Starring Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alan Cumming, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara,
Jason Patrick, Tony Shaloub, Teri Hatcher, Cheech Marin. Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Two spies sent to kill each other (Banderas, Gugino) instead fall in love and eventually
get married. Years later, their past unknown to their kids Carmen (Vega) and Juni (Sabara),
they live a quiet life as government consultants. They are called on to perform one more
mission to help find several secret agents that have mysteriously disappeared. They
suspect a children's TV show host Froog (Cumming) is somehow behind it. They leave
the kids in the hands of their "uncle" (Marin) and hit the road.
Soon after, the house is overrun by enemy agents and the kids narrowly escape by boat
to the safe house their parents have provided for them. The kids learn their spy
parents are captured and become spies themselves to attempt to rescue mom and dad.
But they soon find there are other motives behind Froog's plan, and there is more to
it than meets the eye.
Many films aimed at kids talk down to the audience, and more and more of them adopt
a cynical edge trying to appear hip and relevant to older teens. This film does neither.
It is a consistently imaginative and entertaining look at a fantasy of many kids (and adults)
- to be a James Bond for a day. The sets are colourful and imaginative, and the secret
agent tools and props are nifty and fun. The film often has the look of a Tim Burton
film, with radiant colours and surrealistic sets. The virtual reality chamber is
very well done, and the TV show
video with Froog and the captured agents is amazingly choreographed. And there
actually is a coherent plot, with most of the action less far-fetched than the
average 007 film. Rodrigues, who also directed the beautifully filmed and choreographed
Desperado, has an excellent eye for colour and style, and moves the film along
in a snappy and humourous way. He uses a significant number of Hispanic actors, and often
plays them against type as good guys instead of the heavies they usually play - perhaps
that helped give the film some of its freshness. The ending leaves the door wide open
to a sequel, and although many sequels are a tepid rehash of the original, the cast
and production team are good enough to make something worthwhile.
The performances are solid throughout. Banderas is clearly enjoying himself as the
somewhat suave but rusty spy who doesn't mind being upstaged by the kids. Both young
actors are respectable and believable as average kids with lots of imagination.
Shaloub is very good as the psychotic but mannerly scientist bent on making a robotic
army. Even Teri Hatcher comes off well. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to see a kids
film, despite the positive reviews. I went kidless, and thoroughly enjoyed it, as did
the kids in the theatre around me. In short, the film is an energetic, creative story,
well-performed and a whole lot of fun. Take the kids, or go yourself.
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