The Welsh filmmaker, Kevin Allen, directed the film. Allen made "The Big Tease" and "Twin Cities." He also acted in "Trainspotting"," "Spice World" and the conspiracy thriller, "The Skulls"

Frankie Muniz stars on the clever Emmy winning sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle" as the brainy, somewhat neurotic title character. He also acted in the annoying children’s film "Big Fat Liar" alongside Paul Giamatti.

Perhaps Muniz and Sarah Michelle Geller (of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame) should stick to the small screen until they can get meatier roles. Neither one has ever done a film that approaches their TV work in scope or quality. Theatrical films are not always necessarily superior to television.

Muniz gives a dull, lackluster performance in the role of Cody Banks. He is like James Bond’s long lost American nephew but he lacks the elder’s charm or charisma.

Hannah Spearitt’s role and performance are somewhat more intriguing. Spearitt is a former model/composer/singer, and she was in the now defunct UK pop band S Club 7. She does a good job in her feature film debut.

She plays Hannah, a cheerful but mysterious musical prodigy who seems to know more than she lets on. She teases Cody over his erratic behavior and keeps a watchful eye on him.

Cody Banks must goes to merry old England to prevent a former CIA agent from using a mind control device to take over the world. The villains are as ridiculous but less interesting than most of the would be conquerors in spy films.

Cody goes undercover in a prestigious boarding school as a music student even though he barely has any musical training. His bosses give him a self-playing instrument to make him more convincing.

Eventually some of the good guys become bad guys because mind control devices are placed in their tooth fillings. So Cody can’t always tell friend from foe.

Even Cody’s chief falls prey to the device and he tries to kill Cody. The fight scene between Cody and his 200 something pound chief was disturbing and it left a bad taste. Do we really need to see a full-grown man trying to strangle a child in a kid’s flick?

The film’s most moronic scene occurs when the scientists doing the mind control cause Cody to have a food fight with his peers in the conservatory. Apparently this was the most imaginative thing the scientists could think of doing.

Some kids may get a kick out of "Cody Banks II: Destination London," but I expect that it will be a tortuous experience for most adults. The best thing that can be said about the film is that it is instantly forgettable.