Spy Kids
***
Cinema
Releases - April 13, 2001
Certificate PG. 88 minutes. Written and directed
by Robert Rodriguez. Starring Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas,
Carla Gugino, Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub.
Movies with lots of gadgets always bring a smile
to my face, and "Spy Kids" sure has lots of gadgets. The villain,
for example, is the proud owner of a contraption that turns humans into giant
rubber dolls, and at one point the kids of the title escape capture by strapping
on out-of-control jet packs and zooming across the city.
What you have to understand about this picture
is that it was directed by Robert Rodriguez, the man behind the wonderful
indie actioner "El Mariachi" -- not some hack who does kiddie flicks for
the pay check. We're used to assuming 'family entertainment' will be crap,
but here's an Easter treat from someone who knows what he's
doing.
There are so many wonderful gadgets! And great,
crazy sets, like the villain's lair, with its bizarre bright colours, optical
illusions, and lopsided creatures. And interesting characters -- look at
the magical construction of the introduction, where we're told the backstory
of the kids' parents; it unfolds with the charm of a fairytale and playful
timing of a good, witty anecdote.
The plot: Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino were
spies for rival nations who fell in love, married, and quit the dangerous
life to raise a family. They agree to do one mission for old time's sake,
which ends up getting them abducted, and their children, played by Alexa
Vega and Daryl Sabara, have to go save them.
These kinds of stories are like heaven for kids.
They picture themselves getting in the adventures like the ones onscreen,
and their imaginations go wild. It would work better if Sabara, the boy,
was as charismatic an actor as Vega, the girl, but never mind -- "Spy Kids"
has set-pieces of such visual imagination that the imperfections in the tots'
interaction can often be overlooked.
One other big flaw, a little harder to overlook:
Rodriguez sometimes bites off more than he can chew in terms of the visual
effects department. He wants to have so much crazy stuff going on, especially
in the villain's lair, that a lot of the digital animation looks uneasy and
fake. Still, this movie has a lot more excitement and vibrancy than you'd
expect from something called "Spy Kids".
COPYRIGHT©
2001 Ian Waldron-Mantgani
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