SPY x FAMILY CODE: White (2023)

"Loid" is a top secret operative working on "Operation Strix" - and that requires him to establish the credentials offered by a fake family. To that end he is married to the nimble "Yor" and they both bring up their telepathic daughter "Anya" and mind their dog "Bond". So far, it's a bit like "Mr & Mrs Smith" as neither parent knows of the perilous activities of the other. Now her school principal likes a pudding, and so when a school competition encouraging pupils to cook something for him is announced, the family decide to travel to a small town where "meremere" is prepared (looks like a sort of meringue). Along the way, the curious "Anya" discovers a locked casket on a train which she easily opens to discover it contains a chocolate sweet. Yep, you've guessed - but wait! This delicacy turns out to contain a secret microfilm that is being sought by folks who would use it to undermine the peace between east and west and start a war. Now the story rather turns into "Sky Captain" (2004) and their search for the ingredients of their cake - and his secret mission - takes them into the skies and into a series of combative escapades that sees bullets, bombs and even experimental guided missiles flying about all over the place. I'd never heard of the original television series and was a little reluctant to see this in a cinema as so often these films just build on characters about whom I know little. That's not the case here. This is a solid stand-alone story that doesn't require prior knowledge of anyone to get into it, and that serves it well. The animation is quickly paced and each character (even the dog) has a role to play as the adventure hots up. The plot is not exactly original, no, but there's some fun to be had as these characters deliver an adventure that avoids repetitive combat scenes and after a slow start is well worth a cinema outing.