Spies in Disguise
Detailed parental analysis
The Incognitos is a spy-themed animated film with a light, fast-paced tone, tinged with absurd humour and a few genuinely emotional moments. The plot follows an elite secret agent who finds himself transformed into a pigeon and forced to collaborate with the eccentric inventor responsible for his metamorphosis to thwart a global threat. The film is aimed primarily at children from seven or eight years old and their parents, with humour sophisticated enough to hold the attention of accompanying adults.
Violence
Violence is frequent and drives many scenes: hand-to-hand combat, gunfire, grenades, tasers and characters hurled against hard surfaces punctuate the entire film. It remains stylised and free of realistic physical consequences, in keeping with the codes of spy animation, but its repetition is notable. The film takes care to question it explicitly: the main character, presented as an expert in brute force, ultimately admits that violence is not the solution, and this is precisely the film's central message. Two deaths occur off-screen or remain implicit, which limits direct visual impact. For more sensitive children or younger viewers, the density of action sequences may nonetheless generate overexcitement or lingering anxiety.
Underlying Values
The film constructs a genuine debate between two models: the solitary hero who acts through force against the character who solves problems through creativity and cooperation. The second model clearly prevails, lending the narrative genuine moral coherence. Trust in others, acceptance of one's own difference and the value of teamwork are structural values, not mere backdrop. The film also questions the legitimacy of weapons and arms trafficking, which is relatively rare in the genre. This positioning provides solid ground for discussion after viewing.
Parental and Family Portrayals
Walter's mother died before the film begins, killed in the line of duty as a police officer. This bereavement is not evaded: it explains the character's psychology and his deep conviction that kindness can replace violence where force has failed. For a child with particular sensitivity to grief or loss of a parent, this narrative thread warrants anticipation by the accompanying adult.
Sex and Nudity
Nudity is limited to an adult man seen from behind on several occasions during transformation sequences, and a humorous reference to the reduction of genitalia during that same transformation. A joke about pigeon anatomy (the cloaca) and a scene where a pigeon defecates on someone fall within a deliberately scatological register. These elements lean towards childish humour pushed to its limits rather than sexually charged content, but they are repeated frequently enough to warrant flagging to parents who wish to manage this type of humour.
Substances
Alcohol appears in several scenes: a main character orders martinis, champagne flutes are present in a festive setting, and a scene with organised crime members shows glasses of liqueur. Consumption is neither glorified nor commented upon, but it is recurrent and integrated into the backdrop of an adult spy world without being neutralised by the narrative.
Strengths
The film maintains a narrative coherence rare for the genre: its stance against violence is not a label slapped on at the end of the story but the backbone of the narrative, lending it commendable intellectual honesty. The central duo works well, characters evolve credibly, and the absurd humour tied to the pigeon transformation is inventive without ever being gratuitous. The death of Walter's mother, treated with restraint, gives genuine emotional depth to a character who might otherwise have been mere comic relief. For children comfortable with the genre, the film also offers an accessible introduction to the logic of de-escalation and the idea that intelligence can outweigh force.
Age recommendation and discussion points
The film is suitable from eight years old for carefree viewing; below six years old, the frequency of action scenes, parental bereavement and scatological-sexualised humour are not appropriate. Two angles of discussion merit opening after viewing: why does the film choose to show that kindness and creativity can disarm conflict where force fails, and what does this change in the way we think about resolving disputes in real life?
Synopsis
Super spy Lance Sterling and scientist Walter Beckett are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is… not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for in smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2019
- Runtime
- 1h 42m
- Countries
- United States of America
- Original language
- EN
- Studios
- Chernin Entertainment, Blue Sky Studios, 20th Century Fox Animation, 20th Century Fox
Content barometer
- Violence3/5Notable
- Fear2/5A few scenes
- Sexuality1/5Allusions
- Language1/5Mild
- Narrative complexity2/5Moderate
- Adult themes2/5Present
Values conveyed
- Acceptance of difference
- Compassion
- Forgiveness
- friendship
- teamwork
- empathy
- ingenuity