars For Everyone

Spy x Family Code: White has a few scenes in which the animation is a different style. Not only do these scenes look great, but it also briefly takes you out of the story to focus on the characters, while staying consistent with whatever’s going on. The scenes manage to add some more vibrance and vividness to the film’s color palette. The background shots of the mountain landscapes are gorgeous too. It’s also worth noting that during the final third of the movie, there’s a fair amount of toilet humor. It works, but some people might not like it, even in context. 

Code: White’s dialogue, editing, animation, and voicework all work together to make an engaging, hilarious film. While some of the side characters could have been integrated into the story better, and a couple of the villains were underwhelming, Spy x Family Code: White is a great movie that any fan of the anime should watch. While I would recommend watching the series first, the film is also designed for new fans. So, if you want to laugh at the theater you should watch Spy x Family Code: White when it releases in theaters on April 19, 2024.