CIA agent Cody Banks (Muniz) has got the gear, he's got the gadgets, he's even got the get up and go... but he ain't got the girl.

This is probably in no small measure thanks to the fact he's just 15 and the world of effortless birding it up is a forlorn hope.

And to make matters worse, the future of the world depends on Cody winning a date with high school beauty Natalie (Duff).

It's not the sort of pressure you're used to when there are other considerations - skateboards, household chores and homework.

But Nat's dad is an expert in nanotechnology - the science of microscopic robots - and he's in thrall to evil criminal mastermind Brinkman (McShane).

Nobody will expect a teenage mini-spy to breach the baddy's defences... so he gets the call to save mankind with Natalie as his stepping stone.

This really is 007 miniaturised for a teen audience, from the tuxedos and fast cars to the Ken Adams' influenced sets, including a heavy nod to You Only Live Twice.

There's even some nifty gadgets, including an Apple Ipod which doubles as a winch, and a BMW skateboard that can fly.

Muniz, the capable star of Malcolm in the Middle, brings a refreshing lack of American brattishness to the part while Duff does everything she's supposed to.

Harmon plays Cody's vampish CIA "handler" Ronica Miles, whose presence is merely a cinema lure for dads designed to crank their blood pressure up to the max.

McShane, who resembles Dr No's cockney cousin, isn't used enough, but his intimidating henchman, Molay (Arnold Vosloo), will frighten the children.

It's likeable, knockabout stuff but you can't help feeling that the mini spooks the Spy Kids may have a greater claim to that license to thrill.

Tim Evans