Spy Kids

Spy Kids; Action comedy, USA, 2001; D: Robert Rodriguez, S: Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Cheech Marin, Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub, Robert Patrick, Teri Hatcher

Mother Ingrid tells their children Carmen and Juni a story about a male and a female spy who had the assignment to terminate each other, but fell in love and got married. But the kids don't know that it's actually the story of their mom and dad, Gregorio, who truly are spies. But Floop, the host of a TV show for kids, creates robot kids and kidnaps Ingrid and Gregorio because they have a mechanical brain for the robots. Their kids save themselves in a submarine and arrive to an island where they learn about the spy gadgets. Floop's robots who are identical to Carmen and Juni, take the mechanic brain. Floop is put in the prison by his assistant Minion, but gets released by the Juni and persuades him to turn to the good side. Together they release their parents and make robot kids into good robots.

"Spy Kids" is a deformed family entertainment - its a surprising, but unfunny spy nonsense that was created after Robert Rodriguez decided to make a film that even his kid will be allowed to watch. He made a correct, childish job, but equipped with occasional sharpness and fascinating spy gadgets. Most of the jokes are weird - in the opening, we see how mom and dad spy have a secret date on tables which are over 10 yards away from each other, and after the wedding they jump with parachutes shaped like a heart. When father Gregorio spots a bully dad, he imagines to throw him out of the school window. There is also too much unnecessary trash, like stupid looking robots shaped like a hand with - a thumb instead of a head (?) or irritating mutants from the TV show of Floop, who are suppose to be a parody of "Muppets". As a whole, an energetic and very acceptable flick, but nothing more, whereas the best part was George Clooney in a small cameo as the spy boss.

Grade:+