| Dimension Films - Troublemaker Studios, 2002 | Runtime: 99 minutes | Rated PG |
| Starring Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Matt O'Leary, Steve Buscemi | ||
| Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez | ||
There is no doubt in my mind that kids will enjoy “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams.” Obviously, both the original and the sequel were aimed at the under 13 audience, but the original had a better appeal to older groups. While “Spy Kids 2” is still funny and imaginative, it isn’t quite as funny or imaginative as its predecessor.
Once again we join Carmen and Juni Cortes (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara), the top spies at the newly formed Spy Kids organization. In the interesting opening scene, we learn that our heroes are now rivaled by the arrogant new spy kids, Gary and Gerti Giggles (Matt O’Leary and Emily Osment). And when Gary and Gerti’s father is chosen as the new director of the organization, Carmen and Juni no longer rank as the top spy kids.
To make matters worse, Juni is blamed for losing a device owned by the President of the United States which has the ability to ultimately destroy the world. Juni is fired, but Carmen hacks into the company’s computer system, lists him as reinstated, and puts the both of them on a mission that was meant for Gary and Gerti, instead sending those two to the Gobi Desert.
Carmen and Juni’s new mission is to retrieve the President’s device from a hidden island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. (The island is shielded by a similar device, which shuts down all electricity within a mile of the island and makes the island invisible to radars and satellites) There the kids find Romero, a scientist played by Steve Buscemi, once again putting into action the Steve Buscemi rule, which states that any movie can be made a little better with a little Steve Buscemi.
Romero has created a series of species out of hybrids of different animals (sight gags include literal visions of a horsefly, bullfrog, etc.). He now refuses to leave his volcano laboratory, afraid of the creatures that he’s created. Maybe he was right to be afraid. Later in the movie, Juni and Gary have a fight using a couple of the unusual creatures as weapons and shields.
Some of the scenes in “Spy Kids 2” are interesting and quite a few are funny. But it seems as if the humor quality has gone a step or two down since the first film. Consider the scene when Gary and Gerti first realize that they have been dropped off at the wrong place for the mission they were supposed to get. They barely walk five steps in the Gobi desert before stepping into and ending up submerged in an enormous heap of camel feces. They remain stained with it for the rest of the movie.
I must say, it’s not all like that. “Spy Kids 2” is an enjoyable movie, but it takes a while to takes a while to take off, and when it gets there it doesn’t take as many opportunities for laughs as it could have. I’ll easily recommend “Spy Kids 2” for kids (13 and under maybe), and I’m sure some parents will enjoy it. But I guess it’s just not for those of us who are somewhere in the middle.
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