Kaley Cuoco as “Emma” and David Oyelowo as “Dave” in the action comedy, 'Role Play,' a Prime Video release.
(L-R) Kaley Cuoco as “Emma” and David Oyelowo as “Dave” in the action comedy, 'Role Play,' a Prime Video release. Photo courtesy of Prime Video.

Premiering on Prime Video beginning January 12th is the new spy comedy 'Role Play,' starring Kaley Cuoco ('Meet Cute') and David Oyelowo ('Lawman: Bass Reeves').

Role Play
Role Play
"Every couple has their secrets."
60
Audience
Release Jan 11, 2024Runtime 1h 41m

In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down the top 20 best spy comedies of all time.

Let's begin!


20. 'Spy Hard' (1996)

Leslie Nielsen as Dick Steele and Nicollette Sheridan as Veronique Ukrinsky in 'Spy Hard.'
(L to R) Leslie Nielsen as Dick Steele and Nicollette Sheridan as Veronique Ukrinsky in 'Spy Hard.' Photo: Hollywood Pictures.

The evil Gen. Rancor (Andy Griffith) has his sights set on world domination, and only one man can stop him: Dick Steele (Leslie Nielsen), also known as Agent WD-40. Rancor needs to obtain a computer circuit for the missile that he is planning to fire, so Steele teams up with Veronique Ukrinsky (Nicollette Sheridan), a KGB agent whose father designed the chip. Together they try to locate the evil mastermind's headquarters, where Veronique's father and several other hostages are being held.

Spy Hard
Spy Hard
"All the action. All the women. Half the intelligence."
54
Audience
Release May 24, 1996Runtime 1h 21mBudget $18M

19. 'Agent Cody Banks' (2003)

Recruited by the U.S. government to be a special agent, nerdy teenager Cody Banks (Frankie Muniz) must get closer to cute classmate Natalie (Hilary Duff) in order to learn about an evil plan hatched by her father. But despite the agent persona, Cody struggles with teen angst.

Agent Cody Banks
Agent Cody Banks
"Save the world. Get the girl. Pass math."
55
Audience
Release Mar 14, 2003Runtime 1h 42mBudget $28M

18. 'My Spy' (2020)

A hardened CIA operative (Dave Bautista) finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl (Chloe Coleman), having been sent undercover to surveil her family.

My Spy
My Spy
"Almost totally in control."
69
Audience
Release Jun 26, 2020Runtime 1h 39mBudget $18M

17. 'Bad Company' (2002)

When a Harvard-educated CIA agent is killed during an operation, the secret agency recruits his twin brother (Chris Rock).

Bad Company
Bad Company
"The world is in good hands."
55
Audience
Release Jun 7, 2002Runtime 1h 56mBudget $70M

16. 'I Spy' (2002)

When the Switchblade, the most sophisticated prototype stealth fighter created yet, is stolen from the U.S. government, one of the United States' top spies, Alex Scott (Owen Wilson), is called to action. What he doesn't expect is to get teamed up with a cocky civilian, World Class Boxing Champion Kelly Robinson (Eddie Murphy), on a dangerous top secret espionage mission. Their assignment: using equal parts skill and humor, catch Arnold Gundars (Malcolm McDowell), one of the world's most successful arms dealers.

I Spy
I Spy
"Attitude meets espionage."
54
Audience
Release Oct 31, 2002Runtime 1h 37mBudget $70M

15. 'Ghosted' (2023)

Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in 'Ghosted,' now streaming on Apple TV+.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in 'Ghosted,' now streaming on Apple TV+.

Salt-of-the-earth Cole (Chris Evans) falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie (Ana de Armas) — but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.

Ghosted
Ghosted
"Meeting that special someone can be a real adventure."
69
Audience
Release Apr 20, 2023Runtime 1h 57mBudget $40M

14. 'Spies in Disguise' (2019)

Two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Driver) travel to seventeenth century Japan which has, under the Tokugawa shogunate, banned Catholicism and almost all foreign contact.

Spies in Disguise
Spies in Disguise
"Super spy. Super fly."
75
Audience
Release Dec 25, 2019Runtime 1h 42mBudget $100M

13. 'Spies Like Us' (1985)

Two bumbling government employees (Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd) think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for nuclear war.

Spies Like Us
Spies Like Us
"With spies like these, who needs enemies?"
62
Audience
Release Dec 6, 1985Runtime 1h 42mBudget $22M

12. 'Spy Kids' (2001)

Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) think their parents are boring. Little do they know that in their day, Gregorio (Antonio Banderas) and Ingrid Cortez (Carla Gugino) were the top secret agents from their respective countries. They gave up that life to raise their children. Now, the disappearances of several of their old colleagues forces the Cortez' return from retirement. What they didn't count on was Carmen and Juni joining the "family business."

Spy Kids
Spy Kids
"Real spies... only smaller."
58
Audience
Release Mar 18, 2001Runtime 1h 28mBudget $35M

11. 'This Means War' (2012)

Two top CIA operatives (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) wage an epic battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same woman (Reese Witherspoon).

This Means War
This Means War
"It's SPY Against SPY"
62
Audience
Release Feb 17, 2012Runtime 1h 38mBudget $65M

10. 'Get Smart' (2008)

Anne Hathaway as Agent 99 and Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart in 'Get Smart.'
(L to R) Anne Hathaway as Agent 99 and Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart in 'Get Smart.' Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

When the identities of secret agents from Control are compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) promotes hapless but eager analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) and teams him with stylish, capable Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), the only spy whose cover remains intact. Can they work together to thwart the evil plans of KAOS and its crafty operative?

Get Smart
Get Smart
"Saving the world...and loving it."
62
Audience
Release Jun 20, 2008Runtime 1h 50mBudget $80M

9. 'Spy' (2015)

A desk-bound CIA analyst (Melissa McCarthy) volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

Spy
Spy
"She's a risk they had to take."
68
Audience
Release Jun 5, 2015Runtime 2hBudget $65M

8. 'The Spy Who Dumped Me' (2018)

A couple of thirtysomething best friends (Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon) unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one’s ex-boyfriend (Justin Theroux) shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail.

The Spy Who Dumped Me
The Spy Who Dumped Me
"They got this."
64
Audience
Release Aug 3, 2018Runtime 1h 57mBudget $40M

7. 'Central Intelligence' (2016)

After he reunites with an old pal (Dwayne Johnson) through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant (Kevin Hart) is lured into the world of international espionage.

Central Intelligence
Central Intelligence
"Saving the world takes a little Hart and a big Johnson."
64
Audience
Release Jun 17, 2016Runtime 1h 47mBudget $50M

6. 'RED' (2010)

After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA black ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe (Morgan Freeman), crazy Marvin (John Malkovich) and wily Victoria (Helen Mirren) to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission -- breaking into CIA headquarters.

RED
RED
"Still armed. Still dangerous. Still got it."
67
Audience
Release Oct 14, 2010Runtime 1h 51mBudget $58M

5. 'Knight and Day' (2010)

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in 'Knight and Day.'
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in 'Knight and Day.' Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

A fugitive couple (Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz) goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.

Knight and Day
Knight and Day
"Every Hit Man Deserves a Second Shot!"
62
Audience
Release Jun 23, 2010Runtime 1h 49mBudget $117M

4. 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' (2014)

The story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid (Taron Egerton) into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Kingsman: The Secret Service
Kingsman: The Secret Service
"Manners maketh man."
76
Audience
Release Feb 13, 2015Runtime 2h 9mBudget $81M

3. 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery' (1997)

As a swingin' fashion photographer by day and a groovy British superagent by night, Austin Powers (Mike Myers) is the '60s' most shagadelic spy, baby! But can he stop megalomaniac Dr. Evil (Myers) after the bald villain freezes himself and unthaws in the '90s? With the help of sexy sidekick Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), he just might.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
"Debonair. Defiant. Defrosted."
66
Audience
Release May 2, 1997Runtime 1h 29mBudget $16.5M

2. 'True Lies' (1994)

A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) might be having an affair with a used car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.

True Lies
True Lies
"When he said I do, he never said what he did."
71
Audience
Release Jul 15, 1994Runtime 2h 21mBudget $115M

1. 'The In-Laws' (1979)

Alan Arkin as Sheldon Kornpett and Peter Falk as Vince Ricardo in 1979's 'The In-Laws.'
(L to R) Alan Arkin as Sheldon Kornpett and Peter Falk as Vince Ricardo in 1979's 'The In-Laws.' Photo: Warner Bros.

In preparation for his daughter's wedding, dentist Sheldon Kornpett (Alan Arkin) meets Vince Ricardo (Peter Falk), the groom's father. Vince, a manic fellow who claims to be a government agent, then proceeds to drag Sheldon into a series of chases and misadventures from New York to Central America.

The In-Laws
The In-Laws
"The FIRST Certified Crazy Person's Comedy."
66
Audience
Release Jun 15, 1979Runtime 1h 43mBudget $9M