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Spy Kids (2001)
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Genre: |
Kids/Adventure/Comedy |
Director: |
Robert Rodriguez
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Rating: |
PG |
Running Time: |
88 Minutes |
Release Date: |
March 30, 2001 |
Official Website: |
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Movie Trailer: |
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Discuss and vote: |
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Cast: |
Antonio Banderas
Carla Gugino
Alexa Vega
Alan Cumming
Daryl Sabara
Teri Hatcher
Cheech Marin
Robert Patrick
Tony Shalhoub
Danny Trejo
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Pickup Line: Good Things Come In Small Packages!
Quickie: A brother and sister team up and take a crash course on spying to rescue their spy parents. Sigh. It's so hard to raise parents nowadays.
The Long Review:
"Spy Kids" is quite a nice surprise. Its somewhat cheesy previews inspire some doubt regarding the movie's quality but you know what? It's pretty good. This flick tells the story of an average suburban family…not. The parents in this so-called everyday family happen to be top-notch spies, played by Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino. And after years of dormancy, the couple decides to go on one mission for ol' times' sake. And they get captured by the bad guys who make a decent living out of morphing top spies into mascots for a popular children's show and plan to take over the world with their army of freaky man-made children they aptly call "spy kids." So it's up to the spies' kids, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) to rescue their parents from the evil clutches of the bad guys and to save the world from a hostile takeover by the spy kids.
"Spy Kids" demonstrates just how important effective casting is in a movie. The casting directors couldn't have picked better actors to star in this flick. Okay, so some of you would have preferred it if Catherine Zeta-Jones and Pierce Brosnan had played the parts of the parents and if say, Britney Spears and Eminem had played the parts of the kids, but hey, the way it turned out works fine, too. And if it makes you feel any better, Teri Hatcher is in this movie!
This movie also has a pretty sophisticated plot, considering it's supposed to be a "child's flick." We were gripped by the story from beginning to end, and the impressive special effects made for a really entertaining watch. Oh, the comedy the writers incorporated into the script made us chuckle and laugh every time. And those kids. They're just so damn cute and adorable. Awwww. "I'm partial to pudgy Juni" - Guru Mumu
The actors didn't exactly have to reach too deeply into their bag of acting tricks to play their roles but all of them sure did a good job. It was great to see Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino do goofy comedy, since both of them usually take on heavy-duty roles. Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara likewise deserve some major credit for their performance. They're naturals at this whole Hollywood thing. It really shone through throughout the movie that the cast was having fun playing their parts. And that's a big plus.
Overall, "Spy Kids" is a great movie to watch if you're in the mood for some light-hearted fun and cool adventure. It's different. It's smart. It's sassy. And no matter what other people may tell you, it's not just for kids! Really! Just ask Ebert himself: ""Spy Kids" is giddy with the joy of its invention. It's an exuberant, colorful extravaganza, wall-to-wall with wildly original sets and visual gimmicks, and smart enough to escape the kids film category and play in the mainstream." Hah!
In Two Minutes:
Did you know?
- Antonio Banderas didn't originally set out to be a Latino movie heartthrob. He actually wanted to be a pro soccer player but his foot was shattered, along with his dreams, at age 14.
- Carla Gugino just may be smart enough to be a spy in real life. This model turned actress was a straight A student throughout high school and graudated as valedictorian.
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