Hannah Spearritt, from left, Anthony Anderson and Frankie Muniz star in the film "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London." (Gannett News Service, Jay Maidment/ MGM) Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London Starring: Frankie Muniz, Hannah Spearritt, Anthony Anderson. Director: Kevin Allen. Rated PG: Action violence, some crude humor. Running time: 100 minutes. view the trailer | official website A rogue CIA agent has stolen a top secret mind-control device and Cody has to go undercover in London to get it back. Posing as a student at an elite boarding school to get close to his suspects, Cody has to keep the other kids from discovering his true identity while infiltrating covert hideouts, spying on his sinister target--and going to class. With all-new gadgets, high-flying action, exciting chases, and a wisecracking new handler, Derek, Cody has to retrieve the device before the world's leaders fall under the evil control of a diabolical villain.

by Margaret McGurk, Gannett News Service

Frankie Muniz is the kind of teen star who would look completely natural sprawled on the family room floor playing video games.

He worked his just-like-one-of-us approachability like a charm last year as the junior James Bond called Agent Cody Banks, scoring a respectable hit in his fluffy but fun movie debut.

The sequel, "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London," is equally fluffy, though not as much fun.

Whatever appeal the movie musters rests entirely on Cody's looks and personality, even when he is treating his clueless movie parents (Cynthia Stevenson and Daniel Roebuck) like feeble-minded burdens.

Clueless parents, of course, are a staple of tween and pre-teen fantasies; just like the secret satellite dishes and missile launchers hidden at the "summer camp" where Cody trains.

It is from that camp that Cody heads overseas for a change of scenery, and a change of flirting partner. Hilary Duff is out; Hannah Spearritt is in, playing a fellow student at the exclusive music academy where Cody is sent as a cover for his latest secret mission.

The object is a mind-control device that the boring bad guy (Keith Allen) intends to implant in world leaders.

Cody's job is to stop him. However, his real purpose in life is to run around using all the cool gadgets that come with his job - such teen-friendly gear as exploding Mentos and a listening device hidden in a retainer - and to share slapstick moments with his "handler" Derek (Anthony Anderson).

The story is so beside the point that screenwriter Don Rhymer may in fact have compiled it from random snippets out of the Dana Carvey workbook.

Director Kevin Allen makes no special effort to squeeze sense out of the plot. When the story lags, he just gets Anderson into another sloppy mess. (In his cover job as cook, Anderson is a one-man food fight.)

There is an old rule-of-thumb that says that the more writers on a movie, the lamer it will be. I'm thinking of amending that rule to include executive producers. "Cody Banks 2" credits four writers, and eight executive producers - one of whom is Madonna.

Could be that this is a case of way, way too many cooks and not nearly enough broth.