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Spy Kids 2 is like a James Bond series for youngsters. Junior size espionage operatives 13-year-old Carmen and 10-year-old Juni Cortez (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara)—children of ace spies Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino)—are in a theme park to rescue the US President's daughter Alexandra (Taylor Momsen). To get her father's attention she swipes from her father's office the "Transmooger"—a device that renders anything invisible—then climbs the swooping Juggler ride to the highest point and refuses to come down until her father shows up. Armed with neat gadgetry, Carmen and Juni begin to rescue her, but as they climb a-la-Spiderman to the top, rival spy kids Gary and Gerti Giggles (Matt O'Leary and Emily Osment) arrive and steal the show with even more marvelous gadgets. Juni succeeds in rescuing Alexandra by promising to arrange for a talk between her and her father, but Gary grabs the Transmooger, resulting in a heated rivalry that lands them in the Island of Lost Dreams. It turns out that the Transmooger device is but a prototype, and that the real Transmooger is actually on the island tended by a deluded scientist Romero (Steve Buscemi) who has ambitions of controlling the world. Here's where the fun and the adventure intensify.
Spy Kids 2 sustains viewer interests through more of the gadgets, gizmos and gimmicks found in the first
Spy Kids
movie. It's a most delightful film that is filled from beginning to end with fascinating special effects. The amazing digital visuals enhance the plot, and the charming mini-zoo creatures provide a touch of whimsy to the movie—particularly the odd specimens resulting from an accidental mix-up of chemicals in Romero's lab, like the thumb-size winged pig, the walking goldfish, etc. It's noteworthy to add that Robert Rodriguez takes probably half of the behind-the-camera credits (for directing, writing, producing, composing, editing and special effects supervising), a feat that should pay off considering that
Spy Kids was made with a budget under $40-million. Don't wonder if at the end of the movie you find yourself looking forward to watching Spy Kids 3, 4, 5, ad
infinitum.
While CINEMA may grant a V 13 rating to Spy Kids, it nonetheless cautions against a
careless viewing of the movie.
This is usually what happens when a movie is so entertaining that the viewer, carried away, overlooks the elements that could, in the long run, render him/her insensitive to the inner workings of conscience. True, present in the movie is the value of family bonding—loyalty, too—making it look like its truly wholesome entertainment, but all the more the movie should be viewed with discernment. For one, the children in
Spy Kids
are not that innocent. Gary and Gerti lie to be declared heroes; Carmen and Juni use underhanded means to reinstate themselves to regain glory as Level 1 spies; Alexandra endangers her life to manipulate her father. See, all throughout the movie, these kids steal, lie, cheat, deceive, manipulate, and for convenience hide undesirable behavior from their parents—the very practices among worldly adults in a dog-eat-dog society. Then there's that music piece done by 13-year old Vega emulating Britney Spears which shows a lot of hip-grinding and pelvic thrusts with her legs spread apart and the camera placed below the knee—makes one think "And they wonder why rape victims get younger and younger these days?" It's one thing to entertain movie viewers, and another to entertain with a mind to forming sound values in young viewers as well.
Spy Kids is fun, even cute, but see that flashing yellow light: Proceed with caution.
(Date reviewed: September 27, 2002)
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