'Spy' Review: The Name's McCarthy. Melissa McCarthy.

Sean Connery. Roger Moore. Daniel Craig. Shall we add Melissa McCarthy to the list?

Starring in Paul Feig's new comedy "Spy," Melissa McCarthy proves not only that she can carry a movie in a starring role, but also that she belongs on the list of actors that have played a truly great spy role.

"Spy" stars McCarthy as Susan Cooper, a capable but awkward CIA agent whose work confines her to a support role. Cooper stays in the CIA's basement, acting as the digital eyes and ears for one of the agency's top spies and American James Bond equivalent, Bradley Fine (Jude Law).

When the CIA's field agents are all compromised and a nuclear arms deal is set to happen in the next few days, Cooper is recruited to go out on her first mission. It's here that the movie's comedy really takes off, as Cooper's experience in the field plays against every Bond cliché you could think of. Her gadgets are embarrasingly disguised as hemmoroid wipes and stool softener, her fake identities are pathetic figures, and her clothing tends to have pictures of cats on them.

Feig, who is known for hits like "Bridesmaids" and "The Heat" (both of which also featured McCarthy), seems to have created a role that is tailor-made for the former "Gilmore Girls" actress. While McCarthy has been brilliant in the past, particularly in the two aforementioned Feig films, her roles were usually supporting. Here, McCarthy doesn't have to play the crazy sidekick: she's a fully realized character with goals, vulnerabilities and capabilities.

One of the refreshing things here is how McCarthy's weight plays into her character. Her body is never a burden to her, and while her physicality is often played to comedic effect, Cooper is an exceptionally capable Spy. The action scenes play out as bone-cruchingly well as in any other action film, but here we have the unlikely McCarthy executing every acrobatic move.

The supporting cast is every bit as excellent as McCarthy. Rose Byrne plays her villainous role perfectly, and Jason Statham is hilariously over-the-top in a meta parody of his own previous roles in movies like "The Transporter. Almost every actor delivers at least one laugh-out-loud line, a testament to both the words and the actors performing them.

If there's a flaw in "Spy," it's a slightly long first act; it takes a while for the story to get going. However, most of the work done pays of nicely later on in plot twists and in character payoffs. Seeing poor Cooper suffer indignities for that long just makes you root for her more by the end.

In short: go see "Spy."

Rating: 9/10