The Best And Worst Melissa McCarthy Movies
Comedy icon Melissa McCarthy is finally getting the respect she deserves following her Oscar-nominated performance in dramedy Can You Ever Forgive Me? From The Groundlings to Gilmore Girls, the lovable actress consistently proved herself in smaller, supporting roles before transitioning to Hollywood mega-star in the likes of Bridesmaids, Spy, and Ghostbusters.
Still, nobody's career is spotless, and even the mighty McCarthy has stumbled a few times. Her working relationship with husband and writer-director Ben Falcone is fruitful but has also provided some of the biggest flops of McCarthy's impressive career — The Boss, Tammy, and Life of the Party are all certified rotten on popular reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Melissa McCarthy struck out with Identity Thief
When it comes to lows, nothing comes close to Cook Off!, a little-seen 2017 mockumentary currently sitting at a paltry 14 percent on RT. Still, with just seven reviews panning it, the film is unlikely to even be on most fans' radars. More damning is Identity Thief, in which McCarthy stars alongside fellow comedy heavyweight Jason Bateman.
The 2013 comedy caper is at 19 percent on RT, with Buzzfeed News' Roxane Gay noting, "There's something to offend everyone in Identity Thief: racist jokes, gay jokes, the word 'vagina' wielded as an insult." Elsewhere, in Grantland, Wesley Morris admits, "You don't care enough about these people to want to see them come out on top."
Still, critics commended McCarthy for her commitment to the material, though The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw notes, "It is reliant on McCarthy's comedy chops and her ability to deliver improv-type character material, but almost every single one of her scenes looks like an outtake."
Spy returned Melissa McCarthy to her former glory
At the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Spy, the lively 2015 movie that reunited McCarthy with her Bridesmaids director Paul Feig along with a whole host of fun side characters including a game Jason Statham, sending up his hard-man image, along with fellow Brits Jude Law and Peter Serafinowicz.
At a whopping 95 percent on RT, J.R. Jones argues in the Chicago Reader, "Hollywood is gradually figuring out what to do with Melissa McCarthy." In the New Yorker, Richard Brody noted, "Melissa McCarthy shines in this clever action-comedy showcase provided by the writer and director Paul Feig."
Over on Buzzfeed, Alison Willmore heralded McCarthy's character, hapless spy-in-training Susan as, "A different sort of badass, the kind that's a reminder of McCarthy's range beyond just physical comedy."