Spies in Disguise (2019):The Animated Spy Comedy That Makes Students Think About Solving Problems Without Force

Spies in Disguise introduces students to a genuine mismatch: a spy who solves problems with force paired against his will with an inventor who solves problems by avoiding force altogether. The movie treats Walter's nonlethal, nonviolent approach as the thing that actually works, not as a weaker alternative to Lance's methods, and lets students watch two very different sets of skills prove that neither one is enough on its own. It gives students a concrete way to think about teamwork, the value of being different, and what it looks like when someone else's approach turns out to be right.

Lance Sterling is a supremely confident secret agent who breaks the rules to get results, while Walter Beckett is a socially awkward young scientist he has just fired for building nonlethal gadgets instead of weapons. When Lance is framed for a crime he did not commit and accidentally drinks Walter's experimental invisibility formula, he is transformed into a pigeon instead, and the two are forced to work together to clear his name. As they track down the cybernetic terrorist responsible, Lance slowly comes around to Walter's more peaceful methods, and it is that same approach, along with an assist from a flock of real pigeons, that ultimately saves the day.

The movie gives students an accessible way to talk about teamwork, the value of differing strengths, and the idea that nonviolent solutions can be just as effective as force. Walter's inventions are built specifically to distract and disarm rather than harm, and the movie treats that choice as smart rather than soft. It also touches on loss, since both Walter and the villain are shaped by the death of someone they loved, giving students a way to see how grief can lead people down very different paths.

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🕊️ Makes Nonviolence the Winning Strategy. Walter's gadgets are built to distract, confuse, and disarm rather than harm, and the movie's plot proves that approach works even against a heavily armed villain. Students see nonlethal problem solving treated as clever and effective, not as a lesser option.

🤝 Builds Teamwork Out of a Genuine Mismatch. Lance and Walter have almost nothing in common and start the movie actively working against each other, yet neither can succeed alone. Students get a clear example of how very different strengths can combine into something neither person could manage on their own.

🦾 Gives the Villain a Real Motive. Killian's attacks are driven by revenge for the deaths of people he cared about in a past mission led by Lance, giving him a reason beyond simple villainy. Students get a chance to think about how loss can push someone toward destructive choices.

💭 Roots Walter's Character in Loss, Too. Walter's mother, a police officer, was killed on duty when he was young, and that loss shapes his drive to build tools that protect people without hurting them. It gives students a way to compare two characters who respond to similar grief in very different ways.

🐦 Turns Real Pigeon Biology Into Plot Points. The movie builds real details about pigeon anatomy and vision into its story once Lance is transformed, using facts like a pigeon's wide field of vision as part of the plot rather than as a side note. Students get accurate science folded directly into the action.

⭐ Rewards the Character Who Gets Underestimated. Walter is dismissed and fired early in the movie for not fitting the expected mold of a spy agency employee, but his approach is exactly what ends up saving everyone. Students see a story where being different is treated as an advantage rather than something to be corrected.

⚠️ Things to be aware of:

• There is a lot of cartoonish action and chase sequences typical of an animated spy comedy, including a villain with a robotic arm and a fleet of drones.
• A character's bare backside is briefly shown for comic effect, and a pigeon character flirts with the main character while he is in bird form.
• Walter's mother, a police officer, is referenced as having died in the line of duty, though this happened before the movie begins and is not shown on screen.
• There is no meaningful language in the movie, and no drug use beyond background characters shown drinking.

📚 English Language Arts Teachers. Spies in Disguise gives students a fast moving buddy comedy built on a clear cause and effect plot, with two sharply different characters whose contrasting voices and motivations make for genuine character study. The guide is built around three sets of differentiated comprehension questions, giving teachers room to adjust for different reading levels, alongside storyboard and synopsis writing that pushes students beyond simple recall into sequencing and summarizing the plot in their own words.

🗣️ ESL and ELL Teachers. The movie's visual, action driven storytelling and clear buddy dynamic between Lance and Walter make it easy for language learners to follow the plot even when specific dialogue is missed. The multiple choice comprehension question set in the guide is built with this kind of accessibility in mind, making it a strong fit for ESL students.

🔬 Science Teachers. Once Lance is transformed into a pigeon, the movie works real details about pigeon anatomy and physiology directly into its plot, including how a pigeon's wide field of vision functions. The guide does not include dedicated science activities, but the comprehension questions give students a structured task that keeps them engaged with the movie's factual content as they watch.

🎬 Substitute Teachers and Cover Lessons. Every activity in the guide is self-contained and clearly organized, with instructions a substitute can follow without any prior planning. Answer keys are included for all three sets of comprehension questions, and because the tasks do not depend on earlier classroom discussion, a substitute can run the full session without having seen the movie.

🏠 Homeschool Parents. Spies in Disguise's blend of action and humor, along with its more serious threads about loss and choosing nonviolent solutions, makes it a flexible pick for a single home learner. The guide's comprehension questions, gadget design and animal agent writing, and storyboard and synopsis activities all work well for one student working independently, without needing group adaptation.

💙 SEL Teachers. The movie's actual resolution depends on Lance learning to value Walter's very different approach rather than dismissing it, and Walter and the villain Killian both respond to similar personal loss in ways that lead them down very different paths. The guide does not include dedicated SEL activities, but the comprehension questions and creative writing tasks give students a structured way to engage with these themes as they watch.

🌟 Supporting All Learners Movie guides can be a wonderfully calm fit for students with autism, learning difficulties, and mild to severe disabilities. The structured format gives every student a clear purpose during viewing, easing uncertainty and allowing them to engage at their own pace. If you teach in a special education or learning support setting, you may find this guide a gentle and practical resource. Find out more about why movies work for diverse learners.

Part 1: Comprehension Questions
Three sets of differentiated comprehension questions in chronological order: 35 questions requiring full sentence answers, a second set of 25 questions requiring full sentence answers (10 removed from the 35 question set), and 24 multiple choice questions with three possible answers, with question 25 requiring a full sentence answer. Answer keys are included for all three sets.

Part 2: Creativity
Students imagine Walter needs their help and design a non-lethal gadget, describing and drawing both the gadget itself and it in action. Students then imagine themselves as secret agents turned into an animal by Walter, describing and drawing themselves as that animal, then writing an imaginary mission explaining how the animal's unique skills and abilities helped them complete it.

Part 3: Storyboard and Synopsis
Students draw a nine scene storyboard of what they consider the most important parts of the movie, with a brief description for each scene, with a reminder that they can reference the comprehension questions to help with sequencing. Using their completed storyboard as a guide, students then write a synopsis of the movie.