Spy x Family Code: White fails the mission by serving every fan

polygon.com:

I love whenSpy x Family veers into slice-of-life drama. I like seeing super duper capable spy Loid Forger and lethal assassin Yor navigate mundane activities like cooking dinner or planning date nights. I’m giddy when telepathic Anya uses her powers in a dodgeball match. I’m sure there are fans that prefer the more action-heavy, spy-thriller episodes, but I like when studios Wit and Cloverworks keep it chill. With 20 episodes a season, the anime has the space to deftly balance these two tones.

Spy x Family Code: White tries to dance that dance without the same rhythm. The new movie clocks in at almost two hours, but no matter what type of Spy x Familyfan you are, only one half of it will be a delight and the other will be a slog.

[Ed. note: This review contains some spoilers for Spy x Family]

In Spy x Family Code: White, the Forger family goes on vacation to an idyllic mountain village. There is a big ulterior motive for this: Anya’s newest class assignment involves cooking a dessert, and if she bakes the best dessert, she’ll get a coveted Stella, the school’s premier academic prize. And since she needs as many Stellas as possible to secure a spot at an elite party, where her family can meet the prime minister, Loid decides the best strategy is to research the headmaster’s favorite dessert hands-on.

At the same time, the future of Operation Strix is up in the air. Loid really wants Anya to win this contest so that he can have leverage to stay on the assignment. Oh, and, thanks to a misunderstanding, Yor thinks Loid might be cheating on their (fake) marriage.

Directed by Spy x Family episode director Takashi Katagiri, the first half of the movie involves a lot of lighthearted shenanigans, with some spy stuff sprinkled in. It’s my ideal ratio. Loid, Yor, Anya, and precognitive family dog Bond traverse across this mountain village, which looks like something out of a Hallmark movie, looking for ingredients so that the chef at the restaurant can make the dessert.